In this age of AI, it’s easy to get answers. Just open a chatbot like ChatGPT or Gemini, type your question and you’ve got your answer. Want to go deeper? Keep asking questions.

Simple, right?

But how come forum sites like Reddit and Quora are still doing well? In fact, the number of Reddit visitors in the past 2 years has grown at an unbelievable speed.

I think the reason Q&A sites like Reddit are still doing well is their community aspect. AI can of course answer every question on Earth, but on sites like Reddit people share real-life and unfiltered experiences.

That’s powerful.

That’s different.

That’s something AI can’t replicate. Isn’t it?

What if I say there’s a Reddit-like platform for students?

Yes, it’s called Brainly, a company headquartered in Poland.

Students can ask questions on this platform, and they get answers from students and experts. It’s free. Want an ad-free experience? Pay $3 a month. Simple business model.

To date, they’ve grown to support 350 million students from 35 countries worldwide. They also make money by selling ad space. The interesting thing is that they’ve a separate website and app for each country. That’s understandable because the syllabus is different in different countries.

To encourage participation, students get points for answering questions. Yes, similar to Reddit.

I went through “business” topic on Brainly just to check how active the users are. And guess what? I find a new question posted every few minutes. That proves my point that community is a powerful driver of growth of Q&A sites. People want authentic answers from real people.

Example: If someone asks, “What is compound interest?” an AI can answer with a definition and a formula. But a person who has solved 1000 problems surrounding compound interest knows how to explain the concept, can give real-life project examples, and talk about real-life limitations of compound interest.

Getting my point, right?

Also, with community, you know you’re getting an answer that’s verified by thousands of other students. AI, on the other hand, can hallucinate and make mistakes.

Last but not least, you’ve an emotional support as a community that AI can’t. It’s not just answers. It’s about connecting with like-minded individuals. I love business. So, for me, what’s better than connecting with thousands of other business enthusiasts?