If you love Business Wars, you'll love this!
From 1UpMedia, Empires is an immersive storytelling that dives deep into the history of the most successful businesses in Asia.
Every Monday, you'll learn the history of its leaders, the decisions that have rippled across the industry, and the factors that allowed them to become the empire's that they are today.
From triumph and victories, to monumental failures - Empires gets you behind the scenes of some of the most successful companies in Asia.
How did Tencent turn a failed messaging experiment into WeChat - an app that would reshape everyday life in China?
In Act 3 of the Tencent story, the conversation follows Allen Zhang, the legendary programmer who built Foxmail largely by himself before joining Tencent and eventually leading the creation of WeChat.
But WeChat was not an immediate success. Its first version failed, Tencent faced competition from TalkBox and Xiaomi’s MiTalk, and the team had to rethink what mobile communication should look like in China.
Episode breakdown:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:22 Act 3: Tencent’s Next Evolution
00:02:04 Meet Allen Zhang, the Man Behind WeChat
00:03:03 How Foxmail Made Allen Zhang a Programming Legend
00:05:00 Why Tencent Acquired Allen Zhang
00:07:19 Allen Zhang’s First Major Failure at Tencent
00:10:36 The Beginnings of WeChat
00:11:27 How Kik Inspired Tencent’s Mobile Messenger
00:12:49 Why WeChat 1.0 Failed
00:13:41 TalkBox and the Voice-Message Breakthrough
00:15:31 WeChat’s Race Against TalkBox and MiTalk
00:17:44 The 2G Bet That Helped WeChat Win
00:22:56 How People Nearby Transformed WeChat’s Growth
00:25:31 WeChat Reaches 100 Million Users in 433 Days
00:26:00 How Moments Turned WeChat Into Social Media
00:30:28 How WeChat Helped Tencent Win the Weibo War
00:32:45 Tencent Builds WeChat Pay
00:34:59 The Digital Red Packet Masterstroke
00:37:45 How Red Packets Made Mobile Payments Go Viral
00:42:33 Why Alibaba Called It a “Pearl Harbor” Moment
00:44:10 Tencent’s Internet Plus and Mini Programs Strategy
00:49:25 Why 70% of Mini Program Developers Walked Away
00:52:04 The QR Code Solution That Changed Everything
00:56:25 The Enormous Economy Inside Mini Programs
00:58:37 WeChat, Privacy, and Surveillance
01:00:58 Claims About Overseas WeChat User Data
01:04:31 Why Super Apps Flourished in China
01:08:23 Could Super Apps Work Outside China?
Made in Asia is a video podcast about the rise of major Asian companies. From food giants and technology platforms to legacy brands and emerging business empires, each episode unpacks how these companies were built, why they succeeded, and what they reveal about Asia’s place in the global economy.
Subscribe to continue the Tencent story in Act 4 and for future episodes exploring companies such as Grab, Titan, and more.
About the speakers:
Guang Jin Yeo is the founder of 1UpMedia, a media company focused on building thoughtful, engaging content for modern audiences. His background in storytelling, content, and audience-building brings a sharp lens to how brands connect with people and remain culturally relevant.
LinkedIn — / guang-jin
Chuan Hoe Teo works in strategy at Google APAC and previously worked as a consultant at Bain & Company. His experience across strategy, business growth, and large-scale market thinking adds a grounded perspective to how major companies expand and compete.
LinkedIn — / chuan-hoe-teo-65a622100
14 Sept 2026
The Fight to Save Tencent (Act 2)
How did a proposal that got ignored for a month save a company that was nearly out of cash, and how did that same company go on to make enemies out of almost every major name in Chinese tech?
Welcome to Made in Asia, a long-form video podcast exploring the companies, founders, and business empires that helped shape modern Asia. In Act 2 of the Tencent story, the chat app survives its first crisis, only to discover that surviving was the easy part.Episode breakdown:00:00:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI) Intro 00:00:31 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=31s) Act Two: Tencent Becomes Legendary 00:01:12 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=72s) Tencent Tries to Restrict New QQ Accounts 00:03:54 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=234s) The Strategy That Cost Tencent Market Share 00:06:24 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=384s) The Korean Website That Changed Tencent 00:10:12 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=612s) How SayClub Inspired QQ Show 00:13:01 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=781s) Tencent Launches QQ Show 00:15:34 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=934s) The Red Diamond Subscription 00:19:03 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=1143s) How QQ Show Changed Tencent’s Culture 00:21:59 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=1319s) Martin Lau and Tencent’s IPO 00:26:59 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=1619s) The Tencent IPO Creates Five Billionaires 00:27:30 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=1650s) How China’s Local Founders Beat the Copycats 00:30:27 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=1827s) Tencent Goes to War With Microsoft 00:32:48 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=1968s) Meet Jeff Xiong, Microsoft’s Secret Weapon 00:35:11 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=2111s) How QQ Fought Back Against MSN 00:40:55 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=2455s) Why Microsoft Lost the Messenger War 00:43:04 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=2584s) Jeff Xiong Joins Tencent 00:44:23 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=2663s) Turning Tencent Into a Scalable Company 00:45:53 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=2753s) The Microsoft Executive Who Joined Tencent 00:46:46 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=2806s) Microtransactions Versus Advertising 00:54:14 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=3254s) When Tencent Threatened China’s Telecom Giants 00:56:10 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=3370s) The Government Crackdown Begins 01:01:29 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=3689s) Tencent’s Revenue Split Falls From 85% to 50% 01:02:44 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=3764s) Super QQ Saves the Business 01:04:06 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=3846s) Tencent’s Telecom Ambitions Are Shut Down 01:12:04 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=4324s) The Lesson That Changed Pony Ma 01:14:19 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=4459s) Pony Ma’s “Online Life” Strategy and the Birth of QZone 01:16:28 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=4588s) QZone’s Early Growth Nearly Breaks the Platform 01:19:39 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=4779s) The Breakthrough That Transformed QZone 01:21:40 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=4900s) How Tencent Monetized QZone 01:24:40 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=5080s) Why QZone Struggled Beyond China’s Biggest Cities 01:28:41 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=5321s) How China’s Hukou System Shaped the Internet 01:34:44 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=5684s) Tencent Discovers the 51.com Threat 01:39:30 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=5970s) The Unlikely Founder Behind 51.com 01:41:35 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=6095s) How 51.com Took Over China’s Internet Cafés 01:43:38 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=6218s) 51.com Becomes Tencent’s Number-One Enemy 01:45:54 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=6354s) Tencent Takes the Fight Offline 01:48:05 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=6485s) QZone Wins Traffic—but Loses Engagement 01:49:25 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=6565s) The Strange Story of Rainbow QQ 01:56:08 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=6968s) Tencent Takes 51.com to Court 01:58:10 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=7090s) Tencent Attacks Taobao and Baidu 01:59:09 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=7149s) Why Pony Ma Became “Public Enemy Number One” 01:59:42 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=7182s) A Tencent Cofounder Leaves and Martin Lau Steps In 02:03:54 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DZhd9EwuI&t=7434s) Act 3 PreviewMade in Asia is a video podcast about the rise of major Asian companies. From technology platforms and food giants to consumer brands and industrial empires, each episode examines how these businesses were built, why they succeeded, and what their stories reveal about Asia's place in the global economy.Subscribe to continue the Tencent story in Act 3 and to watch future episodes about companies such as Grab, Titan, and more.About the speakers: Guang Jin Yeo is the founder of 1UpMedia, a media company focused on building thoughtful, engaging content for modern audiences. His background in storytelling, content, and audience-building brings a sharp lens to how brands connect with people and remain culturally relevant.LinkedIn: / guang-jin (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rU2RHY09LOUxBb2pockZ1NTV2TG9yX3xBTl9pYzRlRS0wS2ZKN0tsSHA0ZUlyc1JTaDRQUE9UTjFtMGowcUhjYWJmLWVVR2ZXNzVLaTh4ODhjRHFPSldlUi1jNWJYSUZJZDdLaFlGX2xOajh2VHFSelR2MXE0dGQtTm5u&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fguang-jin%2F&v=S_DZhd9EwuI)Chuan Hoe Teo previously worked in strategy at Google APAC and as a consultant at Bain & Company. His experience across strategy, business growth, and large-scale market thinking adds a grounded perspective to how major companies expand and compete.LinkedIn: / chuan-hoe-teo-65a622100 (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rUnF6dDRYY00xN3pWdDBNTXNyNEhrSHxBTl9pYzRkQUN5aDBpSnBGZ2VuUDVONVZvdzF2aHNvVHl6eExoNEtUSWJYN0hTS0FTZkJ5bGl3WGZNOEM2ZHVCakVENDNXWDFwdzBucGk2NXpQdkhZZWMwRC1QcUlWOWtCelpu&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fchuan-hoe-teo-65a622100%2F&v=S_DZhd9EwuI)
8 Sept 2026
The Strange Beginning of Tencent (Act 1)
How did a failed pager business, a group of young programmers, and a rapidly growing chat app become the foundation of one of Asia’s most powerful technology companies?
Welcome to Made in Asia, a long-form video podcast exploring the companies, founders, and business empires that helped shape modern Asia.
In Act 1 of the Tencent story, we return to the beginning—long before WeChat, blockbuster video games, and billion-dollar investments.
Episode breakdown:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:41 Pony Ma Is Born During China’s Cultural Revolution
00:06:05 Pony Ma’s Childhood Obsession With Space
00:09:07 How China’s Opening Led to Tiananmen Square
00:13:13 The Tiananmen Square Turning Point
00:19:07 Pony Ma Enters Shenzhen University
00:21:49 Learning Programming and Interface Design
00:24:52 China’s Pager Boom
00:28:40 Pony Ma Discovers FidoNet
00:30:32 Meeting China’s Future Technology Leaders
00:33:28 Tony Zhang Joins the Story
00:39:21 Tencent Is Founded
00:41:51 Tencent’s Pager Business Fails
00:44:08 How ICQ Changed Everything
00:45:21 Tencent Builds OICQ
00:48:22 Pony Ma Bets Everything on OICQ
00:51:21 Why OICQ Took Off
00:56:26 Tencent Celebrates Its First 500 Users
01:01:03 Inside Tencent’s Intense Early Work Culture
01:02:28 How Tencent Got Its Penguin Mascot
01:09:06 One Million Users—and Almost No Cash
01:09:47 Pony Ma Tries to Sell Tencent
01:11:39 Jason Zeng and Tencent’s Hunt for Funding
01:13:26 Tencent Discovers Venture Capital
01:14:41 Pony Ma’s Surprisingly Honest Investor Pitch
01:16:29 Tencent Raises Its First Outside Funding
01:17:43 The Dot-Com Crash Arrives
01:18:35 Why AOL Bought ICQ
01:24:12 The Lawsuit That Turned OICQ Into QQ
01:26:07 Tencent’s Failed Attempts to Make Money
01:27:27 Why QQ Club Failed
01:29:48 Tencent Tries to Sell the Company Again
01:31:29 David Wallerstein Discovers Tencent
01:34:18 The Naspers Negotiation Begins
01:35:09 Tencent Discovers Value-Added Services
01:37:41 How Tencent Made Money From SMS
01:40:57 Tencent Finally Breaks Even
01:41:40 The Naspers Deal
01:43:13 The Investment That Returned 5,000 Times
01:43:39 How Tencent Rebuilt the Company
01:44:48 Act 2 Preview
Made in Asia is a video podcast about the rise of major Asian companies. From technology platforms and food giants to consumer brands and industrial empires, each episode examines how these businesses were built, why they succeeded, and what their stories reveal about Asia’s place in the global economy.
Subscribe to continue the Tencent story in Act 2 and to watch future episodes about companies such as Grab, Titan, and more.
About the speakers:
Guang Jin Yeo is the founder of 1UpMedia, a media company focused on building thoughtful, engaging content for modern audiences. His background in storytelling, content, and audience-building brings a sharp lens to how brands connect with people and remain culturally relevant.
LinkedIn: / guang-jin
Chuan Hoe Teo previously worked in strategy at Google APAC and as a consultant at Bain & Company. His experience across strategy, business growth, and large-scale market thinking adds a grounded perspective to how major companies expand and compete.
LinkedIn: / chuan-hoe-teo-65a622100
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
10,738
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
11 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
187 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 82 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
94
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
98
Contact Empires - An Asian Business Podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
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