Will Secret go mainstream?
Secret has shown it's value as a source of breaking tech news over the past couple weeks:
First with the Nike FuelBand news:
And then with the departure of Google+ chief Vic Gundotra:
I've been trying the app out this week. It's a beautiful app and there are several "secrets" worth reading - like this gem:
I wondered how much traction the app has so I did a little digging.
AppStore Rankings
AppAnnie tracks app downloads and posts rankings (you can access some of their data with a free account).
Secret has risen about 700 spots in the US over the last few weeks to rank #800 - likely due to its part in the Nike and Google+ stories. It just launched in other English speaking countries today and entered the charts as high as #122 in Ireland.
Given Secret's potential to break more news it's easy to imagine the app continuing to rise, but it's a lot easier to go from #1,500 to #800 than it is to go from #800 to the top 100.
App Store Reviews
According to AppAnnie, Secret has 484 reviews across all versions with a 4/5 rating. If .1% to 1% of users write a review then the total downloads could be somewhere between 50k and 500k (I'm guessing it's closer to the low end of the range).
Google Listings
I only found about 900 Secrets indexed in Google. I expected to find more, but I'm not sure when Secrets are allowed to be indexed (all Secrets, some Secrets?).
The content of the Secrets is the most interesting thing - the vast majority are from the tech crowd (e.g., SXSW is a big topic). You can see all of them here.
Will Secret go mainstream?
At this point Secret's installed base appears to be relatively small, and, based on the Secrets being shared, dominated by the SF Bay Area tech community.
But Twitter started with techies too, and then the celebrities and athletes came on board, making it relevant for everybody. Like Twitter, you don't have to post Secrets to get value from the app. The key for Secret is the content: it needs to get Secrets for things the mainstream cares about - e.g., celebrities, sports, movies, music, etc.
A few weeks ago Secret's founder David Byttow told Fortune this:
I think most people can't make sense of Secret yet. There's definitely a wait-and-see attitude but there is something there.
After taking a closer look I agree.
About TheStartup100
TheStartup100 and this blog are a project of Frank Anderson. I'm an internet entrepreneur; former investment banker and consultant; and studied at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago. You can email me at frank(at)thestartup100.com.