August 29, 2024 • 6 mins
Paul Corvino sits down with CEO of Bigo Live, Eric Kim. Bigo Live is a free social media app that allows users to live stream and chat with others around the world. It's known for its diverse user community and is popular with gamers, aspiring performers, and vloggers.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is CEOs you should know with Division President of iHeartMedia,
Paul Corvino. Today I have the privilege of talking with
Eric Kim, Senior Operations director of Bigo Live, one of
the world's fastest growing social live streaming platforms. Welcome, Hey,
thanks for having me. So Hey, before we get started,
(00:22):
what I like to do is to have a little
rapid fire question answer. Get our brains working and our
mouths working. Are you ready ready to Brady to get
your your face moving?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, it's a little warm up.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Okay, beat your ski vacation, Ski vacation, Tom Brady or
Michael Jordan, Beatles, are Stones Beatles, Star Wars or Godfather, Godfather.
Celebrity people say you remind them of William Hunk. All right,
so you ready to go? Tell us what exactly is
(00:57):
is Bigo.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So Bigle Live is a social interactive live streaming platform.
It just basically means that instead of having videos that
you play, you just have a camera on and people are.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
There to hang out and so what live TikTok.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Live TikTok kind of like that. You know, we try
not to say live tech talk, of course, you know,
we try to say Bigle Live but you know, it's
basically kind of the experience of going to like your
neighborhood a cafe or pub or happy hour, and instead
of having to get out and you know, put on
pants and hang out with your friends, you're on your
couch and you're doing it, you know, with your phone.
(01:32):
And so that's just the basic feeling of it.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
And how is it a subscriber model or an advertising model.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
It's actually a direct gifting model. And so we call
this sort of like the what we think is the
beginning of a creator economy. And so instead of people
working to become famous on an app and then getting
a brand deal to actually you know, pay the bills,
this is where a small but very dedicated group of
fans actually actively gift you, maybe tip you or recognize you,
(02:02):
and that returns into a financial hip you.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
For what what do they they have to perform someone?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I mean, certainly it can be whatever you want, So
it can be performance, it can be you know, having
a shoulder to cry on, somebody to give you advice to,
somebody you check in with every day. And you know,
I think one of those things you realize is it's
really nice to have people that you can call and
you know, connect with right and I think that's why
sometimes when people are away from home they feel lonely.
(02:30):
Our app allows you to do that, but with people
from around the world.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Okay, so you have to download the app and there's
no fee to download the app. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
It's a free download.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So it's a free download. So now you've got the
app and you can go on, how do you find
your way around?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
We're going to recommend who we think that you might
want to meet and get to know. That could be
based on, you know, what languages you speak, or the
type of people or the creators that you tend to
hang out with. But we also have sort of like
a a virtual travel experience, and so you can basically
point on the map and say, hey, I want to
meet somebody in it was Pakistan, I want to meet
(03:09):
somebody in Korea. I want to meet somebody in Columbia,
and you'll click there and then you'll be able to
meet all the creators that are available right there at
that moment live and then you just get started.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
This sounds really great and so so now how does
your company make money? Is you get a percentage of
when they it's a tip or a gift.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So, you know, we provide the platform, so for the
basic things that we do to process and you know,
help moderate the platform, keep the platform safe and different
things like that. You know, we we we profit share
with our creators.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
And how many people have downloaded the app so far?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Oh god, we're like something like like four hundred million
people around the world.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Four million people have that's fantastic, pretty amazing stuff. And
how many creatives do you have?
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Well, So that's the thing about live streaming is you know,
you know, to be a movie star or to be
even like a famous influencer, you got to do a
lot of things to get there, right, live streaming is
you just got to be able to turn it on.
So our kind of philosophy is that as long as
you have an app and you have a stable internet
connection and you turn your camera on, you're a creator.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Pretty exciting, pretty interesting. How does the audience know to
get there? They just go to the app store and
go to Bigo.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, go to any any of the app stores we're on,
you know, Apple iOS, Google Play Store and also the
Microsoft App Store, and then you just type in bigle
Live b I g O L I ve e.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And I know you're very involved also in the different
communities you're base here in Los Angeles, very involved in
Pride parade together. Yes, absolutely here and that was that
was a fun day. We had tell us a little
bit about anything else that you do for the community
or get involved with the community. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Absolutely. You know, with with live streaming, we talked about
like people hanging out, and we realized one of the
coolest things that we can do is provide people real
estate without having to pay rent, which is just time
and space that you share on the app. And so
we work with communities that constantly are looking for people
like them or want to branch out of their community ands.
(05:13):
So we work very closely with our LGBTQ community members.
We also have a strong connection with users that speak
multiple language or come from multiple backgrounds, and so you know,
whether they speak Spanish, whether they speak or whether their
parents are immigrants. We work with those communities to really
(05:34):
help them connect with and find people that they want
to meet.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
So tell me if you had to give advice to
your twenty year old self wanted to get this business
and grow and build a company like Bigo, what is
the advice that you would give.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I would say, go as hard as you can with
whatever interest you at that time, and then keep an
open mind because the thing that you wanted to do
may just lead you in the opposite direction, but you'll
be pretty happy doing it.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Thank you, Eric, we learned a lot, and again, if
you're interested in the app, we're learning more about it.
You can go to bigle Live app wherever you get
your app. This is Paul Corvino saying thank you for
listening to another episode of CEOs you Should Know, and
a big thank you to Eric Kim, the senior operations
(06:19):
director of BIGO Live, Thanks so much for coming on.
Listen to CEOs you Should Know on the iHeartRadio app
This is CEOs you should know with Division President of iHeartMedia,
Paul Corvino. Today I have the privilege of talking with
Eric Kim, Senior Operations director of Bigo Live, one of
the world's fastest growing social live streaming platforms. Welcome, Hey,
thanks for having me. So Hey, before we get started,
(00:22):
what I like to do is to have a little
rapid fire question answer. Get our brains working and our
mouths working. Are you ready ready to Brady to get
your your face moving?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, it's a little warm up.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Okay, beat your ski vacation, Ski vacation, Tom Brady or
Michael Jordan, Beatles, are Stones Beatles, Star Wars or Godfather, Godfather.
Celebrity people say you remind them of William Hunk. All right,
so you ready to go? Tell us what exactly is
(00:57):
is Bigo.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So Bigle Live is a social interactive live streaming platform.
It just basically means that instead of having videos that
you play, you just have a camera on and people are.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
There to hang out and so what live TikTok.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Live TikTok kind of like that. You know, we try
not to say live tech talk, of course, you know,
we try to say Bigle Live but you know, it's
basically kind of the experience of going to like your
neighborhood a cafe or pub or happy hour, and instead
of having to get out and you know, put on
pants and hang out with your friends, you're on your
couch and you're doing it, you know, with your phone.
(01:32):
And so that's just the basic feeling of it.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
And how is it a subscriber model or an advertising model.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
It's actually a direct gifting model. And so we call
this sort of like the what we think is the
beginning of a creator economy. And so instead of people
working to become famous on an app and then getting
a brand deal to actually you know, pay the bills,
this is where a small but very dedicated group of
fans actually actively gift you, maybe tip you or recognize you,
(02:02):
and that returns into a financial hip you.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
For what what do they they have to perform someone?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I mean, certainly it can be whatever you want, So
it can be performance, it can be you know, having
a shoulder to cry on, somebody to give you advice to,
somebody you check in with every day. And you know,
I think one of those things you realize is it's
really nice to have people that you can call and
you know, connect with right and I think that's why
sometimes when people are away from home they feel lonely.
(02:30):
Our app allows you to do that, but with people
from around the world.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Okay, so you have to download the app and there's
no fee to download the app. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
It's a free download.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So it's a free download. So now you've got the
app and you can go on, how do you find
your way around?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
We're going to recommend who we think that you might
want to meet and get to know. That could be
based on, you know, what languages you speak, or the
type of people or the creators that you tend to
hang out with. But we also have sort of like
a a virtual travel experience, and so you can basically
point on the map and say, hey, I want to
meet somebody in it was Pakistan, I want to meet
(03:09):
somebody in Korea. I want to meet somebody in Columbia,
and you'll click there and then you'll be able to
meet all the creators that are available right there at
that moment live and then you just get started.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
This sounds really great and so so now how does
your company make money? Is you get a percentage of
when they it's a tip or a gift.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So, you know, we provide the platform, so for the
basic things that we do to process and you know,
help moderate the platform, keep the platform safe and different
things like that. You know, we we we profit share
with our creators.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
And how many people have downloaded the app so far?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Oh god, we're like something like like four hundred million
people around the world.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Four million people have that's fantastic, pretty amazing stuff. And
how many creatives do you have?
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Well, So that's the thing about live streaming is you know,
you know, to be a movie star or to be
even like a famous influencer, you got to do a
lot of things to get there, right, live streaming is
you just got to be able to turn it on.
So our kind of philosophy is that as long as
you have an app and you have a stable internet
connection and you turn your camera on, you're a creator.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Pretty exciting, pretty interesting. How does the audience know to
get there? They just go to the app store and
go to Bigo.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, go to any any of the app stores we're on,
you know, Apple iOS, Google Play Store and also the
Microsoft App Store, and then you just type in bigle
Live b I g O L I ve e.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And I know you're very involved also in the different
communities you're base here in Los Angeles, very involved in
Pride parade together. Yes, absolutely here and that was that
was a fun day. We had tell us a little
bit about anything else that you do for the community
or get involved with the community. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Absolutely. You know, with with live streaming, we talked about
like people hanging out, and we realized one of the
coolest things that we can do is provide people real
estate without having to pay rent, which is just time
and space that you share on the app. And so
we work with communities that constantly are looking for people
like them or want to branch out of their community ands.
(05:13):
So we work very closely with our LGBTQ community members.
We also have a strong connection with users that speak
multiple language or come from multiple backgrounds, and so you know,
whether they speak Spanish, whether they speak or whether their
parents are immigrants. We work with those communities to really
(05:34):
help them connect with and find people that they want
to meet.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
So tell me if you had to give advice to
your twenty year old self wanted to get this business
and grow and build a company like Bigo, what is
the advice that you would give.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I would say, go as hard as you can with
whatever interest you at that time, and then keep an
open mind because the thing that you wanted to do
may just lead you in the opposite direction, but you'll
be pretty happy doing it.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Thank you, Eric, we learned a lot, and again, if
you're interested in the app, we're learning more about it.
You can go to bigle Live app wherever you get
your app. This is Paul Corvino saying thank you for
listening to another episode of CEOs you Should Know, and
a big thank you to Eric Kim, the senior operations
(06:19):
director of BIGO Live, Thanks so much for coming on.
Listen to CEOs you Should Know on the iHeartRadio app
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com