Why This ~$44M LinkedIn Competitor Failed (And What I'm Building Instead)

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FROM ZERO WITH ANUSHA KANNAN

Anusha Ramesh Kannan

67 episodes

2 hours ago

Real talk about building from zero. Resilience strategies, relationship insights, startup lessons, & money mindset from someone documenting the entire journey. For anyone tired of highlight reel content and ready for the honest truth about creating something meaningful. → To know more about me: anushakannan.com

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Why This ~$44M LinkedIn Competitor Failed (And What I'm Building Instead) | Episode 62

FROM ZERO WITH ANUSHA KANNAN

9 minutes 30 seconds

2 weeks ago

Why This ~$44M LinkedIn Competitor Failed (And What I'm Building Instead) | Episode 62

🏹 First 10 users, sign up here →https://www.genyodha.com/cohort-1💚 Join the unofficial board: https://www.genyodha.com/become-an-unofficial-board-director ----------------------------------------------------------------------Gen Yodha:Check out Gen Yodha 🏹: https://www.genyodha.com/Follow Gen Yodha 🏹 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genyodha/Read the first unofficial board update: https://genyodha.beehiiv.com/p/day-1-of-gen-yodhaHow is Gen Yodha different from LinkedIn? Read our product updates - https://www.genyodha.com/product----------------------------------------------------------------------Join From Zero: anushakannan.com/newsletterLet's connect:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anusharameshkannannLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anusharameshkannan/Who even am I? https://www.anushakannan.com/🎙️ For marketing nerds: Subscribe to The 360° Marketing Show @The360DegreeMarketingShow Polywork raised $44.5M from Series B and shut down on January 31st, 2025. They were backed by Andreessen Horowitz (led Series A), Stripe founders John and Patrick Collison, Alexis Ohanian (Reddit co-founder), and more. In this video, I break down exactly why the "anti-LinkedIn" failed...the cold start problem, the unclear value prop, and the pivot that alienated their core users. Plus, what this means for anyone trying to fix professional networking (including me with Gen Yodha).Sources:- Polywork shutdown announcement: https://x.com/multiplay3r/status/1873859669065978327- Series B funding ($28M): https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220915005370/en/Polywork-Secures-28M-Series-B-Funding-as-it-Launches-Out-of-Private-Beta- Series A funding ($13M, led by a16z): https://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/polywork-series-a- Polywork post-mortem analysis: https://www.productreleasenotes.com/p/what-happened-to-polywork-an-eye current subs: 159💚tags: polywork shutdown polywork failed linkedin alternative why startups fail anti linkedin polywork vs linkedin startup post mortem network effects cold start problem gen yodha early career networking startup lessons linkedin competitorMusic from Capcut: Reasoning, Verification, Serlous, News, Accompaniment: LP(1455637)