What do people really think when no one is watching? Startup founder Kiko Zang joins Zach to talk about the gap between how we perform online and what we actually believe, and why she's betting $3.6 million on closing it.

Born in China and sent to an all-girls boarding school in small-town New Zealand at just 12, Kiko grew up as one of only a handful of Asian people in town. She opens up about the questions, the exclusion, and the moments of outright hostility that shaped her, including a story she's never shared publicly before. From there, her path winds through jazz conservatory, USC, the H-1B lottery, seven years in Shanghai, and a year and a half in Singapore.

Now she's building Chomp, an app that asks you what you think and what you think everyone else thinks. The results are often surprising: Zach guesses wrong on both questions Kiko puts to him live on the show.

In this episode:

  • Growing up Chinese in a town of 50,000 on New Zealand's South Island
  • Why her parents sent her abroad, and why she's not mad about it
  • Racism, ignorance, and becoming "prickly" as protection
  • Why "being different" may be the most universal experience there is
  • Zach on once wishing he were straight, and why he'd never trade it now
  • How social media rewards people for pretending to be authentic
  • The perception-versus-reality gap, and how algorithms make the world seem more extreme than it is
  • Would you cheat for $100,000? The surprising Chomp answer
  • Saying "I love you" in the first month: red flag or green flag? 93% say green
  • The couple who hit a 100-day streak answering Chomp questions together
  • Why brand partnerships hurt user enthusiasm
  • Kiko's bigger vision: a more honest internet and AI that understands lived experience
  • Texting after a first date, and whether phone calls are now a "what the f—" moment
  • Why Kiko held her wedding in New Zealand

Links:

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rss Apple Podcaster
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör Zach Randles-Friedman. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Zach Randles-Friedman och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.