Twitter, now rebranded as X, has solidified its position in the market more than many had initially thought. Regrettably, this has resulted in the first casualty among Twitter alternatives, as the startup Pebble (formerly known as T2) is closing its doors. Pebble, which aimed to replicate Twitter’s features, including its verification systems and DM functionality, managed to cultivate a small but engaged community on its microblogging service. However, the company has run out of time to make Pebble a viable platform. The app reached a maximum of 3,000 daily active users out of its 20,000 registered users, and this daily user figure dropped to 1,000 after the rebranding from T2.
Gabor Cselle, co-founder and CEO, who previously had experience with Google and Twitter, attributes part of Pebble’s struggle to the fierce competition from other Twitter alternatives. “I think the competitive landscape evolved faster than we had thought,” he explains. “I didn’t think that quite as many people — established organizations and newcomers — would try to do the same thing that we were doing and in very similar ways.”
Today, the market for Twitter alternatives is highly saturated, featuring numerous services such as Mastodon, a decentralized system from Bluesky, and smaller startups like Spill, Spoutible, and Post. Additionally, Meta has introduced Instagram Threads. Twitter itself remains a dominant force in this landscape, despite new owner Elon Musk’s antics. While the platform may not have achieved success from a business and financial perspective, it remains challenging for others to replicate its role as a breaking news platform and a hub for spirited debates.
Pebble’s co-founder and CTO, Michael Greer, formerly Discord’s engineering head, also acknowledges the enduring power of Twitter’s network effect. “The durability of the network effect of Twitter is stronger than anticipated,” he notes.
Despite these challenges, Pebble initially experienced decent user retention, with a 30% retention rate by the fourth week and a 60% conversion rate for those who received invites. Furthermore, the platform received substantial attention, with data indicating high website traffic and repeat usage.
Pebble’s unique approach prioritized trust, safety, and moderation from the outset, backed by the involvement of co-founder Sarah Oh, who previously served as Twitter’s human rights advisor. While Pebble’s moderation approach was effective, it may have leaned too far into promoting kindness at the expense of robust and diverse conversations.
In retrospect, Pebble’s lack of a native mobile app and the rebranding from T2 to Pebble may have contributed to its challenges. Competition, Twitter’s continued appeal, and a brand that didn’t resonate all played their part in Pebble’s decline.
With Pebble winding down, early adopters can export their Pebble archive as a zip file to showcase their old posts. Pebble will not direct users to X or any other social network.
As for the founders’ future endeavors, their plans remain uncertain, with one jokingly suggesting LinkedIn. Pebble will also return a portion of remaining funds to investors as a financial courtesy. The Pebble website is set to be shut down on November 1st, and there are no immediate plans for the IP.
Despite the outcome, the founders do not regret their Pebble experience. They have learned valuable lessons about building a new kind of Twitter-like platform and hope to apply these lessons to future projects, contributing to the evolving landscape of social media.
