In 2020, when the world was grappling with lockdowns and social isolation, Clubhouse emerged as a new social media platform that temporarily captivated Silicon Valley. Founded by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, Clubhouse introduced live audio chatrooms where users could gather to discuss various topics. Its invitation-only model attracted high-profile hosts, such as Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, and Mark Zuckerberg. By April 2021, the platform’s valuation had risen to $4 billion. However, users soon began leaving the app as quickly as they had joined. As the decline persisted, the founders announced the layoff of half of their 200 employees in 2023. Meanwhile, TikTok, a short-form video social media platform that emerged alongside Clubhouse during the lockdowns, went mainstream and began threatening Meta’s Facebook and Instagram. Could Clubhouse employ TikTok’s strategy and tactics to revive its user base?

• Identify the challenges in launching and scaling a social media platform.
• Analyze how different strategies impact the scalability of a social app, and differentiate between strategies and tactics.
• Use the three-step analytical approach (Zoom In-Out-In) to leverage competitors’ achievements.