Clubhouse – an invitation only audio app – is creating huge waves across social media. The app allows users to have conversations about a wide array of topics – ranging from politics to cryptocurrencies. The app arranges topics into ‘rooms’ – which are typically hosted by celebrities or elite figures and experts in a particular industry.
In most occasions, users are only allowed to join a room as a spectator; however – albeit rarely – hosts can allow users to join the conversation if they deem it appropriate. Dozens of rooms can occur simultaneously, which allows users to hop from one topic to another, depending on their interests.
What makes the app particularly buzz worthy, however, is the fact that community access is invitation-only. This key feature alone has caused thousands on social media to fight for a chance to join this exclusive community.
Well-known figures, such as Elon Musk, have brought additional attention to the app on social media, which has not only sparked additional hysteria and interest but has helped Clubhouse build its reputation.
On February 10th, Musk tweeted the following:
Just agree to do Clubhouse with @kanyewest
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2021
Four days later, Musk referenced Clubhouse yet again in another tweet:
.@KremlinRussia_E would you like join me for a conversation on Clubhouse?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 13, 2021
In its latest round of funding, Clubhouse – which was founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Paul Davison and ex-Google employee Roahn Seth – has been valued at over $1 billion, making it a powerful contender to become the world’s next big social app.
On the company’s blog site, Davison and Seth explain why they think Clubhouse will be successful:
“Our goal was to build a social experience that felt more human — where instead of posting, you could gather with other people and talk. Our north star was to create something where you could close the app at the end of the session feeling better than you did when you opened it, because you had deepened friendships, met new people and learned”.
The app’s focus on real human conversations helps Clubhouse differentiate itself from competitors such as Instagram and Facebook: while the human voice can sometimes feel lost in captions and comments, Clubhouse seeks to recenter it at the center of our social experience. This focus on more deepened and intimate connectivity may be what social media really needs but currently lacks.
With founders Davison and Seth looking to remove the invite-only aspect in the future, Clubhouse could potentially become the go-to platform for the world to learn, meet, and connect.