Twitter co-founder Biz Stone called the launch of his latest company, Jelly, a “successful” one. However, in a blog post, he admits that the Q&A app is still in its infancy and that it’s “arrived at the starting line” of a long haul.
There was a lot of hype about Jelly, but the company has no illusions about the arduous journey ahead of it. Stone says that Jelly faces a grueling task of building up its active user base organically once all the hype and press die down.
Interestingly, Stone says the version that’s out in “the wild” now is only the basic model. With the small team that it has, Jelly was forced to hold back a bunch of features, although he failed to mention any specifically. Stone says that the company will be working to update the app often and to expect new features soon.
What’s perhaps disappointing is that the blog post didn’t mention any metrics to support the “successful” launch claim. Yes, the app did see itself rise to the top of the App Store as one of the “Best New Apps” and an “Editors Choice”, but how active were users? According to RJMetrics, a research firm that analyzes engagement data and traffic for startups, Jelly’s first week saw an estimated 100,000 questions asked on the network, with 25 percent being answered.
It was one week ago when Jelly opened up to the world. Many had wondered what stealth product Stone was developing, and after it dropped, the reviews were mixed. The premise behind Jelly was that it lets anyone ask questions through the use of a photo. The queries are farmed out to the user’s friends through their connected social networks.
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