OK after several months of #Clubhouse testing, it's time to take stock. Here are my conclusions:
Audio is not a fad; it's booming now because of pandemic lockdown, earbuds, Bluetooth, multi-tasking, GenZ, creator economy...
I don't know if #Clubhouse will succeed long term, but it definitely created a new wave of audio content that is inspiring a new generation of startups.
The quality of the UX for such a young startup and its development velocity is quite impressive!
Clubhouse has not much to do with podcasting. #Clubhouse is creating a new market category in audio, of push to talk spontaneous watercooler chats.
A good podcast (like any good content) requires preparation, talent, and substance. #Clubhouse is a social audio network for random, ephemeral, and most of the time rather disappointing chit chats.
I agree with @JoshConstine: Information density is THE dimension for an attention-focused product and #Clubhouse content *sucks* on that dimension.
Like @mpradeepm mentioned on @SouffleClub: Most people aren't great speakers and are boring: Again, no different from any other UGC platform and we'll see a power-law distributed set of interesting speakers in different niches.
The only reason #Clubhouse is successful right now is because of the presence of "famous" people (mainly VCs...). I think that will become less of a thing as access gets mainstream.
I am also wondering what #Clubhouse will look like out of the tech-bubble...
Let's remember got momentum essentially because of this cursed pandemic. As soon as we were locked down, all conferences, meetings, and other social events suddenly stopped. Silicon Valley can't exist without social interactions.
Everyone rushed to the app where the sought-after investors virtually gathered... #Clubhouse. As a result: huge media coverage and impressive waitlist.
In the beginning, #Clubhouse was like bumping into SV moguls and having a drink with them at the Battery (without having to pay the membership fee... and the drink). Now it's more like a cheap meetup at the Burlingame Marriot.
If it's easy to listen to live conversations it's getting harder and harder to participate. Basically, it's always the same people talking (about the same thing).
It's not easy to discover interesting content in #Clubhouse and you have to wait for long minutes before any interesting insights emerge.
It's impossible to keep track of the interesting stuff. No system of record.
A bit like on Twitter, I have the impression that people are trying to be provocative in order to be spotted.
Despite all this, I am still fascinated by the experience and I think that something will emerge from this initiative... unless Twitter gets its hands on it and emasculates it as they did with #Periscope...
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