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Secret raises $8.6 million Series A

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Re: Secret raises $8.6 million Series A

#21
post #14

The formula is: 1. Create a new app that's a slight variation of something popular that already exists. 2. Hype it like crazy. 3. Find someone clueless to buy, either a large corporation or have an IPO. 4. Repeat with the next idea. It's basically the same model for hyping celebrities. Is Lady Gaga popular because she's a great singer, or because the media hypes her all the time? Similarly, is Secret popular because…

Lady Gaga (aka Stefani Germanotta) is actually an incredible musician. She studied at the prestigious NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and was one of the few students given early admission at the age of 17.

It's an ignorant jab to discredit anything popular as being without merit. Loads of people said Facebook was a just silly toy for college kids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM51qOpwcIM

Re: Secret raises $8.6 million Series A

#23
post #18

Anyone who's used the app can back me up when I say this: It is one of the most beautifully designed apps I've ever seen. Every interaction adds to the functionality. The balance of beautiful and functional is amazing. Sure, many of the interactions may have been done before in other apps, but it's the whole package that blows me away. The whole "LOL THEY AINT GON MAKE THE $$$$" is a tired argument. The more interest…

I can't wait to use it as soon as they make an Android version. They certainly have the budget to now...

Re: Secret raises $8.6 million Series A

#27
post #18

Anyone who's used the app can back me up when I say this: It is one of the most beautifully designed apps I've ever seen. Every interaction adds to the functionality. The balance of beautiful and functional is amazing. Sure, many of the interactions may have been done before in other apps, but it's the whole package that blows me away. The whole "LOL THEY AINT GON MAKE THE $$$$" is a tired argument. The more interest…

Don't particularly understand why that's a tired argument - I think that's a wise piece of the puzzle for any investor to consider. It's so interesting to hear investors criticize a savvy pitch like crazy then hand over a bucket of money to something like Secret.

Re: Secret raises $8.6 million Series A

#28
post #13

It's a beautifully designed app with tons of attention of detail to tiny little things. How the hell you monetize it to turn $8.6m in to an even bigger pile of cash is beyond me though. I guess that's why i'm not an entrepreneur.

"I guess that's why i'm not an entrepreneur." Yep. Attention is the most valuable commodity these days and Secret has certainly managed to obtain it. Ad-based monetization would be pretty easy...if they even want to try monetizing before getting much bigger.

Attention?, I think you mean 'eyeballs'.

Re: Secret raises $8.6 million Series A

#29
post #18

Anyone who's used the app can back me up when I say this: It is one of the most beautifully designed apps I've ever seen. Every interaction adds to the functionality. The balance of beautiful and functional is amazing. Sure, many of the interactions may have been done before in other apps, but it's the whole package that blows me away. The whole "LOL THEY AINT GON MAKE THE $$$$" is a tired argument. The more interest…

It's not an argument, it's a prediction. I welcome them to prove it wrong.

Unfortunately when you take money from someone else, the conversation changes to how much money you're going to make from that initial money.

Re: Secret raises $8.6 million Series A

#30
post #21
post #14

The formula is: 1. Create a new app that's a slight variation of something popular that already exists. 2. Hype it like crazy. 3. Find someone clueless to buy, either a large corporation or have an IPO. 4. Repeat with the next idea. It's basically the same model for hyping celebrities. Is Lady Gaga popular because she's a great singer, or because the media hypes her all the time? Similarly, is Secret popular because…

Lady Gaga (aka Stefani Germanotta) is actually an incredible musician. She studied at the prestigious NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and was one of the few students given early admission at the age of 17. It's an ignorant jab to discredit anything popular as being without merit. Loads of people said Facebook was a just silly toy for college kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM51qOpwcIM

Credentials and Education != talent and ability

I'm judging Lady Gaga based on brief fragments of recent songs I heard. Of course she may be pulling a "Jay Leno", using talent to produce the mediocre garbage that the mainstream media likes to promote.

Also, I DON'T use Facebook and Twitter. I never saw the point. Also, you're an IDIOT to build a web presence on Facebook, because then Facebook controls your ability to interact with your audience. Better to have your own site where your audience follows you directly and you control it 100%.

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