This article chronicles the rapid ascent and subsequent decline of the audio-based social app Clubhouse, which was once hailed as a potential future of social media during the pandemic. It explores how its simple group chat concept initially captivated the tech elite but ultimately failed to sustain its momentum, becoming a case study in viral hype cycles.
Background
Clubhouse was an invite-only audio chat app that gained massive popularity during the COVID-19 lockdowns, valued at $4 billion at its peak in 2021. It pioneered the social audio format that was later copied by Twitter Spaces, Facebook, and other platforms.
- Source
- The Verge
- Published
- Mar 15, 2026 at 08:24 PM
- Score
- 5.0 / 10