Clubhouse: A UX Case Study in Rapid Growth

Clubhouse, the social audio application that initially achieved prominence in Silicon Valley, is currently experiencing a surge in popularity with a broader audience. This expansion presents a compelling case study for user experience (UX) analysis.

Exponential Growth and UX Considerations

The app has demonstrated remarkable growth, achieving 8 million downloads worldwide as of the previous month, as reported by App Annie. This occurred despite remaining in a pre-launch, invite-only phase.

Such rapid expansion, a scenario coveted by many startups, introduces unique challenges. UX issues must be addressed while the platform is actively scaling.

Changes implemented to the user experience will be immediately noticeable to a large user base, rather than being refined within a smaller, more tolerant community.

Analyzing Clubhouse’s UX Challenges

A recent UX teardown, led by Peter Ramsey, founder of Built for Mars and a seasoned UX expert, alongside TechCrunch reporter Steve O’Hear, focused on identifying specific UX hurdles faced by Clubhouse.

The discussion centered on the difficulties of onboarding new users quickly while simultaneously working to enhance user engagement and retention.

Maintaining user activity and fostering a sense of community are crucial as Clubhouse continues to grow and evolve.

Content Curation on Homepages

Peter Ramsey highlights the inherent challenges in effectively managing content feeds. Determining which posts are displayed, the optimal order, and filtering irrelevant information are all complex issues.

Clubhouse exemplifies this difficulty. After reviewing the available rooms within a user’s feed, the platform encourages following additional individuals to expand the content displayed. Essentially, Clubhouse reveals its content selection process: the homepage is a curated compilation of rooms determined by the user’s network.

However, a discrepancy exists. Many users, including Ramsey, find that their feeds contain rooms from individuals they do not actively follow.

Steve O’Hear questions the significance of this observation. He wonders if the potential for confusion will ultimately impact user behavior, or if people will simply continue using the homepage regardless.

Peter argues that while short-term usage may remain unaffected, sustained engagement hinges on consistent relevance. If the content consistently fails to align with user interests, long-term interest will likely diminish.

Steve draws a parallel to Twitter, noting its search page displays content outside of a user’s direct control.

Peter acknowledges this point, but emphasizes the importance of a controlled home feed. He suggests that a more random content feed, akin to a “slot machine,” can coexist with a foundational, user-controlled feed.

The Importance of a Base Layer

A fundamental, personalized feed is crucial. It provides a reliable source of relevant content, while a secondary, more exploratory feed can offer additional discovery opportunities.

• Relevance is Key: Consistent content relevance is vital for long-term user engagement.
• Controlled vs. Random: A balance between user-controlled and algorithmically-driven content is optimal.
• Foundation for Discovery: A strong base feed supports exploration through more random content streams.

Ultimately, the success of a platform’s homepage curation strategy depends on its ability to deliver a consistently valuable and personalized experience.

Understanding the Significance of "Aha" Moments

Peter: Early data from Twitter revealed a key insight: users who followed a minimum of 30 accounts demonstrated a significantly higher retention rate. This observation is frequently referred to as an “aha moment” – the point at which a product’s value becomes clear to the user.

This narrative has become a well-known story within the startup community. However, many companies misinterpret its core message, overlooking the critical detail: simply following 30 random accounts isn’t sufficient; users must follow 30 accounts that genuinely resonate with their interests.

Clubhouse's Initial User Onboarding

Clubhouse implemented a comparable strategy, initially suggesting 50 accounts for new users to follow during the signup process.

It’s been observed that certain individuals rapidly amass large follower counts. This is largely due to a consistent pattern of recommendations, with the same users being frequently suggested to new members. I tested this by creating accounts with contrasting interests, and the pre-selected suggestions remained remarkably consistent.

The platform doesn’t explicitly explain how following these initial 50 accounts influences the content a user encounters, or the need to unfollow accounts if the homepage becomes unengaging.

However, a more informative approach could be implemented, potentially resembling the following:

Discussion on Clubhouse's Strategy

Steve: What motivates Clubhouse’s approach, in your opinion?

Peter: I believe that initially, Clubhouse prioritized maximizing connections. By consistently recommending the same individuals – primarily the platform’s founders and investors – they could exert some control over the content presented to new users.

However, as Clubhouse experienced rapid growth, they seemingly did not revisit and refine this process. This is merely my speculation, though.

Key Takeaways for Founders

Steve: What valuable lesson can other founders derive from this situation?

Peter: As a platform expands, its requirements evolve. Strategies that were once effective may become outdated. Therefore, it’s crucial to periodically re-evaluate older processes and determine if they remain optimal.

Steve: Is this a common practice?

Peter: From my observations, it is not. It’s remarkably easy to neglect older workflows, as attention is often focused on new developments or urgent issues.

A User Experience Reliance in Search

Pete: Identifying genuine users on platforms like Clubhouse is crucial for engaging in meaningful discussions, making it vital to ensure you are following authentic profiles – for instance, verifying you’re connected with the actual Elon Musk.

While identity verification will eventually become a necessity, mirroring established social networks, it presents a significant challenge for the currently small Clubhouse team.

Despite this, they have successfully created an application that rivals its competitors in simplicity.

However, this simplicity can be deceptive; larger social networks achieve this ease of use through extensive behind-the-scenes processes.

Steve: If your point is that Twitter’s streamlined application is possible due to substantial investments in processing and backend infrastructure, how can a startup achieve a comparable user experience?

Peter: That’s the central dilemma. You’re likely familiar with the business school model illustrating the trade-offs between “cost,” “time,” and “quality,” where selecting only two is often the reality – and that holds true in this situation.

Developing a superior UX demands considerable time, dedication, and resources. A key understanding is that simply replicating Facebook’s interface won’t yield equivalent UX results, as the underlying product differs.

Steve: Would a startup realistically recoup the investment in such enhanced UX? Or is a more fundamental UX approach sufficient?

Peter: A more basic UX can indeed be adequate. If a company is self-funded and growth isn’t a primary concern, dedicating extensive hours to refining minor UX details might not be the most effective use of resources.

However, if substantial funding has been secured with the goal of building the best possible product, prioritizing that level of refinement is, in my opinion, essential.

The Dynamics of Social Media Engagement

Peter: It is widely acknowledged that social networking platforms are intentionally engineered to foster user dependency. Their structure resembles limitless reservoirs of content, consistently providing a readily accessible source of dopamine stimulation.

A prevalent technique employed to cultivate these behaviors is what can be termed a “hook” – a cyclical pattern of action and reinforcement that proves habit-forming. A crucial element within this hook is the concept of investment, where users dedicate time to following others, anticipating a continuous stream of valuable content.

However, a significant problem exists. The anticipated return on this investment is not always assured, nor is it immediate. This isn’t simply about variable rewards; the reward can be completely absent.

Steve: I considered this recently while arbitrarily following users, unsure if they were even active. Is this not fundamentally a flaw in the underlying design, rather than the application’s user experience?

Peter: It is undeniably linked to the core concept and presents a challenge for platforms like Clubhouse. Nevertheless, inaction is not a viable solution, in my opinion. Implementing the modifications I’ve proposed would yield substantial improvements. While not eliminating the issue entirely, it would mitigate its impact.

Steve: On a broader scale, what guidance can this offer to other entrepreneurs?

Peter: Founders should cultivate an awareness of these “hooks.” A valuable starting point is reading “Hooked” by Nir Eyal. Comprehending the mechanisms of habit formation within your application allows you to optimize their effectiveness.