Whatever Happened to RECAP? | The Rise and Fall of a Flipgrid Competitor

TL;DR

Recap, a video reflection and assessment app, struggled to compete with the rapid growth and popularity of Flipgrid.

Transcript

but as the number of swivel robots grew in schools so did the ways that they were being utilized sure administrators and teachers were using them to film lessons for observations or presentations but in their daily communication with their education customers brian discovered a unique use for the device which hadn't been thought of much the idea of... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🎓 Teachers found value in using Recap for student reflection and assessment, appreciating its simplicity and time-saving features.
• ❓ Financial struggles and inability to compete with Flipgrid's growth affected the development and success of Recap.
• ❓ The dominance of Flipgrid's community and its association with Microsoft made it challenging for Recap to regain momentum.
• 👶 Recap's attempt to introduce new features and a different business model with Recap 2.0 did not resonate with users as expected.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did teachers use the Swivel robot to record reflections?

Teachers arranged students in a circle, handing off the marker equipped with a microphone to record reflections as students went around the room. Teachers edited the videos and used them for language practice and pronunciation feedback.

Q: What was the financial impact on Swivel and Recap in 2016?

Swivel faced financial instability and had to lay off employees, impacting the development and investment in Recap.

Q: How did Flipgrid's growth affect Recap?

Flipgrid experienced rapid growth, building a large and enthusiastic community of educators, making it challenging for Recap to compete and gain positive user feedback.

Q: Why did Recap ultimately shut down in 2018?

Recap struggled to keep up with Flipgrid's momentum and felt overwhelmed by its success. The team made the decision to shut down Recap and pursue a new direction.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Swivel, the parent company of Recap, faced financial struggles and had to pull back on investment in the fall of 2016.

• Flipgrid, a similar platform, experienced massive growth and built a large community of educators in 2016 and 2017.

• Recap attempted to introduce new features and a different business model with Recap 2.0 but faced challenges and struggles to compete.

• In 2018, Microsoft purchased Flipgrid, making it even more difficult for Recap to compete. As a result, Recap shut down in October 2018.