Photographer: Peter DaSilva/The New York Times/Redux
Valuation: $4 billion
Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global, Tiger Global, Elad Gil
Clubhouse is a voice based social network where people can host rooms and facilitate conversation. I’ve heard of people say something along the lines of “I wish I was in such a place at a specific time during this particular movement.” I personally love this app. It’s fascinating that I can listen in on conversations with NASA scientists, professors from MIT, and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Clubhouse brings that to everyone, with up to 5000 people per room. Though not everyone can speak at the same time, you’d have to host your own room or be invited to the stage for that.
Paul Davison is the co-founder and CEO of Clubhouse. He studied Industrial Engineering Stanford University, and then returned to Stanford University Graduate School of Business for an MBA. According to Wired (2021), he interned at Google, worked for Metaweb (a startup that extracted information from the web to help computers better understand the world), and then became an entrepreneur-in-residence at the venture capital firm Benchmark.
As stated by Bloomberg (2021), he created an app called Highlight which tracked user locations to show them profiles of people nearby with similar interests or shared connections. This was done in Austin, Texas during the 2012 South by Southwest festival. He paid young people to wear white turtlenecks with the Highlight logo around Austin to promote it. This was under his company Math Camp. Math Camp then created the app Shorts which is an automatic photo sharing app; they were eventually sold to Pinterest.
Davison left Pinterest, and reacquainted himself with an old friend, Rohan Seth. They introduced Talkshow, which became the Clubhouse we know today.
In a recent interview with CNBC, Davison says that there’s networks text, videos, photo, so they’re focusing on audio. At first they were only on iOS, but they’ve just opened up for Android, which added a million people to the waitlist. They’re hoping build a long term durable company by building the right infrastructure and team.
What does this have to do with education technology? Discussion plays a large role in education, especially in higher learning. We attend talks, seminars, and take part in written discussions in this very course. Clubhouse, and Paul Davison’s other ventures, are all about networking, sharing knowledge, and sharing interests. I have listened in on some very interesting conversations and topics. It’s very special when the speaker, who is at the top of their field, is able to freely speak, without interruption, about something that they’re passionate for, or even researching.
References:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-16/who-made-clubhouse-app-paul-davison-a-founder-in-perpetual-motion
https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/19/clubhouse/
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2021/05/25/clubhouse-ceo-paul-davison-2021-disruptor-50.html
https://www.wired.com/story/inside-clubhouse-audio-app-paul-davison-rohan-seth
Paul Davison represents a strong role model for future entrepreneurs. He demonstrates confidence and passion for his work. As the founder and CEO, he has the experience and credentials to responsibly manage and lead Clubhouse. Paul has innovative ideas and is dedicated to his work. His goal is to build a long term company that has a solid foundation and structure that is built on good teamwork. He values networking and collaboration which are important traits to have for success in the Information Age.
One thing I like about this voice based social network app is that it focuses on audio. It opens up another way for people to have access to information and interaction especially those with disabilities.
Thanks for the response, Joyce. To build on that point, both founders, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, actively participate in Clubhouse too. Actually, just yesterday I listened in on a room he was in. He’s incredibly passionate, and really believes in this medium, platform, and business.
One thing that I really like about the medium of audio is that the users are not tied down to a place. Quite often people are speaking while they out walking their dog, even doing chores. A side note, I find I always have good and engaging conversation while walking or hiking with friends. So, it’s really neat when you get to hear scientists “riffing” on ideas while they’re out for walks.
Paul Davison is an innovator in my eyes. As mentioned in your pot the social media we consume tends to be text to visual-based, we have left audio behind with wired telephones. Clubhouse has brought that back. The exclusivity of this app, invite or waiting last only increase its popularity as it covets its imitability. Clubhouse was everywhere at the beginning of the COVID19 Pandemic and highlighted the world’s need for social interaction to rely on voice and common interest. Paul has created an incredible virtual world that allows for globalism and individualism to stand within it.