When COVID hit the world, an interesting new social app emerged. Clubhouse, the audio-based social networking app, was founded by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth in 2020. The idea for Clubhouse emerged from the founders' interest in creating a more engaging and personal way for people to connect online. They saw an opportunity in voice as a medium — believing it to be more intimate and expressive than text or images — for people to share ideas, stories, and experiences. The platform envisioned a space where people could gather to talk, listen, and learn from each other in real time without the need to type or be on camera. The platform quickly garnered attention for its unique approach to social media, focusing on voice chat rooms that allow people to discuss various topics in real-time.
I quickly signed up — this was a chance to connect with people while practicing social distancing during the pandemic. And I really wanted to like it. I just found that I didn't. When I reflected on it, for me, it was the real-time nature of the platform. You joined a session, and people were talking live — participating was hard for me; I was either working or had a crying child in my arms. I like the asynchronousity of social platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn. It all got me thinking: was there an opportunity for a short-form audio social media platform with a different approach? I started by generating a simple ecosystem map to understand the players in the space at a high-level.
The big players, like Twitter (now X) and Facebook, were trying to recreate the magic of Clubhouse on their platforms, while up-and-comers were attempting to create "the Twitter of social audio." In parallel, long-form social audio — podcasting — was exploding. According to Marie Charlotte Götting, a research expert on audio media, in 2006, only 22% of the U.S. adult population was aware of podcasting. By 2022, that figure had risen to 79%. Over 82 million people listened to podcasts in 2021, and that number is likely closer to 100 million in 2024.”
I tried apps like Riffr, which focused on folks posting short audio clips; and apps like Cappuccino.fm, which is all about staying connected to people you know. I also spoke to people who use these apps or who make and listen to podcasts and other audio content to build personas and jobs to be done.
