Equity ReelShort made $1.2 billion on werewolf romances. Watch Club wants to do it better.
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Mar 25, 2026 Henry Soong, founder of Watch Club and builder of mobile-first teen micro dramas, discusses bringing grounded, social-native short shows to young audiences. He contrasts Chinese micro drama success with Quibi, explains Watch Club’s interactive but non-branching social features, and debates monetization, intentional design versus addictive feeds, and AI’s role in formulaic scripts.
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Micro Dramas Scaled In China Before The West
- Micro dramas succeeded first in China and are now being exported to Western markets where founders see a new phone-native TV opportunity.
- Henry Soong notes 40% of Chinese people are daily micro drama watchers, showing the format scaled in the largest media market first.
Audience Choice Determines Growth Strategy
- Different micro drama apps target distinct audiences; ReelShort skews older with high disposable income while Watch Club targets young, talkative fans.
- Henry says Watch Club aims at high school and college women and LGBTQ students who spread shows online.
Grow Community Before You Monetize
- Prioritize building scale and community before locking in monetization models for a new social-video product.
- Henry advises launching free, talk-worthy shows first and later monetizing via ads and premium fan experiences.