Anchor's market penetration comes from their ability to get users, press, and search results. Katha may have the same idea, an equally good cross-platform app, and a year head start, but that doesn't mean <i>anything</i> if the team couldn't get the word out.<p>Most tech founders hate this, but your ability to market your business is considerably more important than your product at the beginning. You can build the most amazing app in the world but if you can't get people to hear about it your startup will fail. Conversely, you can build something very average, but if you can get it in front of millions you'll probably succeed.<p>All that said though, didn't AudioBoo do sound-based social media years before both of these apps? It was quite popular for a while.
I can guarantee you that in one year neither you nor your friends who are working on it will think it was "once in a lifetime" idea--not because it's a trivial idea, but simply because there's so much opportunity out there and people who can come up with a good idea can and will come up with another good idea. Also, Anchor is hardly a success, it's just an illusion because they're getting lots of PR. PR does not mean it will be a success. Which means your friends should keep working on it if they're passionate about it.