Evaluating only Stamped’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked No market fit as the #1 likely cause. That’s exactly how it died.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Robyn Morris and Bart Stein founded Stamped in New York City
FUNDING
Raised $4M from Google Ventures and Bain Capital Ventures
PRODUCT LAUNCH
App gained press attention but failed to achieve meaningful daily active user retention
ACQUISITION ATTEMPT
Yahoo acqui-hired 4-person team; Stamped app shut down immediately post-acquisition
Full Analysis
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Documented cause
Stamped was a mobile recommendation app co-founded by Robyn Morris and Bart Stein, backed by Google Ventures and Bain Capital Ventures with $4M raised. The concept — giving users 100 stamps to endorse places, books, and films — never solved the cold-start problem. With thin content and low social density, engagement was minimal. Yahoo acquired the four-person team in October 2012 for an undisclosed amount, shutting the app immediately.
Lesson
“Scarcity mechanics require critical mass; recommendation apps die without dense friend graphs.”