As quickly as the wins stacked up, things took a sharp turn. One day, Apple banned us from the App Store without explanation. We got cut off from our top source of new users with only the vaguest hint at why, despite repeated emails and phone calls.
This was such an existential threat to our company that I nearly got arrested when I drove down to their Cupertino HQ to find out why!
After removing the word ‘bang’ from the app entirely and changing the app’s title, we got reinstated some three months later.
Following Apple’s ban, the organizers of an NYC party leaked our identities, jeopardizing our private lives, other startups, and a key press angle. Yet, the leak freed me up for two key plays that were previously impossible: public appearances and exclusive Bang With Friends parties.
The ensuing interviews led to more positive reviews, including from the notoriously harsh Valleywag, who helped reduce our frat-boy image when they said I was “hardly the Tucker Max misogynist you might have expected to invent something like this. Rather, he comes across more like a friendly, sex positive brogrammer in search of a viral loop.” I went on to do video interviews and conferences across the world, learning on-the-fly how to tackle public speaking in front of thousands.
Our exclusive parties in New York, San Francisco, and then Austin for SXSW 2014 were thrilling. With a custom site for each event, attendees would sign up for party access and to match with each other.
On the wild side, an attractive journalist got into our VIP section in NYC, sat on my lap, and whispered in my ear, “my editor wanted me to get a story on you, but I told him tonight I’m going to fuck you instead.”
A few days later, I got an email with her story draft containing intimate details of our hookup, including dick size and skills, despite her promises of off-record action. Thankfully, she decided against sharing it with her editor! Our at-capacity party in San Francisco ended with women dancing on the bar and an afterparty at our office, known as “The BangPad.”
Two months after the drama with Apple, Zynga sued us over the use of “With Friends” for alleged trademark infringement on their game, Words With Friends. Legal and tech pundits weighed in, with many stating the obvious. “With friends” is a generic descriptor that perfectly described our app’s functionality. It seemed implausible that consumers would confuse a family-friendly Scrabble-copycat game with our raunchy hookup app. Still, Zynga’s war chest threatened to bankrupt us, so we resolved the issue in mediation.
We evolved the brand for broader appeal, not limited to “friends” or “banging,” and avoided paying them a cent. Our simple yet communicative new brand, DOWN, still had a playful side with its wink to the colloquial phrases “Down to Fuck (DTF)” and “Are you down?” yet allowed us on the app stores and a broader product.
Lesson 6: A lot of startup life is just staying alive. Even when it feels like your world is crashing down around you, take a step back and think of what advice you’d give to another entrepreneur. Then make those difficult decisions: downsize, cut features or whole products, and be scrappy: squeeze the most out of your runway by delaying or negotiating bills, moving to free trials, etc.
Following the rebrand to DOWN, we needed to get back on radars with exciting news. First, we brought our scintillating “Bangability” feature, a sort of hotness score based on swipes on your profile and calibrated to similar people near you, to our mobile apps. This Hot-or-Not-like rating drove virality and coverage from Business Insider, VICE, and more.
To cap off the rebranding, after toiling in our loft apartment/office in SOMA for almost six months, we rolled out our unique and sexy new design to great reviews. Unlike Tinder’s card-like UX with 2 gestures (left or right), we focused on 3-way gestures to express your true intentions: up to “hang” (date), down to “get down”, and left to skip.
Thanks to a slick circular interface and intimate emphasis on users’ photos, each profile felt fresh versus the more utilitarian feel compared to other apps.