[mrkurt]

I think the simpler explanation is: a social media monopoly replicated a smaller competitor's best features and let their dominance do the rest.

Let's not pretend it's possible to compete with Facebook on a level playing field.

[RandallBrown]

Facebook recreated snapchat mere months after it launched with an app called Poke. It was literally the exact same app, but people didn't use it.

It's more than just recreating the best feature.

[giobox]

I think most people think of "Instagram Stories" when discussing how Facebook copied Snapchat, rather than Poke.

In a very short amount of time Facebook where able to clone one of Snapchat's signature features AND gain large numbers of new users in the process (as of March 2017 they reported Instagram stories having 200 million users per day, overtaking Snapchat in the process).

[tqkxzugoaupvwqr]

Facebook replicated Snapchat’s story feature in all three of its major brands: Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Instagram is also relentless in adding new filters (filters people put on their face while recording themselves) and is Snapchat’s most fierce competitor from what I can tell.

[dsacco]

And then Facebook tried again last year and succeeded with Instagram Stories, passing SnapChat in users as of August: https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/02/instagram-stories-annivers...

[abalos]

As much as it pains me to say it, I stopped using Snapchat because my experience with Instagram Stories + Messaging in Instagram is simply better. Especially on Android.

The Snapchat Android app is completely garbage. :|

[aylmao]

I mean, yeah. A lot of startups could replicate Snapchat in that sense.

It's the market dominance that really did it. Instagram already had the attention, brand, and network.

[DrJid]

Then there's also SlingShot back in 2014. Which went nowhere

[SomeStupidPoint]

I think it's perfectly possible to compete with Facebook business to business (if you have SNAP levels of funding, at least).

You just can't beat them at being Facebook.