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Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

businessinsider.com

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Re: Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

#21

I really don't like services that are invite only. Just let me sign up and give you my money. It took them about a year to send me an invitation. Of course I lost interest in the meantime.

Gmail was invite only at one point. I remember when everyone was clamoring for an invite. I wonder if it would’ve had the same success without that hype.

They also gave them out nonstop & it stopped people from squatting addresses

Re: Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

#23

I really don't like services that are invite only. Just let me sign up and give you my money. It took them about a year to send me an invitation. Of course I lost interest in the meantime.

Gmail was invite only at one point. I remember when everyone was clamoring for an invite. I wonder if it would’ve had the same success without that hype.

People were clamoring for an invite because it was profoundly better than anything else at the time. I browsed the Superhuman site and I can’t personally find anything compelling.

Re: Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

#24

I remember when this startup came out, all the VCs, angel investors and tech founders were singing songs of praises (and raises) about how this was going to disrupt email and gating the product an 'exclusive' access to a waitlist. I find it sus when VCs have to keep overhyping their portfolio companies, especially when they don't even make money. Anyway, I checked it out and found that this really isn't novel at all…

So many startups these days seem to only have other startups as their customers, and they're almost always due to connections between their investors. Just trading VC money back and forth.

I briefly worked at one such company. The vibe was from some sort of alternate reality, it was truly bizarre. I couldn't deal with it and quit after about a month.

Re: Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

#25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gmail was invite only at one point. I remember when everyone was clamoring for an invite. I wonder if it would’ve had the same success without that hype.

People were clamoring for an invite because it was profoundly better than anything else at the time. I browsed the Superhuman site and I can’t personally find anything compelling.

cargo-culting is real in a lot of startups.

Re: Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gmail was invite only at one point. I remember when everyone was clamoring for an invite. I wonder if it would’ve had the same success without that hype.

People were clamoring for an invite because it was profoundly better than anything else at the time. I browsed the Superhuman site and I can’t personally find anything compelling.

FWIW, I do think it's an excellent email product. However, it is generally not going to be worth the money unless you send a ton of email all the time (exec, sales person, director+ eng leader).

Re: Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

#27
Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I've been using Superhuman for years and it definitely helps me get through the 50+ emails that are awaiting me each morning significantly faster than either GMail's web or mobile client or Outlook on mobile. I'm quite happy to pay for it as it easily pays for itself.

Rahul has frequently personally responded to my inquiries about the product as well as recommendations.

They definitely don't deserve all of the hype or that high of a valuation, but I still think they are a great product.

Re: Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gmail was invite only at one point. I remember when everyone was clamoring for an invite. I wonder if it would’ve had the same success without that hype.

Invites weren't what got me hyped about Gmail. My Yahoo and Hotmail accounts had 2-5 MB storage limits at the time. Gmail offered a 1 GB storage limit. The idea that I'd never have to delete an email again is what had me hitting up old friends on AIM for an invite.

Ironically, now that they've locked everyone in, they're demanding that you pay or delete emails. Scumbags.

Re: Email startup Superhuman lays off 22% of staff

#30
OT: I've been trying recently to find something that works like the old Google Inbox project. Inbox was the only time I've ever reached inbox 0, and it annoyed the hell out of me when they cancelled it. Has anyone seen/used anything that comes close?
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