Data, lock-in, and FOMO.
The internet has consolidated everything.
We used to have classified ads in local newspapers, and then it was all on Craigslist.
Wickr
There are still plenty of online stores, but the first place we visit is Amazon.
We have YouTube for video, Instagram for sharing photos, and Facebook for sharing everything else.
But now, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Twitter seem to want to control everything.
Wickr
Its not enough that Amazon is the biggest store on the planet.
It wants to be the biggest platform on the planet.
“This combination of powers is called ‘platform power.'”
FOMO
For a service like Facebook, the Fear of Missing Out makes sense.
Its business depends on engagement.
“It seems that all big tech companies suffer from FOMOthe fear of missing out.
This combination of powers is called ‘platform power.'”
The model has been there for quite some time.
Instagram is now as much a storefront as it is a photo-sharing app.
Its enough that it makes Amazon more “sticky.”
Or sell the data itself.
Its also a lot harder for start-ups to compete with the resources of these tech giants.
If Twitter and Facebook create Clubhouse clones, theres little reason for users to try out Clubhouse itself.
We might gain convenience, but we could lose a lot more.
