Checking Out Clubhouse

Exclusive social media site brings elite together

In 2020 Silicon Valley entrepreneur Paul Davison and ex-Google employee Rohan Seth created an iPhone-only, invitation-only app called Clubhouse. Launched in April, the app got about $12 million in funding from the capital firm Andreessen Horowitz in May. Its value was estimated at $100 million in May 2020, and it currently has 600,000 users, even though it is invitation-only and iPhone only.

 The Clubhouse app is currently in beta testing. At the moment the audio-based iPhone app requires that users have an invitation to join, and invitations are not easy to obtain. Certainly, this restriction makes the testing easier for the developers, and it also offers current Clubhouse a sense of exclusivity. Some of its current users are very prominent people, so the exclusivity factor is even greater at this stage of development.

What makes Clubhouse so great? How can it help you? What effect could it have on clinical research?

Clubhouse can bring together an array of live podcast-style conversations, panel discussions, networking opportunities and advantageous multiple-room use. There are locked and private options for talking to certain people only. Thus, the app offers the feel of real-life interactions. Some users say that it takes the “media” feel out of social media and gives people what they love and miss about social media—the social aspects. The platform enables people to chat in real time, share stories, collaborate and bounce ideas off of each other using their voice without requiring additional equipment.

Users can easily switch from room to room, participating in discussions on the virtual stage when called on by moderators. Each user can request to speak by pressing the “raised hand” emoji, giving Clubhouse the feeling of a panel. Current topics include influencer culture, race, feminism and myths about turning 30. When users develop a close-knit group on the app, they have the capability to develop private rooms that can be used as a springboard for a weekly business-related catch-up or as a virtual visit to a bar on a typical Friday evening. Clubhouse has added a new update that allows people to leave the app running and listen to conversations while doing something else around the home or office. It is strictly forbidden to record any conversation, thus protecting encounters with VIP members or anyone else with whom users desire private conversations.

While Clubhouse enables users to network, collaborate and make professional connections, its value transcends that of other social media apps. Allowing for instant verbal communication, Clubhouse makes connections happen faster than they can on other social media platforms and have a more personal element. For some users, it has the feel of like listening to or podcasts or radio shows, but with people who are already part of their network. It can bring together long-lost friends or new connections who can be valuable colleagues.

What really makes Clubhouse special for some users is the exclusivity. While most people measure a social media platform’s success in terms of the number of active members who log in and use that platform each day, Clubhouse likes to consider its appeal as the Silicon Valley’s social hot spot. Because of the limitations on invitations, business elites and entrepreneurs find it even more appealing. 

Getting on the Clubhouse app is a matter of having a personal invitation from a current user. While this may seem simple, each user is only entitled to send out two invitations when signing up. If people want invitations from that user, they need to be part of that user’s inner circle. The more someone uses the app, which is accomplished by moderating rooms, speaking in rooms and other activities, the more invitations that user is able to distribute. Thus, people who are highly involved with Clubhouse are the ones who get to determine who can join the app. To get invited to Clubhouse, a person’s best bet would be to know someone who is very active and influential on the app. Obviously, not everyone can do that. Most people will receive a message stating that they are on the virtual waitlist. iPhone users can download the app from the Apple store and reserve a username.

Once a person does get in, the app appears on the phone like all apps. Clubhouse greets new users with a homepage that shows discussions that are going on at that time, as well as those taking place later. A user’s algorithm corresponds with both his/her address book and who he/she chooses to follow. Depending on one’s interests, friends or occupational preferences, users can see chat rooms hosting talks on various topics.

To build a profile, users can either start from scratch or import information from other social media accounts. They can search existing contacts to find other Clubhouse members. The app suggests big-name accounts to follow.

According to Entrepreneur, “There are several reasons that the Clubhouse app has gained so much traction. It teaches and inspires users. It lets people meet in the context of mutual interests and helps them share those interests…in real time…The platform facilitates human connection, which struck a relevant note during lockdowns worldwide.”

PC Magazine added, “You don’t need to create or join a themed club to talk on Clubhouse. You can also always start a random room and chat there. You can either open your room to everyone, open it to people you follow, open it up to your clubs, or create a private room and select who gets to join.”

Clinical researchers can use the Clubhouse app to collaborate with other researchers worldwide in an environment that current users say has a human feel to it. Those burned out on Zoom will appreciate the audio-only nature of the app. Because speakers need to be recognized by the moderator, Clubhouse is free of the cacophony that often characterizes online meetings. Dan Sfera is on Clubhouse and hosts a weekly Friday night mixer every Friday at 5PM PST. Clubhouse is also free, so many people think it will offer great value once people can actually get into it.