Inside TikTok: Culture, strategy, monetization, and more | Ray Cao (Global Head of Monetization Product Strategy a…
Brought to you by: • WorkOS—The modern API for auth & user identity — Ray (Jiayi) Cao is the global head of product strategy and operations for monetization product at TikTok. Prior to TikTok, Ray spent six years at Google helping scale Google Shopping globally. In our conversation, we discuss:
Some takeaways:
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, and YouTube. Find the transcript for this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/episodes/. Today’s transcript will be live by 8 a.m. PT. Where to find Ray Cao: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiayiraycao/ Where to find Lenny: • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Ray’s background (04:55) Cultural differences between Google and TikTok (08:24) Fine-tuning the algorithm for different markets (12:15) Examples of fine-tuning the algorithm (15:11) Core principles and values of TikTok (19:34) Hiring at TikTok (21:38) Embracing the “always day one” mentality (25:09) Collaboration between teams (28:38) Amazon’s cultural influence (31:14) Setting up the product organization for speed and innovation (35:38) Building the go-to-market team (40:18) What makes people successful at TikTok (43:02) Thoughts on putting in long hours (44:40) OKRs and planning at TikTok (49:12) Tips for how to be successful on TikTok (53:49) Tips for advertising on TikTok (01:04:03) Getting started with TikTok Ads (01:08:42) Common mistakes to avoid with TikTok advertising (01:09:44) Ray’s favorite TikTok account (01:10:54) Where to find Ray Referenced: • TikTok: https://tiktok.com/ • Google Shopping: https://shopping.google.com/ • Eugene Wei’s blog: https://www.eugenewei.com/ • TikTok and the Sorting Hat: https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2020/8/3/tiktok-and-the-sorting-hat • How Netflix builds a culture of excellence | Elizabeth Stone (CTO): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence-elizabeth-stone-cto/ • Inside OpenAI | Logan Kilpatrick (head of developer relations): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/inside-openai-logan-kilpatrick-head-of-developer-relations/ • Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/ • Lead with Context not Control: https://www.svpg.com/lead-with-context-not-control/ • Shuba on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktokbrownchick • Duolingo on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duolingo • Duolingo leagues: https://duolingo.fandom.com/wiki/League • CapCut: https://www.capcut.com/ • Amanda Talijan (silent baby item reviews) on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amanda_talijan/video/7321700482018233642 Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. You're currently a free subscriber to Lenny's Newsletter. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
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