Social media startup IRL is shutting down after an investigation by its board concluded that 95% of its claimed 20M MAUs in 2022 were “automated or from bots”
What is it about SoftBank that attracted so many grifters? — https://www.theinformation.com/ ... Twitter: Jessica Lessin / @jessicalessin : 95% fake!!! IRL raised $200 million from Softbank, Founders Fund and others. And a probe found, 95% of its users were fake. Following a series of pieces from @theinformation, it is shutting down. Great reporting @matousekmark https://www.theinformation.com/ ... Thomas Maxwell / @tomaxwell : Was he featured in Forbes https://twitter.com/... @cindygallop : FUND. FEMALE. FOUNDERS. @matousekmark @theinformation https://www.theinformation.com/ ... #fundfemalefounders [image] Katie Roof / @katie_roof : Another unicorpse. Who's keeping a list? https://www.theinformation.com/ ... Chris Albon / @chrisalbon : Being serious for a moment, if you are a data scientist and the CEO asks you to make up data, DO NOT DO IT. https://twitter.com/... Bryce Roberts / @bryce : Barely scratching the surface... https://twitter.com/... Josh / @joshuaogundu : Katie wins the year with unicorpse https://twitter.com/... @zachweinberg : SoftBank is legit the GOAT of startup investing. Will never see a fund this bad for at least another decade. Truly remarkable. https://twitter.com/... [image] @ryxcommar : New tech fraud just dropped! 🍿 https://twitter.com/... Joe / @joepostingg : I once sat through a pitch for a “Tindr for Gamers” type thing, and part of the pitch was “We have a bunch of fake hot girl accounts to attract interest” https://twitter.com/... @martinsfp : Haha - this is an app called IRL : ‘in real life’ 95% of users were “automated or from bots.” https://www.theinformation.com/ ... Bennett Tomlin / @bennetttomlin : Another Frank! https://twitter.com/... Kontra / @counternotions : Why do so many startups funded by SoftBank end up imploding like a submersible? ↓ [image] Ryan Ford / @theryanford : I have never known anyone who has used this app, and never understood its actually functionality. Anyone here ever used IRL on the reg? https://twitter.com/... Brian Stelter / @brianstelter : 19 out of 20 “users” were not 🤯 https://twitter.com/... Charley Grant / @cgrantwsj : Such negativity—why not say 5% are real? https://twitter.com/... Forums: r/technology : Social app IRL, which raised $200 million, shuts down after CEO misconduct probe