"Fans had high hopes for Brownlee's foray into app development, given his reputation as an eagle-eyed tech reviewer who has amassed more than 20 million followers on YouTube. He's so influential that some blamed his commentary on Humane AI and Fisker for those companies' eventual failures (we think the real issue is that you shouldn't raise $230 million if you have no product). Yet from the time Brownlee launched Panels in September 2024, the app struggled to find an audience of its own."
"Brownlee was inspired to create Panels because when he posts video reviews of phones, tablets, and computers, fans always point out how stunning his wallpapers and lock screens are. When he first announced the app, he pointed out that if you type "where does mkbhd... " into Google, one of the first suggestions is "... get his wallpapers." Panels partnered with artists to sell distinct, high-resolution wallpapers, which users could access at a cost of $50 per year, or $12 per month"
"But Brownlee couldn't overcome the challenge of trying to create a paying market for something that consumers are not accustomed to paying for - it's easier to just pull an image from the internet, or take a cute photo of your dog. Thanks to Brownlee's stature, Panels ranked #1 on the iOS and Google Play charts for photos apps during its launch month. The app couldn't sustain that momentum."
Panels was a subscription-based wallpaper app launched in September 2024 by Marques Brownlee that partnered with artists to sell high-resolution wallpapers. The app charged $50 per year or $12 per month and split revenue with participating artists. Panels drew attention at launch, reaching #1 on iOS and Google Play photo charts and about 900,000 lifetime downloads. Panels failed to convert a large paying market for wallpapers, struggled with product execution and team changes, and could not sustain early momentum. Brownlee acknowledged mistakes in the app's creation and an inability to find collaborators to realize his original vision.
Read at TechCrunch
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