Is this upstart app the reason Meta’s Threads does not have a website? Is this upstart app the reason Meta’s Threads does not have a website?
Former Meta employee's 'Threads' predates Meta's app of the same name and was, ironically, founded by former Meta employees.
2 min read
Updated: Jul. 7, 2023 at 7:34 pm UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
Meta’s Threads launched on July 6 to worldwide notoriety as the platform acquired tens of millions of users on its first day. Yet, it appears Meta also has its DNA on another threads app launched in 2022.
Users quickly noticed that the Threads app lacked any desktop interface or website. Further, the terms and conditions listed on the app store direct to Facebook and Instagram documentation with no dedicated Threads domain.
The reason may be strategically due to another “threads” app named ‘threads’ (threads.com), which coincidentally was founded by a former Meta employee.
Threads.com is a productivity platform designed to enhance workplace communication and efficiency. Built as a competitor to the popular communication tool Slack, Threads.com offers a solution for sharing work, engaging in quick discussions with team members, and leveraging the power of generative AI to streamline business processes.
In a conversation with CryptoSlate, the former Meta employee Rousseau Kazi, who is the CEO and co-founder of threads.com, demonstrated a positive outlook on the situation, despite the potential for confusion between the two platforms and expressed no animosity over the shared name with Meta’s new app.
Kazi commented that he sees Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg as a mentor, telling CryptoSlate,
“Zuck, Adam Mosseri, and the team are easily some of the best mentors and minds I’ve got to work with and learn from. I’m optimistic that Threads by Instagram will succeed, as it’s a type of product that is right in their wheelhouse.”
Kazi’s optimism extended toward his commitment to improving threads.com. He believes the AI-powered application is the best workplace communication and connection platform, saying, “We’ll continue to focus on making it the best platform to connect and communicate at work.”
Since launch, Meta’s Threads has made waves, securing tens of millions of sign-ups despite the lack of a web interface. However, it is unclear whether a lack of a desktop platform is a strategic move or possibly partly due to the existence of threads.com.
However, despite the naming similarity, Kazi was magnanimous, commenting,
“Threads is a powerful word and an internet-native term. Using threads—on various platforms—is the best way to stay connected with your network or company. Given this, it is no surprise that Meta chose a powerful label to represent their take on building the town square.”
Although there was no indication of hostility or legal action from the threads.com CEO, the same cannot be said for Twitter-owned Elon Musk. Musk has filed a lawsuit against Meta, claiming it hired ex-Twitter employees to use “Twitter’s trade secrets” in building Threads.
“Twitter has serious concerns that Meta … has engaged in systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.”
Ironically, the former Meta employee who potentially has a similar axe to grind over the name of ‘Threads’ views Meta’s top executives as “the best mentors and minds I’ve got to work with and learn from.”
For now, Meta’s Threads lacking a website appears to be a non-issue, but time will tell if a change in strategy will be required.
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Liam 'Akiba' Wright
Also known as "Akiba," Liam Wright is a reporter, podcast producer, and Editor-in-Chief at CryptoSlate. He believes that decentralized technology has the potential to make widespread positive change.
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Meta
Meta (formerly known as Facebook, Inc.) is an American online social media and social networking service company based in Menlo Park, California.
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American programmer, Internet entrepreneur, executive, and philanthropist.