The Real Reason We Built UrbanAMA: To Fit In And Yet Feel Human!

To feel human, we must interact. To fit in, we must video.

74% of all Internet traffic will soon be video. 85% of Internet searches will soon be about videos. We will soon produce and consume no media other than video.

Yet, we consume videos like zombies, with no interactions. Or rarely, with interactions the old fashioned way via comments (which go unread).

We built UrbanAMA to interact the modern way. To interact with videos. To feel human and fit in at the same time!

Via Ask Me Anything style interactions over video, Urban enables us to exchange thoughts and actively discuss topics we care about.

We think. We analyze. We tinker. We innovate. We disrupt. We build.

In keeping with who we are, we deeply analyzed trends in social networks. Stories. Live. More Stories. More Live. And then Feeds as we know it.

A few things became clear.

Snapchat showed the world a few things that were mind blowing and contradictory to most social networks.

• Feeds are not cool. Wrong, more about this in a bit.
• 60+% of your audience can create content, up from the 1–5% that Instagram had previously known. Yes, but it has its problems.
• Immersive, vertical videos are more engaging. Yes, but interactions…
• Ephemeral is the way to go with content. This one is true.

The trends in the social spectrum were clearly towards two extremes:

• Stories, a one-way broadcast with no interactions or community.
• Live, which necessitates an audience that’s on at the same time.

With stories that disappear, everyone is snapping photos and videos and adding to their stories. But sadly, no one’s watching.

78% of millennials surveyed admitted to not watching friends’ stories. There isn’t enough time… and it’s boring!

While feeds seemingly became less cool, feeds were our only anchor left to feel like a community. To feel that there are others who like the stuff we like. To have hopes of being heard through our comments. To feel that there is a place to interact and watch people interact.

Stories have led to starvation of interaction, which will inevitably lead to the collapse of “social”.

So, what do you do on Urban? You talk about topics that matter to you with other people.

Host an AMA on a topic and go back and forth on video discussing or answering questions. Or ask questions. Or just watch people interact to get started!

Why do that? Because interactions make us feel connected.

As we transition to more and more video, it is crucial that we construct communities that can interact over video. Without interactions, there’s no community. And communities are important to feel human.

If you are a journalist, an activist, an author, a speaker, a political influencer, an elected official, a product creator, a student with a cause — you must generate regular interactions with your audiences.

What’s even better?

Urban enables taking questions via Twitter. So, getting started requires no audience building at all!

Can’t wait? Get on Urban now!

Please spread the word about why we built Urban by touching the heart below. As aspiring entrepreneurs, that would mean a lot to us!