I completely agree. I think asych video is a game changer for communication between friends and family and also in the professional world. As a health professional, I have used with with people I work with and it provides several really important advantages, both for me and for my clients. First, it is quick and easy. It can be done anytime anywhere with minimal effort for both parties. It also gives each of us a peek into each others lives, which fosters a deeper connection and builds trust. I am also able to get insights into the lives of my clients that is impossible over text or in a weekly visit to my office. Being able to see people in their own environment, living their daily lives, allows me to understand them more intimately and give them what they need in a more authentic way.
I've been thinking a lot about video lately. It's interesting how it's still developing so much on the internet.
It seems like most tech companies were either focused on video calls, or on 1-many use cases for async video.
My assumption here is that video for 1-1/few was too expensive (in time, money, storage, bandwidth) for a long time, and had inferior network effects.
Happy to see this is now changing with products like this. Video is such a natural way to express yourself and land a message. I think a lot of text boxes on the internet will become videos at some point, maybe I wouldn't even respond to this e-mail in text...
The awkwardness is real and the reason I haven't incorporated more async video in my life. I'm willing to accept that is 100% a generational thing. I don't do selfies either. I do async with my wife but even then I'm 90% of the time showing her something with the back facing camera. I love me some asynchronous audio though, which I do think conveys some of the additional nuances your discussed. One issue for me in both cases is that I almost always have my volume off if I'm not listening to music or podcasts. Finally, I'm just video-d out. When someone says "Can we take this zoom with the video turned off?" I'm so thankful I want to send them a bottle of wine.
I have tried Marco Polo, and agree that they have the experience nailed. It's interesting to compare it to the corresponding feature in Instagram DMs, which is much less satisfying to use and is burdened by ephmerality settings. That feature is, I guess, only implemented as a Snapchat copy and not with the intention of pushing async video as a medium. I would be interested to know if many people use it in that way.
Lack of a social graph, and the ease with which their experience _could_ be copied by Facebook's big platforms are obviously the major threats to Marco Polo, although they could also benefit from users' desire to compartmentalise that sort of communication away from FB.
I completely agree. I think asych video is a game changer for communication between friends and family and also in the professional world. As a health professional, I have used with with people I work with and it provides several really important advantages, both for me and for my clients. First, it is quick and easy. It can be done anytime anywhere with minimal effort for both parties. It also gives each of us a peek into each others lives, which fosters a deeper connection and builds trust. I am also able to get insights into the lives of my clients that is impossible over text or in a weekly visit to my office. Being able to see people in their own environment, living their daily lives, allows me to understand them more intimately and give them what they need in a more authentic way.
Love your thoughts on MarcoPolo.
I've been thinking a lot about video lately. It's interesting how it's still developing so much on the internet.
It seems like most tech companies were either focused on video calls, or on 1-many use cases for async video.
My assumption here is that video for 1-1/few was too expensive (in time, money, storage, bandwidth) for a long time, and had inferior network effects.
Happy to see this is now changing with products like this. Video is such a natural way to express yourself and land a message. I think a lot of text boxes on the internet will become videos at some point, maybe I wouldn't even respond to this e-mail in text...
I think Loom falls in this category as well.
The awkwardness is real and the reason I haven't incorporated more async video in my life. I'm willing to accept that is 100% a generational thing. I don't do selfies either. I do async with my wife but even then I'm 90% of the time showing her something with the back facing camera. I love me some asynchronous audio though, which I do think conveys some of the additional nuances your discussed. One issue for me in both cases is that I almost always have my volume off if I'm not listening to music or podcasts. Finally, I'm just video-d out. When someone says "Can we take this zoom with the video turned off?" I'm so thankful I want to send them a bottle of wine.
Very thoughtful piece.
I have tried Marco Polo, and agree that they have the experience nailed. It's interesting to compare it to the corresponding feature in Instagram DMs, which is much less satisfying to use and is burdened by ephmerality settings. That feature is, I guess, only implemented as a Snapchat copy and not with the intention of pushing async video as a medium. I would be interested to know if many people use it in that way.
Lack of a social graph, and the ease with which their experience _could_ be copied by Facebook's big platforms are obviously the major threats to Marco Polo, although they could also benefit from users' desire to compartmentalise that sort of communication away from FB.