Clubhouse rose to prominence in 2020 at the beginnings of the Covid shutdowns. Many of us were stuck in our homes with nothing to do. Yes we could get near our family and get to know them better. But after a while that can become a bit nerve wracking. Going to work and school is an added outlet of not just learning and meaning but also human connectivity. This is what Clubhouse provides.

A few weeks ago, Clubhouse made a drastic change in its mission and its overall format to encourage more one to one chat, in smaller groups. The chats are encouraged to not be in real time but encouraged to take place more like What’s App conversations. One after the other. Also they’re not “live” but are recorded audio messages.

Clubhouse Loyalists (and former Loyalists)

The loyal Clubhouse community who has helped build Clubhouse is ‘angry’ and upset at the changes and NOT loving them.

Glenn Lundy, founder of Breakfast with Champions, one of the fastest growing and largest groups on Clubhouse still does his regular show, which is live streamed to Clubhouse from Facebook live. However, he’s less active on Clubhouse.

Barbara Majeski, TV personality, and founder of The More Life Creative, who was a long-time user of Clubhouse recently announced her move away from Clubhouse, being very disappointed in its new move as well.

TM Hyman, founder of Leadership on Demand, another very active user of Clubhouse, still hosts rooms on Clubhouse. However, like many current active Clubhouse users, he wonders about the future.

Giuseppe Cicorella posted on Instagram that he’s leaving Clubhouse. He was in the top percent of active Clubhouse users. As I scrolled through his post, I saw that another power user, Emily Lyons is also joining a long train of power users who are leaving Clubhouse.

Why is Social Audio So Important

Social audio is so important to many of us, as unlike video, it takes MUCH less to do it. Scott Simons, entrepreneur, investor and Managing Partner of Carter Myers Automotive in Virgina can move about and get ready and still serve and share on Clubhouse. Christina Howard, who sells health and beauty products can wake up and be ready. Nothing else needed to prep. No hair today or etc.

This is why so many of us love social audio.

Audio Limits Visual Bias

When getting to know someone, audio-only communication can be better than video and audio for a few reasons.

Firstly, it allows individuals to focus solely on the conversation without any visual distractions, creating a more intimate and attentive atmosphere.

Secondly, audio-only interactions eliminate the pressure of appearance, enabling people to express themselves freely and authentically.

Lastly, by solely relying on voice, individuals can develop a deeper connection as they rely on tone, inflection, and verbal cues to understand each other. Overall, audio-only conversations can foster a sense of genuine connection and enable individuals to truly get to know each other on a deeper level.

What Other Options Are There

So what are creators thinking of doing?

• We can keep using Clubhouse until it becomes unattainable to use anymore.
• We can find other apps to use such as Breakout. I know the owners and it’s something we’re considering. LinkedIn in audio is also an option. Twitter Spaces is an option, but even it has its limits. Especially the limit of how many can be on stage speaking at the same time.
• Some of us have considered building our own app. This could cost about $100,000, not including maintenance costs.

Lessons Learned

In fairness to Clubhouse, maybe there’s a good reason they made this change. They could have a game plan in mind that we don’t know.

However, what many of us feel, is that Clubhouse should have taken the time to work with its most ardent users and fans. Those who have brought many ohters to Clubhouse.

Yes Clubhouse has made it clear that they’re no longer about having influencers with large followings. However, many Clubhouse users are asking, why ditch what has worked and seemed to have the most potential.

Why am I still on Clubhouse?

Although Clubhouse is dwindling, there’s a small group of us who are still on the app. We’ve met and become friends. We still love the daily Breakfast with Champions segment we have, starting at 5am, which provides motivation, education and information to so many. For now I’m on Clubhouse but possibly not for long.