Mar '23 (edited) in Product Feedback
Is it worth switching 1500+ user to Skool in it's current state? 🤔
Would love to hear what paid members really think.
For comparison, Discord has 10x more features and thousands of apps built and being built by a community of developers. The majority of features being requested for Skool already exist on Discord. Which doesn't necessarily mean that Skool is not better than anything else out there, like Discord, and that's what I'm trying to understand.
Moreover, as of February 2023, there are more than 150 million monthly active and 300 million registered Discord users. Discord users exchange around 4 billion messages daily, or 124 billion messages monthly. Discord is valued at $15 billion and has so far secured $995 million in 16 funding rounds.
You may know it as a gamers tool, but it's features are being used to connect business focused communities, like:
  1. Wallet-Friendly: One of the best things about Discord is that most features are free! With a free membership, your employees will have everything they need. And if you want some extra perks, Discord offers a premium tier called "Nitro" for $99 per year. It comes with HD video, larger servers, custom emojis, and a few other goodies.
  2. Piece of Cake to Set Up: Discord is super easy to use. If you've ever used a chat app before, you'll get the hang of it in no time. Plus, it's quick to download and doesn't take up much space on your devices. No need for lengthy training sessions here!
  3. Plays Well with Others: While Discord's native integrations are a bit limited, there's still room for creativity. They encourage developers to use their API for new collaborations. Zapier, for example, can help connect Discord with thousands of other apps, boosting its functionality.
  4. Crystal Clear Audio: As you'd expect from a gamer-focused app, Discord's got the audio game down. It syncs clear audio between users, so you won't have to deal with annoying lags or delays during team meetings.
  5. Handy Bots: Discord's gaming bots can actually be pretty useful for businesses too! They can help bridge the gap between Discord's features and your office needs. Trello, for instance, lets you manage your tasks and goals right from a Discord server. And as Discord gains popularity in work settings, we can expect even more business-oriented bots.
  6. Room for Everyone: Discord servers can handle a ton of data, from video and audio chats to screen sharing. You can host live video chats with up to 25 people and still have plenty of room for text and messaging. Some popular servers even have tens of thousands of users! So just think of all the potential for hosting events or collaborating on a large scale.
Now, I write this because A) I am a Discord Server Admin. I run my 1500 person paid community on Discord. And I have 5000+ person free community on Facebook. But I am also looking at Skool as a possible alternative. B) There are issues with Discord that I see solved by Skool. Yet, at the same time I see new issues that would need solving if someone is to make the switch from Discord to Skool, like:
  1. Staying on Task? Good Luck!: Discord can get messy without threads. Conversations can easily veer off-topic, and it's tough to reply to older messages. If a topic gets buried, you might miss it entirely.
  2. DMs: The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Even if you remove someone from a server or adjust permissions, their private messages remain. If you've shared sensitive work info via DMs, that person will still have access to it. This could turn into a headache if you're not careful.
  3. File Upload Limits: Discord servers might be powerful, but there are still restrictions on file sizes. With the Nitro plan, you can send files up to 100MB, which sounds great, but you could hit a wall if you need to share larger files like HD videos. Defiantly not a great place to host your course.
  4. Emoji FOMO: If you love using emojis at work, Discord's 250 standard and 250 custom emoji limit might leave you wanting more. If your community relies on emojis for shorthand or building culture, this is something to consider.
  5. Terms of Service Woes: Discord's terms of service don't guarantee that your data, messages, or files will be safe. They can remove your account and delete your data at any time, which could be risky if you store or share important files on your business server. Deleted messages or files might also cause legal headaches later on.
Would love to hear what paid members really think.
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Mike Becker
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Is it worth switching 1500+ user to Skool in it's current state? 🤔
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