From an outsider's perspective (I never got into Clubhouse), it really seemed like its success was getting the right people on the platform (like you mentioned)

From an outsider's perspective (I never got into Clubhouse), it really seemed like its success was getting the right people on the platform (like you mentioned), plus the fact that the pandemic put a temporary stop on in-person meetups and talks. I'm sure this was partially due to the hard work of the people at Clubhouse, but to me it seems also like being in the right place at the right time. What I don't get about articles like this, is that the growth is just taken for granted as if it's easily replicated. It's all about hard-fought learnings about product/ops/GTM, and none of that is relevant if you don't come up with an initially compelling product. How can you nurture growth if there is no growth in the first place? Maybe I'm a dumbass who just doesn't "get it," but it seems to me like a premature victory lap to celebrate these learnings before proving that they are fundamental to repeatable success.