Does Clubhouse Have a Future After All?

When a brand new social media app is out, it gets close attention from media and society. It has recently happened to TikTok, and it is Clubhouse’s turn to stay on top of its glory.

People all over the internet share in their posts and stories, “You should try Clubhouse,” “Clubhouse is enticing,” “Join Clubhouse, don’t miss a thing.”

Under social pressure, I decided to explore Clubhouse myself and hypothesize what might happen to it in the future.

When something new comes out to this world, human resources are often put to beat, outperform the rival, instead of creating a long-lasting product.

Tech giants have a huge desire to control the market and rule the world. The same fate might overtake Clubhouse as Silicon Valley tech giants have started to pay close attention to a new invite-only iPhone app. Here is what Mark Zuckerberg thinks about the rising platform.

Copycatting Again?

Clubhouse kicked into the digital world out of nowhere.

It was launched in April 2020 by Alpha Exploration co-founder Paul Davison and former Google employee Rohan Seth. In January 2021, it had over 2 million users, and its valuation reached $1 billion.

There is no doubt the platform was getting organic traction. However, there were a few instances that tremendously skyrocketed Clubhouse’s popularity.

SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk made a debut by joining Clubhouse and breaking the platform’s limits — 5,000 users joined a single room to hear Musk speaking. Musk’s debut on Clubhouse was highlighted across media, which stimulated even more interest in the platform.

We did not have to wait long to see Facebook wandering around. Who would miss the newest and hottest Silicon Valley startup? Definitely not Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg has also joined Clubhouse to discuss augmented reality, its business application, and remote work. However, he might have had other, more pragmatic reasons to test the app.

Zuckerberg's debut on Clubhouse generated even more buzz around Clubhouse. People were wondering if Clubhouse will eventually become another beautiful addition to Facebook’s product family.

Facebook has a long-running tendency to copycatting the key functionality of rising social apps if those can’t be purchased. Its intention is quite straightforward, though. Facebook wants to keep its dominating position in the social media world and prevent users from migrating to new pastures. Clubhouse is not an exception!

The New York Times reported that Facebook executives have already started working on a similar digital product. Their insiders say the product is at its early development stage.

Facebook spokeswoman Emilie Haskell has also commented on the matter:

“We’ve been connecting people through audio and video technologies for many years and are always exploring new ways to improve that experience for people.”

Clubhouse representatives did not respond directly to Facebook’s comments. However, they noted:

“Facebook has a history of breaking into new technologies and chasing different mediums that have attracted users, especially if those audiences are young.”

It is already official that Facebook will launch a Clubhouse copycat in a year or two. However, it’s not the only company developing a clone. Twitter is working on its rival social app too. It is called Spaces, which is in beta development now.

Clubhouse is the hottest yet the youngest Silicon Valley tech startup that has to fight for the right to exist. Its powerful competitors are chasing and breathing down its neck.

It seems Clubhouse has no right to a mistake. Will it withstand competition and survive? Let’s brainstorm a bit.

Does Clubhouse Have a Future After All?

People are stuck at homes these days, having almost no physical contact with the external world. Clubhouse gave them just what they were looking for — a brand new, interactive informational field.

An increased interest in the digital side hustling could be another reason for Clubhouse’s popularity. It has already launched a monetization program for its creators, new show formats, and promotion opportunities on and off the platform.

However, many users across the globe are still convinced of its failure, along with Clubhouse’s ban in China.

It’s been a year since the Clubhouse’s launch, and the app is still in beta testing mode. It means the app is still undergoing user testing among iPhone users before being launched on a mass scale.

The limited access and exclusivity trigger curiosity, making people want to join Clubhouse, even if they don’t have an iPhone.

However, the audience’s warm interest does not last long these days. What made them curious yesterday might be a forgotten past in the blink of an eye.

A few friends told me they’d lost interest in Clubhouse after waiting months to join the platform. They told me:

“Who needs Clubhouse when it’s no longer on a hype?”

Indeed, it is typical consumer behavior — they don’t buy what they need; they buy what they want. And what happens if they lose interest? It’s gone forever!

Despite the fact I got my Clubhouse invite quite early, I did not experience any excitement related to the platform’s usage.

The functionality is primitive. As a user, you can review and join any available room. You can create your own room and send invites to other people. That is it. I know it is still in beta mode, and new features will be added, but speed is a crucial factor in our rivalry world. Facebook has been already breathing in Clubhouse’s back. If it releases an upgraded version of Clubhouse with advanced features, I bet it won’t take much time for users to migrate.

It’s worth mentioning the Clubhouse content quality level. Here is what Denise Hamilton, a creator who hosts two shows on Clubhouse, commentson this matter:

“I wish there were 25 more guardrails. Improve moderation, increase the skill set of moderators to host difficult conversations, elevate difficult conversations hosted by more skilled communicators.”

Why should Clubhouse care about its content quality? The problem escalates with so-called “experts” joining the platform and teaching others how they should live their lives.

Some of the audience might filter out the information — those who have had enough life experience to differentiate between “fake” and “trustworthy.”

Here is a short example from my experience on Clubhouse:

A random Psychosomatics room with an expert and a few dozen people. A young lady raises a virtual hand and asks a question:

“I am thankful for an opportunity to be here and discuss my issue with the experts. My knees often hurt, and I have no clue what might be the cause. Perhaps, you could suggest what I should do next?”

A room organizer takes the floor to respond:

“Thank you for your question, and I am convinced it might be relevant to other listeners. If you experience knee pain, it might be because you stand too much on your knees. Please, keep it in mind in the future. Or maybe the cause of the problem is…”

My example is just a drop in the ocean. I am convinced there are thousands of similar cases. People with no education or self-taught set trends.

If all these issues are not addressed, Clubhouse will be just another social media with an indefinite future.

Final Thoughts

The competition in the world of IT technologies is always challenging. Once a new tech product appears, tech giants try to copycat its success and outperform the first-mover.

Given the history, I am not even surprised by Facebook’s announcement. Since Facebook’s product is still in its early development stage, it might take a year or two until Facebook returns with a release announcement.

Will it spell trouble for Clubhouse? It might, yes. It is still a young and immature platform. The Clubhouse founders know they will face severe competition if their product becomes successful. What remains is to continue serving their audience, innovating, and finally bringing Android users to the platform.

The tension is rising. Soon we will see who will become the winner of this race.