[chatmasta]

TikTok clearly solves two problems that fit squarely within Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

1. For content consumers: “I’m bored, and want to be entertained with minimal effort.”

2. For content creators: “I’m externally motivated and need the self validation that comes from attention and praise.”

Solutions to these problems have been sold for hundreds of years and trillions of dollars in profit. TikTok is the latest and possibly most efficient iteration on solving them.

[wruza]

Youtube already solved 1, 2.

What TikTok really solves is mixing a song from its library into your video and applying a cool visual effect.

No one with a youtube account is gonna download a separate video editing app and build a production pipeline at day 1 (plus copyright issues). It’s a stopper that separates viewers from creators. TikTok made creation trivial and that itself created an enormous funnel. It could afford to not even be a “short” video platform, that’s just a coincidence.

[chatmasta]

> What TikTok really solves is mixing a song from its library into your video and applying a cool visual effect.

That's what Musically solved 10 years ago, but it's not what TikTok is solving today. At this point, that feature is no different than the ability to add stickers to your Instagram post.

...which is not to undersell the achievement of Musically/TikTok. I specifically remember back in 2015, discussing whether such an app would even be a success, and deciding that nobody would ever film themselves karoke'ing to a song... but here we are.

[yawnxyz]

right, and you don't get to any of these problems by "talking to the customer" b/c they'll never just say "I’m bored, and want to be entertained with minimal effort" — or at least, that's kind of obvious

it breaks the framework bc to make a successful company like tiktok, you'd build "obvious" apps like this, and wouldn't really need to ask customers what their needs are

[throwaway519]

Self-validation is Herzberg (motivator, not hygiene).

Maslow hierarchy of needs is: Physical, Safety, Social, Esteem, Self-actualisation.

[chatmasta]

I'd put the TikTok validators under safety/esteem, but thanks for the reference to Herzberg, I hadn't seen that before.