1.      Competition is vital for our creative and entrepreneurial spirits – pettiness is not.

There’s no doubt that healthy competition fuels innovation, as well as economic and technological progress. But too much of it looks like two grown men acting like elementary school boys fighting on the playground. Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have both had a bout of playful fighting for a while – but it’s gotten too far that onlookers are tired of the macho contest. Still, competition has been good for both companies and both billionaires.

Meta saw a need for a more positive microblogging app. Twitter left a huge gap in the space since Elon took over and many advertisers ran from the blue bird app. I’m not sure when it started, but Twitter has been a breeding ground for negativity for so long that it’s pretty synonymous with toxicity. Meta (ahem - Mark Zuckerberg) saw an opportunity and took it.

Interestingly, Meta launched Threads on Instagram instead of Facebook or Messenger or WhatsApp because they know Instagram has the better reputation – despite hindrances and negative press when it comes to mental health amongst its teenage users.

Overall, Threads app offers creators and creative entrepreneurs a fighting chance to escape the toxicity of Twitter and avoid getting lost in the frenzy of the clock app (TikTok). With it’s over one billion active monthly users, Instagram was able to position Threads ahead of Twitter’s download trajectory. It’s now one of if not the fastest downloaded apps – with over 150 million downloads in less than two weeks.

Instagram's Threads app represents a transformative shift in the social media landscape. It provides creators with an intimate, supportive, and troll-free environment to share their work, collaborate with others, and connect on a deeper level with their audience. With a surge in engagement and positive mentions, it's clear that Threads has struck a chord with creators searching for a refuge from the toxicity of Twitter and the fast-paced nature of TikTok.

So, what’s the lesson creative entrepreneurs can learn here? Allow competition (even envy and anger) to fuel you to improve your business, but don’t let it distract you from your goals.

2.      Focus on foundations. For both men and for most of us, that means family.

Both men have posted pictures of them with their children. The message here is clear; they want to remind us that, aww, they’re regular human beings just like the rest of us. All the hoopla about MMA fighting and silliness is just a distraction; their real focus is on what matters the most.

Mark Zuckerberg is cultivating a better image here, though. He’s taking the Bill Gates route – showcasing himself as the philanthropic family man billionaire. If he can steer clear of associating with abhorrent people like the Epstein guy. But alas, these are wealthy and powerful people – many who feel like they are above reproach. So only time will tell how Zuckerberg will navigate his second act as a billionaire. He’s got plenty of mentors and competitors to learn from.

As for Elon, mid-life crisis? Just kidding. I think Elon Musk thrives in the face of competition and under stress. I don’t think he’s the richest man on the planet (according to Forbes and Bloomberg, 2023) by accident.  Both men are leaning into the family-man image, and as someone planning to start a family of my own, I love seeing them interact with and spend quality time with their children.

Is it a PR stunt to soften their images and improve their public personas? Absolutely. Is it working? You be the judge of that - let me know in the comments at the end of the article.

3.      Stay in your creative lane.

Despite what most people are predicting, I don’t think Threads will exactly kill Twitter – as Snapchat and TikTok are very much alive and competitors in the social media arena - long after Instagram introduced (see: copied) features on those apps. Nevertheless, Threads is the wake-up call Twitter needed. It’s the splash of cold water the leaders at the blue-bird app needed. And for good reason. After the exponential launch of Threads, Elon Musk quickly announced xAI on July 12th, with a team of influential engineers who have previously worked at OpenAI, Google Research, DeepMind (which was acquired by Google in 2014), Microsoft Research, Tesla, and the University of Toronto.

 It isn’t clear what xAI will do yet but they claim their mission is to “understand the true nature of the universe”. My best guess is that xAI will be an innovator in the artificial intelligence frontier, and I wish Elon Musk would have focused on this instead of engaging in a Social Media app d*ick measuring contest with Mark Zuckerberg, who already dominates that world.

I believe xAI will be as transformative in the artificial intelligence sector as Threads in the microblogging industry.

What’s the lesson here? Stay in your creative lane, and don’t lose focus over petty sh*t.