Why we're building Kubo, and what makes this different from everything else out there.
Kubo started as an idea we'd been carrying around for years. Like many in our community, we've used the existing apps. Some are fine. Most feel like they're designed to extract value from you rather than help you connect with others.
Privacy features locked behind paywalls. Complicated pricing tiers designed to confuse. Algorithms that favor paying users. Bans with no explanation. The list goes on.
We kept thinking: what if someone built an app that actually respected its users? Not as a marketing slogan, but as a foundational principle that shapes every decision?
So we decided to build it. Kubo is a passion project - built with care by people who will actually use it, designed for a community we're part of.
Here's something most companies won't tell you: how you think about monetization shapes how you build the product.
VC-backed companies have a specific mandate: grow fast, extract value, exit. That's not a criticism - it's just how that model works. But it creates specific pressures that don't align with what's best for users.
When you need to show hockey-stick growth to investors, you optimize for metrics that look good in board meetings. You A/B test dark patterns. You paywall features that should be free. You make decisions that prioritize short-term revenue over long-term trust.
"By not focusing on making the most money, but on a sustainable model that puts users first, you end up building something genuinely different."
We took no investor money. Not because we couldn't - because we didn't want to. Kubo is built to be sustainable, not to achieve a 10x exit. We answer to users, not shareholders.
This means we can make different decisions:
Kubo isn't trying to be everything to everyone. We're building for gay and queer men who want an app that actually respects them.
All vibes welcome - hookups, friends, chat, whatever. We don't believe in hierarchies. Whatever you're looking for is valid. No judgment.
We want this to be a great app that's constantly responsive to your needs. Not responsive to what makes the metrics look good - responsive to what actually matters to the people using it.
Transparency. If we take action on your account, you'll know why - the category of violation and which policy it relates to. If we make a mistake, we'll own it. If we change our policies, we'll explain our reasoning.
Accountability. If you're suspended or banned, you'll get a clear reason and a real appeals process reviewed by a human. No black box moderation.
Reliability. We're keeping the architecture simple and focused on uptime. No unnecessary complexity. The core service, running reliably, is more important than flashy features.
Honesty. Let's address the elephant in the room: our network will be small at launch. We're growing organically, not through VC-funded marketing blitzes. It will take time to build. We need your help to make this work.
In return, we promise to keep building something you can trust.
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