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0/ NEW POST: "What Does Agora $API Do?"
With Clubhouse becoming the hottest social app in SV since probably Snapchat, and it being built on Agora, more ppl may want to know what $API actually does.
It more than deserves its own deep dive.
Thread
https://interconnected.blog/what-does-agora-api-do/
With Clubhouse becoming the hottest social app in SV since probably Snapchat, and it being built on Agora, more ppl may want to know what $API actually does.
It more than deserves its own deep dive.
Thread
https://interconnected.blog/what-does-agora-api-do/
1/ Started in 2014, founder/CEO Tony Zhao is a tech veteran in the audio/video space, was founding engineer at Webex w/ Eric Yuan of Zoom.
Instead of building a Zoom, built a PaaS to enable devs to build their own Zoom, virtual classroom/doc visits/even places of worship.
Instead of building a Zoom, built a PaaS to enable devs to build their own Zoom, virtual classroom/doc visits/even places of worship.
2/ Side note: last year when WeChat might be banned in the US, I spent half a day spinning up an Agora instance for video chatting w/ family in China. Didn’t end up needing to use it, but learning how to use Agora via its docs was easy.
Ok...back to the analysis
Ok...back to the analysis
3/ Zhao's inspiration for Agora came from his time as CTO of YY.
Rec you watch documentary "People's Republic of Desire" by @beijingloafer to get a taste of YY's cultural impact.
Its scale also has huge tech impact. Zhao want to solve for devs everywhere what he solved for YY.
Rec you watch documentary "People's Republic of Desire" by @beijingloafer to get a taste of YY's cultural impact.
Its scale also has huge tech impact. Zhao want to solve for devs everywhere what he solved for YY.
4/ Agora's tech is a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) solution, optimized for transmitting audio/video data.
Why?
Cuz Internet is a "best effort" network--it'll try but can't guarantee deliver or quality. Agora improves upon "just gonna try my best" w/ software & algos
Why?
Cuz Internet is a "best effort" network--it'll try but can't guarantee deliver or quality. Agora improves upon "just gonna try my best" w/ software & algos
5/ Agora's SDN is distributed in over 200 DCs across the world to enable global reach/growth/availability.
Seems to be holding up b/c Clubhouse has seen massive growth not just in
but also Nigeria, Germany, India, and Australia.
Beauty of APIs, any dev any where can use it.
Seems to be holding up b/c Clubhouse has seen massive growth not just in
but also Nigeria, Germany, India, and Australia.Beauty of APIs, any dev any where can use it.
6/ Agora' biz model is a classic API model similar to Twilio: self-service and pay-as-you-use.
All devs get free 10,000 minutes per month to start. It only wins if developers' ideas win.
It’s kind of like angel investing, except with APIs.
Clubhouse is clearly a winner so far.
All devs get free 10,000 minutes per month to start. It only wins if developers' ideas win.
It’s kind of like angel investing, except with APIs.
Clubhouse is clearly a winner so far.
7/ Clubhouse+Agora is a classic "Global by Nature" story.
A battle-tested, well-designed API product from 1 market giving birth to the next
in a totally diff market. Will see more of this in the future.
Agora still a young company tho -- many execution challenges ahead.
A battle-tested, well-designed API product from 1 market giving birth to the next
in a totally diff market. Will see more of this in the future.Agora still a young company tho -- many execution challenges ahead.
8/ Agora’s core tech, model & problem space all promising, so I do own shares.
Funny: the word "Agora" is ancient Greek meaning "gathering places". $API is trying to be the “gathering place” to build many “gathering places.”
Full deep dive https://interconnected.blog/what-does-agora-api-do/
Funny: the word "Agora" is ancient Greek meaning "gathering places". $API is trying to be the “gathering place” to build many “gathering places.”
Full deep dive
https://interconnected.blog/what-does-agora-api-do/
