When I boarded a flight to Chicago in 2017, I wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary, much less something life-changing to greet me when I landed. Seatbelts unfastened, as my world flipped on its axis by the grim news that Vine was going to be shutting down. Permanently. Forever.
After years of creating six-second videos, building a following of hundreds of thousands of people, and amassing millions of views (loops) — I found myself struggling to reconcile how I was going to continue creating without the platform I gave years of my life to. I had built a living for myself on the app, and it was suddenly gone.
Not to mention, I was covered head-to-toe in Vine swag…awkward.
This is exactly why I am undeniably fired up about what we’re building at Clash — a creator-founded platform, putting YOU and your communities first. Currently, we’re focusing on crafting the community that will drive Clash forward.
As a team, we have decided to aggressively accelerate our timeline in order to provide creators a safe and trustworthy platform where they can be themselves. We’re also evolving the ecosystem, crafting tools for the next generation of creators, and providing a place where creativity is rewarded, and monetized.
What you are seeing now is just the beginning, we have so many exciting and transformative features to show you.
We know a few things to be unequivocally true — the experience should be fun, safe, inclusive, and transparent. You, the creator, should feel encouraged to be creative, express yourself, and connect with fans both new and loyal. Your creativity is the foundation of our community and you deserve your fair share.
Creators are the lifeblood of Clash, not an algorithm.
Our team wants to ensure you maintain peace of mind, knowing you’re in the hands of those who have been through what you’re going through. We understand the creative blocks, the absent platform representatives, the struggle to pay rent, because we’ve been there. We want to help you grow, sustain, and earn — so you can worry less and create more.
As we get closer to officially launching Clash, I wanted to share some exciting updates as we continue to bring the app to new users:
- Clash has not officially launched yet, and already hundreds of thousands of creators and their fans have joined our community.
- We’re announcing some exciting partners (more on this soon) from spaces including the NBA, MLB, the music world, and the greater social sphere.
- Our latest feature, Now Serving, not only brings users the most popular content from our creators — ensuring users are seeing the best Clash has to offer, without having to scour through their feed — but also paves the way for a more creator-friendly experience than current models.
- We’re starting a reality show with one of our favorite creators, Elijah Daniel. #TheClash is now LIVE and users can follow along on our platform @TheClash on Tuesdays and Sundays.
In addition to bringing my own background as a creator, I’m excited to be co-founding Clash with my longtime working partner and friend, P.J. Leimgruber, who brings extensive knowledge and enthusiasm to the growing Clash team. P.J. has spent the entirety of his professional career helping creators get paid, and his vision for Clash is no different.
Since our early launch, there has been an astounding roar of support from our creator community — from the friends and partners we’ve built relationships with over the past five years, to those rallying around our message that creators deserve better. They too see the issues plaguing the current landscape, and are ready to build something for themselves. I can’t wait to share some of the partners we’re working with.
We know that the creator-economy is on the verge of its next boom, and we’re ready to help you say goodbye to ad and algorithm-driven platforms that make money off the backs of creators without a second thought to their needs. I know times are scary right now, and your livelihoods are at stake. But that’s exactly what led us to build Clash.
Let’s use what we’ve learned, in times both good and bad, to create a better place for ALL OF US to not only exist — but to thrive.
I can’t wait to see you on Clash.
Download Clash on the App Store here.
-Brendon and the Clash Team
