Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube
  • Get Started
    • Create Zwift Account
    • How To Get Started On Zwift
    • Zwift Course Maps
    • How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More)
    • Women’s Racing on Zwift
    • Links Every Zwifter Must Have
    • More “Get Started” Posts
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Training & Nutrition
    • Racing
    • Zwift Hacks
  • Reference
    • How Zwift Works
    • Course Calendar
    • RoboPacer Calendar
    • Climb Portal Calendar
    • Route of the Week Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Game Updates
    • Smart Trainer Index
      • Current Models
      • Exhaustive Trainer List
    • Achievements & Unlocks
      • XP Basics for Riders
      • XP Basics for Runners
      • Kit Unlock Codes
      • Master List of Badges
    • Frames & Wheels
    • Routes & Maps
      • Master List: Routes
      • Master List: Climb Portal
      • Master List: KOMs
      • Master List: Sprints
      • Master List: Rebel Routes
      • Downloadable Watopia Map
      • Printable List of Routes by Difficulty
    • Speed Tests
    • Tiny Races
  • Women
    • Race Calendar
    • Why race?
    • Women’s Teams
    • Racer Spotlights
    • More Women’s Racing posts
  • Shop
    • Watopia Map and Other Posters
    • ZI Indoor Cycling Kit
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Get Started
    • Create Zwift Account
    • How To Get Started On Zwift
    • Zwift Course Maps
    • How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More)
    • Women’s Racing on Zwift
    • Links Every Zwifter Must Have
    • More “Get Started” Posts
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Training & Nutrition
    • Racing
    • Zwift Hacks
  • Reference
    • How Zwift Works
    • Course Calendar
    • RoboPacer Calendar
    • Climb Portal Calendar
    • Route of the Week Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Game Updates
    • Smart Trainer Index
      • Current Models
      • Exhaustive Trainer List
    • Achievements & Unlocks
      • XP Basics for Riders
      • XP Basics for Runners
      • Kit Unlock Codes
      • Master List of Badges
    • Frames & Wheels
    • Routes & Maps
      • Master List: Routes
      • Master List: Climb Portal
      • Master List: KOMs
      • Master List: Sprints
      • Master List: Rebel Routes
      • Downloadable Watopia Map
      • Printable List of Routes by Difficulty
    • Speed Tests
    • Tiny Races
  • Women
    • Race Calendar
    • Why race?
    • Women’s Teams
    • Racer Spotlights
    • More Women’s Racing posts
  • Shop
    • Watopia Map and Other Posters
    • ZI Indoor Cycling Kit
More
    Interviews

    Zwiftcast Episode 98: A Conversation with Zwift’s Chief Product Officer – the man with the plan

    Simon Schofield
    By Simon Schofield
    July 1, 2021
    LAST UPDATED July 1, 2021
    2

    Welcome to this Zwiftcast Special Episode, an extended interview with the company’s first Chief Product Officer.

    YuChiang Cheng, known to all as YC, was appointed in January and the move was hailed as “critically important” by Zwift’s CEO, Eric Min.

    YC was put in charge of what seemed like almost everything… from game design and art, engineering, research and development through content programming and live operations, plus a bit more.

    It was clear that YC, whose background includes the development of the 28 million-player World Tour Golf game, was going to be hugely influential in Zwift’s continued growth and development.

    So what does he have planned? Was the rapid deployment of the much-requested Return To Home feature soon after YC joined a mere co-incidence or a sign of things to come? Is Zwift working on a brand new platform architecture? Will new features roll out faster? So many questions.

    Simon sits down with YC to see if the Zwift community can get some answers to these and lots of other questions.

    We hope you enjoy listening.

    00.00-02.10: Intro, including rules of engagement

    02.30: What was your last decision in your last meeting?

    02.50:Give us your 60 second career resume? (SPOILER: It’s longer than 60 secs) 

    04.45: How did the opportunity at Zwift come about?

    06.46: Do you ride a bike?

    08.00: Have you identified areas where Zwift needs to change the way it works?

    10.00: The Press release on your arrival stressed “accessibility” and “innovation”. What did that mean?

    13.58: In seeking to widen accessibility there’s a feeling that the hard core cyclist will lose out to the casual fitness crowd. You are prioritising growth over development. How do you respond to that?

    17.20: The last couple of updates have included “crowd pleaser” features. Is that your doing?

    19.50: Is the company developing a Zwift 2.0? A new games engine? 

    21.50: So is Jon Mayfield, in his new role, working on a new game engine? 

    22.15: The golf game you were involved in featured performance improvements in exchange for payment. Will this ever be the case on Zwift?

    23.10: Zwift Running has not been a conspicuous success. Is Zwift’s future multi-sport?

    24.00: Why is hardware development so critical?

    25.55:  Zwift is neither agile nor nimble. Do you feel the need to address this?

    29.10: Has recruitment of talented development people improved? Why not offshore development?

    32.20: Tell me about your working relationship with Jon Mayfield?

    34.30: We see a number of big projects announced – then grind to a halt. Why?

    37.50: Pace Partners, as an example, were a huge hit. But development of them has been glaciallly slow. Why?

    40.15. Racing: At pro level, it serves Zwift marketing well. At community level, tools, features and functions are slow to roll out.Fair point?

    43.30: Why are some Zwifters on very high end machines seeing low frame rates on Makuri? Is this directional, or a glitch?

    48.00 Will Zwift ever lock down certain features to its own hardware?

    51.00: Zwift hardware. When are we going to see something?

    51.20: What has surprised you, both upside and downside, since you joined Zwift?

    52.35: Golfers or cyclists. Which is the most demanding community? 

    53.00: Does Zwift have a proper dialogue with its community?

    55.10: Thanks and goodbye. 

    Related Posts

    Facebook
    Twitter
    Pinterest
    ReddIt
      Simon Schofield
      Simon Schofield
      Simon used to live in Yorkshire, but now he spends much of his time in the cycling paradise of Girona and the surrounding area, in Catalonia, Spain. In a previous life he was a journalist and TV producer, spending a career both in front of, but much longer behind, a camera and a microphone. After signing up as User No 10 at Zwift, Simon conjured up the first ever video review of the upstart new platform and later wondered if there was enough going on in Watopia to interest an audience. One hundred episodes and 1.2 million podcast downloads later, he had an answer. Simon has now happily handed over the reins of the Zwiftcast to a great new team. He’ll remain a lifelong friend of Zwift and its community. Recent health issues have kept Simon out of the saddle . . . but he’s now working on a Great Big Comeback.

      2 COMMENTS

      Subscribe
      Notify of
      guest

      guest

      2 Comments
      Oldest
      Newest Most Voted
      Inline Feedbacks
      View all comments
      wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz

      Get Started on Zwift

      Sign Up (Free Trial)
      Buy Zwift Ride
      Buy KICKR CORE One
      Read More...

      Newest Featured Posts

      Zwift Offers Free Play Controllers To Level 85+ Riders

      Hardware/Equipment

      Join the CommuniTTTy: On-Demand Zwift Time Trialing!

      Racing

      Support This Site

      Write a post, shop through us, donate or advertise. Learn more

      NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

      Zwift tips and news every 2 weeks! Click to subscribe.

      More Posts

      Zwift Will Not Be Hosting an Elite Zwift World Series This Fall

      Racing

      Zwift Charts: Climb Portal Growth

      Routes & Maps

      Friday Night Fun Races Announced

      Events

      Zwift Releases Fitness Trends Charts on Companion App

      Game Updates

      This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (www.zwift.com), although Zwift does provide funding to help defray site costs.

      This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts.

      Terms of Use/DMCA Copyright Policy

      Privacy Policy | Privacy Consent

      [email protected]

      Latest articles

      “Hautacam” Climb Portal Details

      Zwift Route of the Week Schedule

      Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of July 12-13

      Popular Categories

      • Racing1509
      • Events1014
      • News833
      • Training & Nutrition712
      • Interviews564
      • Routes & Maps447
      Comment Author Info
      :wpds_smile::wpds_grin::wpds_wink::wpds_mrgreen::wpds_neutral::wpds_twisted::wpds_arrow::wpds_shock::wpds_unamused::wpds_cool::wpds_evil::wpds_oops::wpds_razz::wpds_roll::wpds_cry::wpds_eek::wpds_lol::wpds_mad::wpds_sad::wpds_exclamation::wpds_question::wpds_idea::wpds_hmm::wpds_beg::wpds_whew::wpds_chuckle::wpds_silly::wpds_envy::wpds_shutmouth:
      2
      0
      Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
      ()
      x
      | Reply
      You are going to send email to

      Move Comment

    • Related Posts