Upstream aims to become a professional group platform, allowing users to connect with each other based on shared interests and host events.
Photo: UpstreamA growing range of social networks for professionals are trying to capitalize on workers’ continued confinement to their homes—and stand out in the shadow of Microsoft Corp.’s LinkedIn—by offering more sharply defined missions, faster contacts and unusual user experiences.
With in-person networking opportunities such as conferences, happy hours and industry events still on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the platforms hope career-minded networkers are game to try their newest “value proposition,” as their executives frequently put it.
The Upstream app, for example, focuses on fostering networking groups, while the buzzy Clubhouse is one of several that makes heavy use of audio.
“It’s just a different value prop, and these are much tighter closed communities,” said Alex Taub, co-founder and chief executive at Upstream.
Many of the newer communities are trying to speed up the networking.
Upstream, an invite-only app built around groups, exited beta testing in January and added video events in May. The events sometimes use guest speakers as a draw, but are primarily designed to encourage people to network. Participants are paired off for four one-on-one conversations lasting five minutes each. At subsequent events, any returning attendees are matched with new people. Upstream has made more than 3,000 matches so far, the company said.
“We’re writing our own book and trying to build what we think is going to be the next big, professional social graph,” Mr. Taub said.
Upstream’s social graph—that’s social-media-speak for a web of connections—is small for now. The app’s first group, Upstream Earlybirds, has more than 1,000 members. Other early groups have around 150 to 300 members, while newer ones range from as few as five to 200 members.
Anyone who wants to join Upstream needs an invite from one of these groups. There’s no way to discover communities without an invitation, and members can’t create new communities without Upstream approval. Mr. Taub said the restrictions help the team ensure the app’s features are working smoothly before it pursues further growth.
Another networking platform, Lunchclub from Elliot Technologies Inc., has been matching users one on one by their interests and goals since 2018, but added virtual meetups in March after the pandemic arrived. It followed that in April with a new meeting format called Cafes to connect users to more people outside of individual meetings.
Lunchclub users most often work in tech, but the platform has seen an uptick from industries such as media, health care, entertainment and finance, said Vladimir Novakovski, co-founder and chief executive.
“A lot of those other industries have their own ad-hoc ways to network not driven by technology,” Mr. Novakovski said. “Now, none of those exist, so people are much more willing to try something new.”
Members of Alpha Exploration Co.’s Clubhouse app, which has been operating in invitation-only beta mode since March, get together to discuss topics by audio. Conversations happen throughout the day, with some members even getting together past midnight. Members plan some discussions ahead of time and list them on a community calendar in the app, but many spontaneous chats occur as well. Once users are in a chat room, certain members will lead the discussion, but anyone can virtually raise their hand to speak.
It hasn’t all gone smoothly.
Clubhouse has become popular with venture capitalists, founders and others for its candid conversations. One early fan of Clubhouse, New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz, said on Twitter that other users had turned hostile toward her.
“I’ve become shocked and disgusted at what has been taking place on the app in the last 24 hours,” she wrote last month. “How does the company plan to address harassment?”
Ms. Lorenz said she has been the subject of harassment for years, and the fallout on Clubhouse had led to more. The company released a set of community guidelines to address harassment and user safety concerns, but Ms. Lorenz said they don’t fully address some of the major issues with the app.
“There’s no way to moderate things, and the community they cultivated on the app is really toxic,” Ms. Lorenz said. “It was really unfortunate for women who want to find a space to network and Clubhouse is very much not that.”
Clubhouse declined to comment.
Audio formats are finding users as more people get Zoom-fatigue and look for ways to re-create the spontaneity found in offices or elsewhere, said Kelly Franznick, chief innovation officer and co-founder at Blink Interactive Inc., a user experience firm.
“Audio is really good for us to focus on a conversation, listen to a speaker’s emotion,” Mr. Franznick said. “You can maximize how much you can take in when it’s audio-only.”
People want activities that involve less screen time as well, he added.
Other startups such as Chalk, Space and Watercooler also let users create audio-networking events or one-on-one conversations, but don’t require an invite to join.
LinkedIn has added new features to its own platform over the past few months, such as polls, a feedback tool for users practicing job interviews and an Open To Work photo frame, which can be added to a profile picture to visually signal that the user is looking for new job opportunities.
The pandemic will continue to push people to seek new means of connection, Mr. Taub said.
“Earlier this year, people were basically homebound and had a lack of human connection and of meeting new people,” Mr. Taub said. “Us and others have filled that void pretty nicely and there is so much more to do.”
Write to Ann-Marie Alcántara at ann-marie.alcantara@wsj.com
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