By Ediale Kingsley – Lagos, Nigeria

In a sharply worded critique of the current tech startup frenzy, Nigerian technology analyst Ediale Kingsley has warned aspiring entrepreneurs to abandon dreams of creating the next big social media platform, calling the ambition “not just ambitious it’s delusional.”

Speaking against the backdrop of a saturated digital ecosystem dominated by tech giants, Kingsley argues that the window for new social networks to break through has effectively closed.

“Stop creating social media apps. It will fail,” Kingsley said. “We already have enough, and they’re well-funded, tested by billions, and constantly evolving with the best developers on earth.”

To make his case, Kingsley pointed to Meta’s Threads launched with immense hype, a pre-installed user base, and the full financial muscle of parent company Meta. Despite these advantages, the platform has struggled to maintain relevance amid stiff competition.

“What makes you think your app, built with a team of five, can survive?” he asked.

Kingsley emphasized that the challenge isn’t just building a working product. In his view, success in social media requires a complex mix of mass attention, global scalability, viral traction, and relentless marketing all of which are out of reach for most startups.

Even Elon Musk, one of the most daring figures in global tech, didn’t build his platform from scratch. Instead, he acquired Twitter and rebranded it as X,a move Kingsley points to as a rare exception, not the rule.

“Users are creatures of habit,” he added. “They don’t want new. They want what their friends already use.”

He further argued that investor confidence in the space has plummeted. The social app “graveyard,” as he described it, is filled with thousands of failed platforms that never reached scale or profitability.

“Monetization is harder than ever. Advertisers only pay for platforms that already deliver. You don’t get a dime until you scale, and scaling is nearly impossible today.”

Kingsley also cited local Nigerian examples, such as Daddy Showkey’s failed app and the up-and-coming Storypod, which he predicts is likely to follow the same path not out of malice, but from what he describes as “pattern recognition.”

“Unless your platform does something no other platform dares to do and you have money, momentum, and media backing stop. Focus on solving real problems, not building the next ghost town.”

But not everyone agrees with his gloomy outlook. Tech entrepreneur George David offered a counterpoint, urging innovators not to give up so easily.

“Never say never,” David said. “Until the clever comes and changes the rule.”

While Kingsley paints a bleak picture of the social media startup space, David’s response reminds us that disruption remains possible especially when driven by bold innovation. History, after all, has shown that even the biggest players can be unseated when the right idea comes along.