Why SuperApps Won’t Work in the West
It seems logical, to create a super-app, like WeChat or Alipay, to just stuff the desiderata of our digital lives into one place. Messaging, banking, buying things, renting a car or booking a flight. Any part of our lives that can be done digitally. Yet in the western world,, there’s just no such thing.
While WeChat dominates in China, there are contenders coming out of South East Asia, like Grab and Gojek. Now X (formerly Twitter) believes it can become a super app for the Western world. Perhaps. Probably not.
While there have been a number of statements as to why a super app won’t work in the West, they all dance around the primary reason. While valid, it is a misunderstanding of the real, underlying reason they won’t work. That is, cultural misalignment.
Whether it be a software product for business or a consumer app or even a general purpose technology, it always comes down to how a culture perceives a technology. Even a globally accepted technology, like smartphones, the way it is used will vary greatly.
The cultural factors that come into play include economics, political systems, social governance and most importantly, norms, behaviours, customs and traditions. These factors vary widely around the world.
