A safety app for people living alone became popular with a “check-in + alert” feature, while also sparking debate over its name, privacy, and valuation.
Lao Huang, have you seen that “Dead Yet?” app? The name is brutal, and it actually shot to number one on Apple’s paid app chart.
I saw it. The function isn’t complicated: you check in every day, and if you don’t for several days, it automatically emails your emergency contact. It’s focused on safety for people living alone.
What’s craziest is the cost. The founder said it took less than a month to build, cost just over 1,000 yuan, and three people made it remotely.
That shows the pain point is real. In big cities, many people live alone, far from family and friends. They need a kind of safety net reminder.
But the name is really intense. Some netizens even suggested changing it to “Alive?”. Do you think this kind of marketing goes too far?
It’s controversial, but it forces people to face risks. What I care more about is privacy: who the emergency contact is, how long without check-in triggers it, and what the email says—all that must be clear.
There’s also the business logic. The price went from 1 yuan to 8 yuan, supposedly because servers couldn’t handle it. Now they’re saying 1 million yuan for 10% equity, valuing it at 10 million.
Valuation can be discussed, but you can’t just look at hype. You have to look at retention, false alarm rates, and liability boundaries. If notifications are delayed, who’s responsible?
Right. The simpler the function, the more solid the details need to be. Otherwise, one awkward message like ‘you left first’ would be terrible.
So this feels like a mirror: the tech doesn’t have to be advanced, but social needs, ethics, and governance are all indispensable.
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