Prior to WhatsApp becoming a top-tier communication application globally, the app had taken a completely different direction that had failed to keep the audience engaged. In 2009, Jan Koum was trying to create a new app focused on status updates rather than a messaging platform, though it was a weak idea that failed to keep people glued to the platform for long.
People were able to post their status and inform others where they were and what they were up to; however, there was no interaction on the app, meaning that discussions died down fast. This challenge eventually resulted in the decision to integrate messaging into the application, which fundamentally changed its nature.
