Jan 2, 2019 · 33m · a16z
a16z Podcast | Technology and the Opening of Myanmar
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
This episode of the a16z Podcast explores how telecommunications market liberalization, mobile leapfrogging, and civic tech initiatives like the Myanmar Innovation Greenhouse are rapidly transforming society, independent media, and technology in post-isolation Myanmar.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. How this is scored →
The host as informed peer 1.3 Guest teaching 5.1 Guest disagreement 0.4 The host pushing back 0.0
speaking balance: gold is the host, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 15:15 Mo politely rejects host's premise on gender barriers
Mo directly counters the host's assumption that female engineers are rare in Myanmar, pointing out its historically matriarchal society and absence of Disney princess culture.
Hardest push from the host ▶ 25:07 Host asks clarifying question on distribution scopeThe host interrupts to ask for explicit clarification on whether distribution challenges meant expanding beyond Myanmar's borders or staying within them.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 15:15 Mo educates host on Myanmar's matriarchal structureMo reframes the host's Western perspective on women in STEM by explaining that female professors and surgeons are normal in Myanmar's cultural heritage.
The host holds their own ▶ 26:09 Host synthesizes smartphone-first dynamics with Western tech trendsThe host demonstrates domain synthesis by connecting Myanmar's smartphone-first environment with the direction Western tech ecosystems are heading.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | The host as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | The host pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Liberalization and the Innovation Greenhouse | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | The host opens with general introductory prompts regarding Internews and Myanmar's opening. David and Mo educate the host on telecommunications liberalization and the contrast between current freedom and pre-reform government censorship. | |
| Rapid Mobile Adoption, SIM Cards, Facebook, and Viber | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | The host asks open-ended questions about how fast technology adoption occurs. David explains the rapid drop in SIM card prices and why Viber surpassed Facebook in user count due to lack of email requirements. | |
| Unprecedented Digital Growth and Independent Media Metrics | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | The host asks Ethan for global comparisons. Ethan provides a deep breakdown of Cuba's slower timeline versus Myanmar's rapid shift, explaining how local media metrics rely on Facebook likes rather than web pageviews. | |
| Mobile Leapfrogging and Mo's Personal Journey into Tech | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | The host inquires whether Myanmar is desktop or mobile-focused, prompting Mo to explain that the country completely skipped the desktop era. Mo then shares her personal background studying coding during mandatory university gap years. | |
| Gender Dynamics and Women in STEM in Myanmar Culture | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | The host asks if coding as a young woman was unusual, assuming a Western gender gap. Mo politely corrects this premise, explaining Myanmar's matriarchal history and lack of Western gender tropes around tech. | |
| Lessons from Nairobi's iHub for Local Tech Hub Development | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | The host asks for evidence supporting physical tech hubs. Ethan presents the case study of Nairobi's iHub, explaining how local tech communities require physical convening spaces to flourish. | |
| Regulatory Challenges, Mobile Payments, and Infrastructure Hurdles | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | The host asks about government reform and briefly pushes for clarification on marketplace boundaries. David and Mo detail infrastructure, payment rails, and workarounds for app store developer listings. | |
| Smartphone-First Ecosystems and Lessons for Global Tech | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | The host synthesizes the discussion by connecting Myanmar's mobile transition to global tech trajectories. David explains why going directly to cheap smartphones differs fundamentally from earlier feature-phone eras in Africa. |
Statements from this episode (9)
SIM card prices in Myanmar dropped from $250 to $1.50
“Until about eight weeks ago, there was only the government-owned state telco. That was the only provider. And just in the last eight weeks, you've had these two new international telcos launch in Myanmar, and one more is coming. And suddenly now, A SIM card do…”
Facebook acts as Myanmar's primary internet portal, similar to 1990s AOL
“For many people who are connected in Myanmar, it's still a small percentage of the population, but Facebook is the internet. It's almost like AOL in the late nineties here in the States.”
Viber reached 5 million Myanmar users, surpassing Facebook's 2.2 million
“Facebook has I mean, Facebook has about 2.2 million people online in, in Myanmar, Facebook users. But Viber announced just in August that they had five million users. And what's the difference? Well, you don't need an email address to sign up for Viber. All yo…”
Myanmar went from zero to seven daily newspapers after lifting censorship
“Those regulations changed a little bit more than two years ago, and we suddenly had an explosion of daily newspapers at least seven dailies going out, where you once had none. And you suddenly got many, many dozens of weekly publications coming out.”
Myanmar journalists measure audience reach in Facebook likes, not page views
“And I found experiences that sort of going around and talking to journalists in Myanmar, they don't talk in terms of page views, they don't talk in terms of readers, they talk in terms of likes.”
Nairobi's iHub incubator has spun out over 50 startups
“And that project has now spun out over 50 startups.”
Tech incubators require a pre-existing community to succeed
“It turns out that what you really need is a strong pre-existing tech community that was looking for a seed crystal.”
Android smartphones in Myanmar cost less than early African feature phones
“It's now cheaper to get an Android-based smartphone, you know, made in China or elsewhere than it was to buy a candy bar phone in Africa back when they were coming online.”
Myanmar's 51.4 million people are accessing the internet directly via smartphones
“Basically, Myanmar is going more or less straight, not just to mobile, but straight to smartphone, and you're going to have 51.4 million people experiencing internet and engaging with the internet for the first time through smartphones, and that is, ah, that's…”