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Kai Tang

Co-founder and CEO, Light · 1 appearance on the record.

computed by AI from the episodes · how this works → · full disclaimer →

founderexecutiveengineerLinkedIn ↗

Before co-founding Light in 2014, Tang spent years in the mobile phone industry leading product design and development for brands including Motorola, BlackBerry, and Nokia. Alongside artist Joe Hollier, he created the Light Phone to help users reduce screen addiction.

11statements → 5claims → 1claims resolved → 3.91/5average certainty → 1.64/5average debate potential →

1 supported 0 partly supported 0 contradicted 4 not checkable as stated how the 5 claims stand · each chip opens the sources

1 prediction · 4 assertions · 2 insights · 4 disclosures · every statement was checked. The prediction and assertions are the 5 claims: statements the public record can support or contradict. 1 is resolved, and 4 name no date, number or outcome precise enough to check. Everything else (opinions, insights, what ifs, disclosures) can never be settled by the record, so it carries no assessment.

The record, in short

What the tape says about how Kai argues and how the claims held up. Everything they said, and everything said about them, is in the tabs below.

Their most notable supported claim

Assertion Supported
Tang: Foxconn, manufacturer of iPhones, is an investor in Light Phone
“One of our investors from Foxconn The company that make iPhone and Samsung.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 18:16 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light

How they sound: not measured why? →

We measure speaking style by listening to the audio itself, and a fair number needs at least 2,000 words from one person on tape we have measured. There is too little of Kai Tang on measured tape to publish a rate. This says nothing about how they speak.

Everything Kai Tang said on How I Built This that made the record, most notable first. Filter by type, assessment or year in the ledger →

Prediction Not checkable as stated
Tang: Smartphones will be viewed as a temporary glitch within 10 years
“And 10 years down the road, I think smartphone is just a glitch.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 30:51 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Assertion Supported
Tang: Foxconn, manufacturer of iPhones, is an investor in Light Phone
“One of our investors from Foxconn The company that make iPhone and Samsung.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 18:16 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Insight
Tang: Ad and data business models inevitably force attention maximization
“Doesn't matter what you do, doesn't matter what product you're trying to create, as long as you're making money from advertisement or users' data, there's no way out. You will have to maximize their attention and time.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 18:58 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Insight
Tang: Mobile phones should be used and put away like hammers
“We should have tools that intentionally design, just like hammer or screwdriver. You use it You put it back, and you don't think about your hammer, 24 seven. You don't hold your screwdriver and swipe your screwdriver for five hours a day, right?”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 20:38 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Tang: Light is break-even from organic website sales without paid advertising
“We are break even at the moment with the sales from our website with the support from our users, we don't do advertisement.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 24:06 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Disclosure
Tang: Any future Light Phone camera will not support sharing or liking
“If we do have a camera in Light Phone, it will be a tool that allows you to capture those moments, but we will not allow sharing or commenting or liking to be part of that experience.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 27:24 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Tang: 75% to 80% of Light Phone customers are Gen Z
“It turns out, like, 75, 80% of our customers are Gen Z, a younger generation who are really brave to say no, and willing to give it a try.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 30:38 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Disclosure
Tang: Light needed $2M beyond its Kickstarter to manufacture first phones
“I think we needed two million more just to actually go through the process. So we raised money from the mission aligned investors along the way to help us deliver.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 14:58 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Disclosure
Tang: Both Light co-founders use the Light Phone exclusively
“Yes, both Joe and I use light phone exclusively.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 23:18 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Disclosure
Tang: Light is trying to integrate ride-sharing tools onto its phone
“Hopefully lift a ride sharing tool is something that we we're trying to do. But that requires you know, to raise your company to collaborate with us.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 16:55 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Tang: Light operates with approximately 15 employees
“We have around 15 employee.”
Kai Tang Aug 10, 2023 ▶ 28:23 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light

Appearances (1)

EpisodeDateSpeaking time
When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light Aug 10, 2023 9m
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