<p>We take Acquired to the Old Town Road to cover the amazing story behind the biggest global sensation of 2019 — and the highest valued private startup in the world — TikTok. How did a mid-30 year old UX architect at enterprise software giant SAP wind up creating Gen Z’s favorite social app that’s now rivaling Instagram in global MAU? Why is a 2017 merger of two Chinese companies being branded a US national security threat and retroactively placed under review by CFIUS? And perhaps most importantly, why is TikTok such an important product & technology innovation that all of us should be learning from? Tune in for all the answers!</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Sponsors:</strong></p><ul><li>Legora: <a href="https://bit.ly/acquiredlegora">https://bit.ly/acquiredlegora</a></li><li>Vanta: <a href="https://bit.ly/acquiredvanta">https://bit.ly/acquiredvanta</a></li><li>ServiceNow: <a href="https://bit.ly/acquiredservicenow26">https://bit.ly/acquiredservicenow26</a></li><li>Statsig: <a href="https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig26">https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig26</a></li></ul><br><p></p><p><strong>More Acquired!</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.acquired.fm/email">Get email updates</a> with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes</li><li><a href="http://acquired.fm/slack">Join the Slack</a></li><li><a href="https://pod.link/acquiredlp">Subscribe to ACQ2</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acquired.fm/store">Merch Store</a>!</li></ul><p><br>© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLC</p><br>Carve Outs:<ul><li>Ben: Track 34 on Ghosts IV by Nine Inch Nails: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF_ceFugJjQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF_ceFugJjQ</a> </li><li>David: Nintendo Switch Lite <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/switch/lite/">https://www.nintendo.com/switch/lite/</a> and Knives Out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGqiHJTsRkQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGqiHJTsRkQ</a> </li></ul><p>Sources:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/technology/tiktok-alex-zhu-interview.html"> https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/technology/tiktok-alex-zhu-interview.html</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bytedance-tiktok-exclusive/exclusive-chinas-bytedance-moves-to-ringfence-its-tiktok-app-amid-u-s-probe-sources-idUSKBN1Y10OH"> https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bytedance-tiktok-exclusive/exclusive-chinas-bytedance-moves-to-ringfence-its-tiktok-app-amid-u-s-probe-sources-idUSKBN1Y10OH</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/10/arts/TIK-TOK.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article"> https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/10/arts/TIK-TOK.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/19/style/high-school-tiktok-clubs.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article"> https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/19/style/high-school-tiktok-clubs.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/technology/tiktok-facebook-youtube.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article"> https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/technology/tiktok-facebook-youtube.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/02/business/china-toutiao-censorship.html"> https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/02/business/china-toutiao-censorship.html</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/business/media/a-social-network-frequented-by-children-tests-the-limits-of-online-regulation.html"> https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/business/media/a-social-network-frequented-by-children-tests-the-limits-of-online-regulation.html</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTyg2E44pBA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTyg2E44pBA</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/keepsilence/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/keepsilence/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/10/18129126/tiktok-app-musically-meme-cringe"> https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/10/18129126/tiktok-app-musically-meme-cringe</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2018/1/26/16937712/karma-is-a-bitch-riverdale-kreayshawn-meme"> https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2018/1/26/16937712/karma-is-a-bitch-riverdale-kreayshawn-meme</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/2/17644260/musically-rebrand-tiktok-bytedance-douyin"> https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/2/17644260/musically-rebrand-tiktok-bytedance-douyin</a></li><li><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/tiktok-video-app-growth-867587/"> https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/tiktok-video-app-growth-867587/</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical.ly">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical.ly</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ByteDance">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ByteDance</a> </li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok#cite_note-TechCrunch-32"> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-musically-2016-5"> https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-musically-2016-5</a> </li><li><a href="https://supchina.com/2017/09/13/can-pop-music-connect-teens-china-world-musical-ly-co-founder-louis-yang-wants-find/"> https://supchina.com/2017/09/13/can-pop-music-connect-teens-china-world-musical-ly-co-founder-louis-yang-wants-find/</a> </li><li><a href="https://supchina.com/podcast/ep-28-the-worlds-most-valuable-startup-bytedance-maker-of-tiktok-toutiao/"> https://supchina.com/podcast/ep-28-the-worlds-most-valuable-startup-bytedance-maker-of-tiktok-toutiao/</a></li><li><a href="https://supchina.com/podcast/ep-55-kuaishou-the-anti-douyin-tiktok/"> https://supchina.com/podcast/ep-55-kuaishou-the-anti-douyin-tiktok/</a></li><li><a href="https://supchina.com/podcast/ep-56-not-just-tiktok-a-short-history-of-chinese-short-video-abroad/"> https://supchina.com/podcast/ep-56-not-just-tiktok-a-short-history-of-chinese-short-video-abroad/</a> </li><li><a href="https://supchina.com/2019/09/25/the-difference-between-tiktok-and-douyin/"> https://supchina.com/2019/09/25/the-difference-between-tiktok-and-douyin/</a> </li><li><a href="https://pandaily.com/toutiaos-buy-1b-purchase-musical-ly/"> https://pandaily.com/toutiaos-buy-1b-purchase-musical-ly/</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-internet-livestreaming-idUSKBN17E0EV"> https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-internet-livestreaming-idUSKBN17E0EV</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTyg2E44pBA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTyg2E44pBA</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey15v81pwII">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey15v81pwII</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3038639/alex-zhus-journey-failed-startup-tiktok-chief"> https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3038639/alex-zhus-journey-failed-startup-tiktok-chief</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/zuckerberg-musically-tiktok-china-facebook"> https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/zuckerberg-musically-tiktok-china-facebook</a> </li><li><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/12/instagram-reels/">https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/12/instagram-reels/</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.techinasia.com/douyin-rise-in-china">https://www.techinasia.com/douyin-rise-in-china</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptKqFafZgCk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptKqFafZgCk</a> </li><li><a href="https://technode.com/2017/05/17/kwai-kuaishou-chinas-biggest-social-video-sharing-app/"> https://technode.com/2017/05/17/kwai-kuaishou-chinas-biggest-social-video-sharing-app/</a></li></ul>