// startup autopsy
Forrst
A creative community swallowed by a coupon giant
acquisition gone wrongAcqui-hire
Fatal mistake: Forrst built a beloved community but never developed a sustainable revenue model before being acquired by a strategically misaligned buyer.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Kyle Bragger founds Forrst as an invite-only community for designers and developers.
FUNDING
Raised $205K in seed funding, fueling early growth and community building.
ACQUISITION ATTEMPT
Groupon acquires Forrst in an acqui-hire, keeping the team but with unclear plans for the platform.
SHUTDOWN
Groupon shuts down Forrst as it refocuses on its core business, ending the beloved design community.