Bluesky, a decentralized X/Twitter competitor, has added a whopping 8.7 million users to its platform since election day.
How? By positioning itself as the antithesis of Musk’s increasingly controversial platform.
The Bigger Story
As users flee X due to mounting controversies and aggressive algorithm changes, Bluesky has become something of a cultural refuge.
What started as an experiment in decentralized social media – fewer algorithms, less toxicity, more user control – appears to be exactly what a growing number of people want right now.
And Bluesky is leaning into this opportunity hard.
Last week, the company’s CEO went on a publicity tour expressing the platform’s progressive position, even announcing they’ve quadrupled their moderation team – a direct response to one of X’s most visible weaknesses 😅
Why You Should Care
Bluesky isn’t winning users because of its features (they actually lag behind X’s). It’s gaining ground by exposing X’s cultural blind spots and doubling down on the values Musk has abandoned.
For PMMs and compete pros, this is a reminder that differentiation isn’t always about your product.
In Bluesky’s case, this sudden success comes from their deep commitment to understanding their ICP’s values, which they’ve weaved into every aspect of their platform and brand story. Now that X is fumbling, all they’ve had to do is open their arms wide and welcome the exodus.