China’s social-lifestyle app Xiaohongshu (also known as Rednote) is claiming its place as a launchpad of the next wave AI-native applications. The company announced this week the winners of their inaugural Independent Developer Awards. Seven standout projects were highlighted that combine artificial intelligence, consumer intuition, and community feedback. The competition received 1,355 submissions from mobile apps, websites and hardware. There were two official tracks: Hidden Gem Apps, and Best AI Projects. The competition includes a growing number of Gen Z creators, including those born after 2005. For example, the AI category’s first prize went to a single developer born in 2001. Hardware platform Podwise Action&Linkis a group of Gen Z developers who were born after 2001 and are reshaping the way apps are developed and distributed in this AI age.
Sanbing, the head of Xiaohongshu’s tech-focused initiatives, said that “App building is now the new content creation.” This ethos is resonating throughout the platform. Xiaohongshu reports that over 50,000 independent developers are now active. More than 90% of them release multiple apps every year. Developer-related content grew 146% in the past year, with over 500 million views.
Xiaohongshu, a hybrid between Instagram’s visual storytelling culture and Reddit niche communities, has thrived off “grass-planting” – a Chinese Internet idiom for peer to peer product evangelism. Contrary to Western platforms, where polished influencers are dominant, its 300,000,000 monthly users actively share lifestyle “notes”which blend personal anecdotes and practical reviews. This is also how the app’s AI developer user group worked.
Unlike other app stores, which rely on algorithms to make decisions, Xiaohongshu’s user-driven ecosystem transforms everyday moments into real-time marketing research. Developer diaries are transformed into product roadmaps when posts about everyday problems are made. SunAlly, a mental-health companion, gained 20,000 new users in just two months, after the demand was organically revealed in user discussions. Cocktail Notesa cocktail app, was developed with over 400 user suggestions. Huashenga developer known for releasing gadgets such asKitten Fill Light ( ) andKitten Flash Eyes ( quickly, credited Xiaohongshu’s users’ advice in each version release note.
According to platform data, over 3,000 discussions have taken place under the #IndieDevFeedbackDiaries hashtag, highlighting a culture of listening-to-feedback in development.
At the award ceremony, Leon, head of Xiaohongshu’s Open Platform said: “The future belongs innovators who combine AI and human insight.”
Shuang is an AI, tech company and retail reporter for Technode.com based in Shanghai. Find her via e-mail: [email protected]. More by Shuang Jing (19659017)
