YouTube Stories (2018-2023): Instagram Stories clone (vertical, 7-day expiration, 10K+ subscriber requirement). Barely used — creators preferred Community Tab or just posting Shorts. Discontinued 2023, replaced by YouTube Shorts. Lesson: copying features without understanding use case fails. YouTube’s long-form culture didn’t match ephemeral Stories format. TikTok’s permanence beat Instagram/Snapchat’s disappearing content.
Sources: YouTube Stories announcement/discontinuation, usage statistics, creator feedback