Core Insights - The article explores the rise of Zhang Chao within ByteDance, particularly his leadership of the Hongguo Short Drama and Tomato Novel platforms, highlighting his strategic decisions and the impact of his work on the company's growth [4][30]. Group 1: Zhang Chao's Background and Career Path - Zhang Chao, a Tsinghua University graduate, joined ByteDance in 2016 from Baidu, initially focusing on the novel channel and creator platform for Toutiao [7]. - Under the leadership of Chen Lin, Zhang Chao contributed to the content ecosystem of Toutiao, which saw its daily active users (DAU) double to 120 million within a year [8]. - Zhang Chao's career progressed as he became a key figure in the company's commercial success, particularly after Zhang Lidong took over the commercialization efforts, leading to significant revenue growth [9][10]. Group 2: Innovations in Free Reading and Short Dramas - Zhang Chao identified a market opportunity in the free reading model, which was gaining traction against established paid models, leading to the rapid rise of Tomato Novel [16][18]. - The Tomato Novel platform utilized a free + advertising model, achieving 61.62 million monthly active users (MAU) within a year of launch, positioning it as a leader in the digital reading industry [23]. - The success of Tomato Novel was attributed to ByteDance's strong control over upstream copyrights and effective user targeting through its advertising engine [18][20]. Group 3: The Rise of Hongguo Short Drama - The Hongguo Short Drama app, launched in late 2023, adopted a free + advertising model, achieving 140 million MAU and 40 million daily active users within a year [29]. - By March 2023, the app had surpassed 210 million MAU, overtaking Youku Video for the first time in the short drama sector [30]. - Zhang Chao implemented a "blind box" mechanism to enhance content quality, resulting in a significant increase in the success rate of produced dramas [31]. Group 4: Zhang Chao's Leadership and Strategic Vision - Zhang Chao's ability to navigate internal dynamics and foster cross-department collaboration was crucial for the success of both Tomato Novel and Hongguo Short Drama [20][22]. - His approach to product and operational strategy emphasized efficiency, allowing him to maintain a lean team while achieving substantial growth [13][14]. - The article concludes that Zhang Chao's success is not solely due to personal talent but also the support from mentors and the favorable market conditions he capitalized on [33].