FotoPlace CEO: Live your life in a movie

Yu Wenqing, co-founder of FotoPlace, share with FotoPlace fans at the salon on August 2, Beijing's 751 Art District. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Still an innovator

Q: This is not the first app that you've ever made. Long before FotoPlace, you have made "Today in the history of Leslie Cheung" – an app that is well-received among Leslie Cheung's fans. Was this the beginning of your innovation?

Y: "Today in the history of Leslie Cheung" is a product I made together with Yu Wenqing, co-founder of FotoPlace. Both of us are die-hard fans of Leslie Cheung. The materials used in the app are collected by Yu, over ten years time. She had been posting them on her Weibo, and I suggested we could make an app that present them systematically and with structure, so we made that. I think my innovative spirit is still with me in developing FotoPlace. What I wanted, first and foremost, is an app that is useful and good to use. And then, I want to spread something positive or helpful, as nowadays too many negative things are spreading around the Internet.

Q: Does your team share the same innovative spirit with you?

Y: My co-founder Yu Wenqing and I are Leslie's fans, we met ten years ago at a BBS. Our content editor comes from Douban.com, I followed her on "a trip with Sherlock" there. She has pinpointed all the places in the drama Sherlock, and I find it very interesting. So I contacted her, and she joined our team. I think our team members are all interesting people, and we share the same goal of making it a good app, rather than making good money. This is the basis for our cooperation. Our investor also shares such a mindset, actually.

Q: To guard your innovative spirit, you have to perfect your product. So, what's the next move?

Y: We actually have a certain pace in upgrading and all. First, we will make a big adjustment on the front page, and improve the socializing function. Second, we will structure all the information and make them more informative. Lastly, clearing barriers among users, enable everyone to feel more involved, and participate more. We will do that step by step, with the most urgent bugs fixed first.