Mark Zuckerberg: Threads Users Down by More Than Half
In a recent revelation, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, disclosed that the company's latest social media platform, Threads, has seen a significant decline in its user base. Initially soaring to over 100 million users within a mere five days of its launch, Threads' popularity has since waned, prompting concern. Despite this setback, Zuckerberg remains optimistic about user retention as new features are introduced. The article explores Meta's efforts to improve the platform's functionality, their focus on the Metaverse, and the financial performance of the company. Moreover, it delves into the intriguing prospect of a cage fight between Zuckerberg and tech mogul Elon Musk. As Meta navigates these dynamic developments, the future of Threads and the company's ambitious projects sparks interest and anticipation within the tech industry.
Acentic
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that the company's new social media platform, Threads, has experienced a significant drop in users. The platform, touted as a Twitter rival, saw a rapid surge in popularity with over 100 million users signing up within just five days of its recent launch.
However, in a recent call with employees, Mr. Zuckerberg admitted that the numbers have since dwindled, stating, "If you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We're not there yet." He remains optimistic that retention will improve as the platform introduces new features.
Threads initially faced criticism for its limited functionality upon launch. In response, Meta has been actively working to enhance user experience by introducing new features, including separate "following" and "for you" feeds, as well as expanding the capability to translate posts into various languages.
To drive user retention, Meta's Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, shared that the company is focused on adding more "retention-driving hooks" to the platform. An example he cited was ensuring that users on the Instagram app can access essential Threads content. The integration between the two platforms is tight, with Threads requiring users to have an Instagram account to sign up.
During the call, Mr. Zuckerberg also discussed the company's ambitious project, the Metaverse, a virtual reality world that Meta is actively developing. He revealed that the progress on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology is on track but not ahead of schedule. Mr. Zuckerberg anticipates that the Metaverse won't become mainstream until the next decade. However, concerns have been raised about Meta's significant investments in this venture, as its Reality Labs division has incurred multi-billion dollar losses.
Despite potential challenges, Meta as a whole has maintained strong financial performance, reporting a profit of $7.79 billion in the last quarter.
Regarding the intriguing prospect of a cage fight with tech titan Elon Musk, which was playfully discussed in June, Mr. Zuckerberg remained uncertain about whether it would actually materialize.
The evolving landscape of Threads and Meta's ambitious ventures continues to captivate both users and industry observers, with the company's efforts shaping the future of social media and virtual reality technology. As the platform improves and new developments unfold, the industry eagerly anticipates how Meta's vision will unfold in the coming years.
