Being Mistaken as the Xiaohongshu CEO

Dani (left) and Jerry (right) saw their video go viral overnight

A "normal guy" in Vancouver was mistaken as the CEO of Xiaohongshu or RedNote after he posted a friendly video giving tips to "TikTok refugees" and new users on how to use the app.

Jerry L. explained Xiaohongshu is mostly used to recommend places to eat or to visit, as well as tips for shopping and makeup.

"The platform is mainly Chinese-speaking, but do feel free to speak English and post English content because I believe there are a lot more English speakers on this platform nowadays," he said in the one-minute video. "We need to build this community."

At the end of the video he said: "Let me know your thoughts. I speak both Chinese and English. Feel free to ask me any questions."

Overnight the video went viral, as influencers shared his video, and it was even featured on Fox News online. 

They had mistakenly thought Jerry was the CEO of RedNote when in fact it is Charlwin Mao, who started Xiaohongshu in 2013 with Miranda Qu.

Jerry felt compelled to set the record straight right away.

"Guys, I'm not the RedNote CEO, just to be clear," he said in a followup video. "I'm just another normal guy in Vancouver. But whatever I said in that original welcoming video stays true. I really hope that you guys can enjoy this platform."

In the past week RedNote gained some 3.4 million users, up from 300,000 the week prior, partly because of fears that the US government would force TikTok to shut down, which is has for the time being.

Meanwhile Jerry L is originally from Shanghai and moved to Canada 10 years ago, and settled in Vancouver two years ago. 

His girlfriend Dani H. said they were overwhelmed by the reaction but glad to bring people together.

"I'm just glad it brought a smile to people's faces," she said.

The pair have started a TikTok account with the handle @FakeCEORealGF where they plan to share videos of their experiences of being Chinese Canadian in Vancouver.