-U.S. startups are following suit. Clubhouse recommends audio rooms, often full of complete strangers. ItsMe, through its avatar interface, matches you with new people around the world. And Honk lets you discover people to chat with based on your interests.
And if online courses are being marketed as a (often effective) solution to creator burnout, then the incentives for making them start with the creator’s needs, not with any strong desire to be a teacher—or the needs of students.