If Post News looks like it came out overnight, it is. Unlike Mastodon, Hive Social, or other current social networks that are flooded with inappropriate Twitter users, Post News was created two weeks ago. The platform went into live beta because his team wanted to go public at a time when Elon Musk’s Twitter leadership anarchy was paramount in our collective headspace.
Send News has some basic functions similar to Twitter: you send other people’s messages, you like and retweet them, and you follow interesting accounts. However, in beta, it’s still missing essential features like DM, the native app, and accessibility features like adding alt text to images (and to some users’ concern, the company says it doesn’t currently prioritize accessibility).
Post News is seeking to capitalize on the “virtual water dispensers for journalists” aspect of Twitter. The platform describes itself as a place to access “premium news content without subscriptions or ads.” News publishers and freelance writers are encouraged to share their articles on Post News using a paywall. The idea is that users can pay for individual articles from different news sources. It is an alternative or supplement to paying for individual subscriptions to specific news sources.
“I believe the future of newspapers is fluid, and I want it to be more civil for users, more profitable for publishers and better for society,” Post News founder Noam Bardeen wrote in a tweet highlighting the announced efforts. Bardeen was CEO of Waze from 2009 to 2021.This is a news post profile
According to Bardeen, Post News had about 335,000 users on hold as of Monday, while there were about 65,000 active accounts. (Given to users gradually so as not to overload the platform’s operability and moderation). The platform has already received undisclosed funding from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and NYU professor and technology commentator Scott Galloway. Silicon Valley reporter Kara Swisher said she was an advisor to the company but not an investor.
A16z is an interesting option for a Twitter options investor after the venture capital firm contributed $400 million to Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. Sriram Krishnan, a crypto investor at A16z, works closely with Musk at Twitter headquarters. But Bardeen said he chose to work with a16z because it is the fastest investor to make a decision and cash a check.
“Not that I’m a fan of cryptocurrency, I think [a16z] should be funding some of the characters I’ve funded recently or I agree with all the statements they’ve made,” Bardeen wrote in his post. Sunday news. “We discussed investing in Twitter at the highest level and I can assure you there was no problem: the message has been separated from those involved in Twitter and a clear line has been drawn.”
TechCrunch has reached out to Bardin and a16z for comment.
Post News’ goal is ambitious. Not only is the platform trying to compete with long-established social media channels, but its business model is based on digital news publishers choosing to charge readers per article rather than subscriptions. Also, the platform is growing rapidly while important security features are being developed, which brings things into question.
“I want to remind everyone that this is a very early beta and may not be available to everyone,” Bardeen wrote on Monday. “Those looking for a polished product will have to wait. It’s okay to take a break and come back when things are in production; betas aren’t for everyone.”