Shelly Palmer - Mark Cuban eyes TikTok alternative

My friend Mark Cuban posted a TikTok video offering to invest in any startup that could demonstrate a viable replacement for TikTok built on the AT Protocol (the decentralized open protocol that Bluesky is built on). He emphasized the protocol's extensibility, which prevents any single entity from monopolizing or closing the platform. The call to action is crystal clear: developers with the capability to build a minimum viable product should reach out – Cuban is open to investing in promising projects.

The demand for at least one open social app is surging, as evidenced by Bluesky's rapid user growth (expanding from 10 million to more than 27.6 million in recent months). The AT Protocol's design allows users to create their own social networking servers and apps, ensuring account portability and data retention across different servers.

As of today, it looks like TikTok is safe (at least for a while). Is it possible to build a replica of the most addictive, dopamine-hit-producing app ever created with a decentralized open protocol? You tell me.

As always your thoughts and comments are both welcome and encouraged. Just reply to this email. -s

P.S. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark Cuban at CES for a fireside chat. You can watch it here along with exceptional interviews with Linda Yaccarino, Jeffrey Katzenberg, May Habib, Anjali Sud, and Michael Kassan.

P.P.S. As I speak with friends and colleagues who have lost their homes (and in many cases, their entire communities), they literally need everything. If you can find it in your heart to help, here is a list of charities vetted by Charity Navigator as well as Charity Watch.

About Shelly Palmer

Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.