friendOS is shutting down.
We started with a simple idea: it should be easier to know what our friends are up to.
Over the past year, friendOS grew from a few people to over 20,000. People came, invited friends and used it every day.
But sharing your location all the time is a lot to ask. We never gave people enough in return to make it worth it, and as we grew, retention didn’t follow.
What we learned is that location wasn’t really what people cared about. They loved knowing when a friend was traveling, having dinner somewhere, or just doing something small with their day. A dot on a map doesn’t tell you much of that.
That part hasn’t changed. I still think there should be a place on your phone for the people you actually know. Something personal, creative, and small.
I believe this even more today, as social media becomes more about media, and less about social.
I’m still building.
A big thank you to our investors who believed in us, to everyone in our community who used friendOS, invited friends, shared feedback and helped us along the way.
And especially to Alexis, Sven, Isaac, Marcus, Michael, Giovanni and Eddie. Thank you for building this with me.
