// startup autopsy

Pheed

Pheed was a mobile pay-per-view technology and social networking service.

marketfitacquisition_distress

Fatal mistake: Pheed tried to monetize social content before establishing a critical mass of users, killing organic growth before it could compound.

Founded	2012
Closed	2015
Country	USA
Sector	Social

50%

Key Events Timeline

2012-10

FOUNDING

Pheed launches as a multi-format social platform with built-in creator monetization tools.

2013-01

PRODUCT LAUNCH

Pheed becomes the #1 free app on the US App Store, driven by teen adoption and celebrity accounts.

2013-06

LAYOFF

User growth plateaus sharply after initial hype fades; engagement metrics decline as teens return to Instagram.

2014-03

PIVOT

Platform rebrands as Vibe with a music-centric focus in an attempt to carve out a new niche.

2015-06

SHUTDOWN

Vibe/Pheed quietly shuts down, unable to monetize or retain users despite the pivot.

Full Analysis

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Documented cause

Pheed launched as a premium social platform in 2013 that allowed creators to charge fans for exclusive content, positioning itself as a monetization-focused alternative to mainstream social networks. However, t...

he startup failed to establish meaningful differentiation from established competitors like Twitter and Instagram, which were already dominant in the social space. While Pheed initially generated brie

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€15M

Peak valuation

HypeCycle · MoatType · ResearchTags

Pheed raised €3.5M before pheed tried to monetize social content before establishing a critical mass of users, killing organic growth before it could compound. ended it. See the documented cause, verified lesson and all failure signals.

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Key Events Timeline

Documented cause

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