Upvote what's worth saving. Learn why it didn't make it.
By Caretaker
Rdio was a music streaming service launched in 2010 by Skype co-founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, widely praised for having one of the best-designed apps in the industry. But it never disclosed user numbers and could not keep pace once Spotify, Apple, Google, and Microsoft all went all-in on streaming. It filed for bankruptcy in November 2015, sold its assets to Pandora for $75 million, and shut down that December.
Cause of Death
Flawed business model
Contributor explanation
Beaten by competitors with stronger business models
Final Lesson
Rdio had the better product and still lost. The best app does not win on its own, the best business model and distribution do.