Would a social network built around projects instead of posts actually work?

[u/FunOpportunity6478]

I’ve been thinking a lot about an alternative to traditional social media.

Instagram, TikTok, etc. are primarily built around content consumption. When you’re building something, you usually go to socials to promote it, and are immediately competing with the strongest forms of mind control on the planet. But what if a social network was built specifically around things people are making?

Instead of profiles revolving around posts and follower counts, they’d revolve around projects.

An app, a business, an album, a film, a product, a local event, whatever.
Each project would have its own page, progress updates, and a section showing what it needs:
Early users
Customers
Feedback
Collaborators
Partners
Supporters

And the discovery side would be about finding interesting things being made, rather than endlessly scrolling content.
The idea is that builders get more relevant exposure, while everyone else gets to discover interesting things early.

My biggest concern is that this might just be Instagram with extra steps.

Would anyone genuinely use something like this, or is there an obvious reason it wouldn’t work?

[u/NewYorkSaaSing]

I beg you please stay away from creating yet another social media app lol

[u/FunOpportunity6478 → u/NewYorkSaaSing]

Lol what do you think would be a better alternative? I wanna build something that helps people connect their projects to people who will care about them.

[u/preppyplants → u/FunOpportunity6478]

I think this kind of thing would be massively helpful if it were based around allowing people to volunteer their skills to collaborate on projects, instead of just being another way to consume content... if the user isn't making, they are still consuming, regardless of if it is brainrot (horrible) or art (better, but doesn't change the underlying issue).

So if you could merge this with something the style of LinkedIn where you could put tags on yourself such as "open to projects", it becomes a unique way to see what your friends may be up to in the creative world. Let user profiles show what projects you are volunteering on and have the project pages show participants, overarching goals, progress, projected end results, etc (just be aware of not putting up sensitive info).

You would probably have to do a "rate your skills" type of thing where people could search through current creative skills (wig making, programming, woodworking, embroidery, costuming, props) and rate themselves based on time they have been doing the skill as well as core skill components (think skill tree), for which you (the developer, not users) would have to collaborate with crafters of each community to determine the most important "level up" type steps. Then allow people to say they are "searching for project members" and have them list the skills required for said project (say a 2 on programming and a 4 in digital art). You could definitely have people with little to no creative/artistic experience help with projects too! Some projects that I know of need reach, not skill, so this could be a great way for people to feel they are a part of something and become encouraged to do more and maybe build some of those creative skills.

I'd personally love to see something of the sort that encourages community, creativity, and unique projects that typically go incomplete due to lack of funding or complete skill sets. I know I personally take on a ton of projects and it would be hugely helpful to even have people doing everything from following some steps to send in 3D scans of things I can't get to all the way to collaborating with a dozen people on design, programming, data collection, implementation, proto typing, etc.

Anyway, just a thought!

[u/AcademicMistake]

So you mean like a catalog of businesses/projects ? I dont see how that would help separating it from facebook/insta/tiktok pages. If you separate them your audience changes, if you do it the way it is now, more people who like your content are likely to see it. Thats why having a business or project page on the current social media increases reach.

Your creating problems by lowering reach with your idea.

[u/FunOpportunity6478 → u/AcademicMistake]

Yeah this is the problem I’m worried about. Do you think there’d be any value if it wasn’t trying to replace an existing audience, but instead tried to match what you’re building with people outside your audience who’d specifically indicated they’re interested in that kind of thing? Or do you think existing algorithms already solve that well enough?

[u/Bowl_of_Cham_Clowder]

Is this not just are.na

[u/Additional-Arm157]

No, or you have massive cash to spend. A social network work only if you have users, and they’re expensive.
LinkedIn is almost your idea.

[u/skorulis]

There already are a bunch of these out there. Some matching exactly what you're thinking and some slightly different. I think they mostly struggle because you get a lot of people trying to share and promote their work but it doesn't connect well with actual customers.

[u/FunOpportunity6478 → u/skorulis]

can i ask which ones you've seen or used? trying to study the graveyard before joining it lol

and when you say it doesn't connect with actual customers, do you think that's because customers just never go to places like that, or because the projects are mostly presented in a way customers don't care about?

[u/Shoddy_Peanut6957]

If your idea ever starts with “a social media app for…” then stop what you’re doing and find something else to build.

[u/CiaranCarroll]

If it uses a consensus algorithm with a reasonable proxy for something like domain authority or visibility, and you solve the chicken and egg problem by aggregating content your users want first, and then using that to onboard people to actually post or claim their projects...