Kenneth Stanley, the former OpenAI researcher who co-founded Maven’s social media platform to facilitate serendipitous interactions, resigns just three months after its public introduction
Stanley stated on Maven and X that Maven “could not achieve the kind of growth curve that investors want to see to justify increasing investment, and there is likely still a missing ingredient for that kind of growth” despite the enthusiastic responses to the platform’s launch.
Stanley and one of his co-founders, Blas Moros, resolved to pursue alternative opportunities to expand Maven’s runway. Jimmy Secretan, Maven’s chief technology officer, disclosed to TechCrunch that the organization has a few months remaining runway.
In a telephone interview with TechCrunch, Stanley stated, “We implemented the measures we did to enhance our efficiency and create a more controlled environment.” “I had hoped to secure funding and remain in place, but this enables us to endure and continue the fight for another day.” Many believe it is a commendable cause; therefore, we must maintain the cause and ensure its continued existence.
Stanley focused on this point on social media, asserting that the internet requires a tool similar to Maven to transition from the perpetual convergent popularity contest to serendipity.
Secretan will continue to serve as chief technology officer to facilitate product innovation and subsequent actions. The founders determined that Secretan was the most logical candidate to remain on the team, as he was responsible for most of the app’s development.
In January, Maven was soft-launched, and TechCrunch covered the platform’s public début in May. In 2023, Maven’s $2 million pilot round was funded by Twitter co-founder Ev Williams and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Stanley stated to TechCrunch that the two tech executives invested in Maven because they were convinced of its mission to assist individuals in enhancing their chances of luck.
It was always uncertain whether Maven could secure additional funding or attract the requisite user base to expand its mission. Maven enables users to follow and engage with topics that pique their interest, ranging from neuroscience to parenting. However, no methods exist to amplify content to a wider audience, such as likes, upvotes, retweets, or follow. Although these social media attributes may contribute to its pernicious nature, they also maintain user interest.
In May, during an interview with TechCrunch, Stanley contemplated potential pathways to monetization to attract additional investors, including advertising or a subscription model.
Secretan informed TechCrunch that Maven would require expanding its user base before considering monetization.
“At Maven, we were adept at engaging individuals in profound discussions about intriguing and unexpected topics,” Secretan stated in an interview with TechCrunch. “One of the challenges is that the deep conversations in which we excel are not particularly viral; they impede growth by being difficult to share.”
Maven will retain its philosophy and attract additional users by contracting product design assistance following the co-founder’s departure.
Secretan clarified, “We are not simply choosing the easiest route and flooding the feed with the most popular and lowest common denominator content.” “Consequently, I believe there is a method to thread that needle.”
The founder also mentioned that Maven has developed an offshoot application called Ryff, which employs generative AI art to assist users in exploring new spaces and following their interests.
Stanley informed TechCrunch that he is eager to consider “new opportunities” and is ultimately “excited to think about AI again.” He observed that his subsequent actions might be related to “open-mindedness,” a field of AI research that examines algorithms intended to generate and resolve novel challenges perpetually.
Stanley has characterized the concept as an antidote to optimization, in which AI is assigned a goal and is tasked with determining the most effective route to achieve it.