Who Will Topple LinkedIn?
The signs are rampant that professionals are desperately looking for new platforms to connect. Who will be the next David to beat Goliath?
Over the years, I’ve heard many bold and predictive statements.
“No one can build a social network like MySpace!”
Until Facebook came along.
“There will never be a search engine as good as Yahoo!”
Until Google made it better.
Now, I hear that LinkedIn has “won the battle for professionals”.
Game over, I’m told.
Really?
I have a different point of view.
My thought is …
Who will be the next David to beat Goliath?
Warning Signs
There are plenty of signs that LinkedIn is stifling growth on its platform rather than nurturing it - especially with users that have a free account.
Why?
I believe LinkedIn is being heavily influenced by its parent company, Microsoft, who is most likely pushing for a greater amount of monetization on the platform.
The signs are everywhere…
User restrictions are rampant and stifling
Spamming is omnipresent and out of control
A huge lack of user support (LinkedIn has no phone support # to call and sending an email is very difficult)
So what’s next?
I figure one of two things could happen …
Prediction #1
We could see a speedy, user-friendly, and highly efficient app take on the 800-pound gorilla.
A networking app that professionals would flock to, like Tinder did for dating, Airbnb did for real estate rentals, or Uber did for transportation.
But after a thorough review of what apps are available right now, I am not so sure anymore.
Here are three of the top apps that were supposed to change the professional networking landscape …
1. Lunchbox
Lunchclub is an app that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to connect users with common interests and objectives.
In 2020, the start-up raised $24.2 million at a valuation of $100 million.
I’ve tried to connect with professionals for the past year but had very little success.
Along with many other users, I found the app to lack meaningful matches, had too many “no-shows”, had users who were people pitching services like Amway, and failed at implementing artificial intelligence
For example, the above Lunchbox screenshot shows how the platform asks me to introduce two users.
The problem is that I have no idea who they are - I’ve never met either of them.
I’m not sure if the platform or AI is the problem.
But I did not have a very good user experience with the app.
2. Alignable
Alignable is an online network with over 9 million members connecting business owners in 35,000 local communities.
Alignable has raised $18.91M over 5 rounds and a valuation exceeding $50M.
Unfortunately, the platform has been plagued with complaints regarding privacy concerns and spamming.
I found the app to be clumsy and did not provide a lot of value.
3. Bumble Bizz
Bumble Bizz is a separate part of the Bumble dating app that focuses on making professional connections.
Bumble is a publicly-traded company with a current valuation of $1.78 Billion.
I was able to connect with a few professionals but their communications turned into sales pitches rather than a genuine desire to get to know me or my business.
Prediction #2
There will be no clear winner.
Instead, we will have focused and fragmented niche platforms that connect targeted professional communities.
LinkedIn has grown massive with over 1 billion users, which makes it difficult to make target connections and nearly impossible to network.
So, professional networking is ripe for disruption.
✔️100-Day Challenge *
Learn No-Code & AI skills in 100 days - Learn No-Code and AI skills by committing to the 100DaysOfNoCode or 100DaysOfAI challenges. Receive a 30-minute bite-sized lesson straight to your inbox every day. It’s free, fun and effective! Both challenges start July 1st, 2024
* Sponsored Link
👀 WHERE TO FIND ME
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tipclub
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipclub.inc/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@tipclub.inc