In a twist that shook the world of social media, Elon Musk turned Twitter's famous blue bird into a mysterious "X." But it's not just a change of logo. It is not a single character, moreover "disputed" with Google's X Company, with Microsoft (which registered the X for XBox) and... with a lot of things. Behind it lies a bold vision of the future of digital communication. A communication that concentrates a thousand functions in a sort of 'universal' app.
While everyone wonders what this change means, and is once again divided between haters and fanboys of the richest man on the planet, one thing is certain: with Musk at the helm, Twitter, or rather "X", is destined to surprise us in ways we cannot yet imagine.
The Rise of “X”: Beyond Social Media
When we think of social media, posts, tweets (adieu), likes and shares come to mind. Elon Musk just took a whack at all of this. With the introduction of “X”, Twitter is no longer just a place to share thoughts in at least 280 characters (actually many more… for a fee). It is an evolving ecosystem, poised to become a universal hub for ideas, goods and services. An app for everything, all-in-one, on the Chinese model WeChat, of the Indian Pay™ and Indonesian GoJek.
These platforms allow users to do more than just post: they can send and receive payments, stream content, listen to music, and even book taxis or order food. A dot of Musk from before he even acquired Twitter, when we thought wanted to build from scratch its infrastructure.
With “X,” Musk wants to bring these features to a global audience. And for the umpteenth time he could create a race to emulate.
Password: 'Universal'
Linda Yaccarino, Twitter's new CEO, outlined her vision of “X” as the “future state of unlimited interactivity.” Imagine a world where you can interact with audio, video, messaging and even banking, all in one platform. In summary: Netflix, Instagram, Tiktok, Paypal, Spotify, Uber e Deliveroo put together. And with artificial intelligence to support it.
It may sound crazy, but we're talking about a guy talking about founding cities on Mars. And that earlier this month he obtained money transfer licenses in three US states, just to reiterate that he didn't wake up yesterday with “Zum zum” in his head.
But… Why “X”?
This is also an old Musk thing. The x.com domain (which now points to the "former Twitter") has been available to the American tycoon since 2000, when he was focused on Paypal. 17 years later, always with money, bought it right from Paypal.And think that X is also the first letter of X Æ A-12, the unpronounceable name of his son. Which “closes” the name of his aerospace company, SpaceX. And it is the name of the third Tesla model, year 2015.
In short, you will understand that there seems to be a fixation on 'universal', before an app. And fixations don't always end well.
Yes, some 'super apps' have been successful: however, many industry experts wonder whether a similar concept could work in the West. In other words: after buying it, Musk launches the bird into flight into the unknown. Or does he make it fall into the void?
If there's one thing Musk's career has taught us, it's to never underestimate him. Is he a genius? Is he crazy?
Maybe both. Which strengthens the thesis.
