// startup autopsy
Dopplr
A social travel network that let users coordinate trips and share travel plans with their contact list.
acquisition gone wrongSlow Death
Years-long decline before final shutdown
// the model, blind
Evaluating only Dopplr’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked Acquisition gone wrong as the #1 likely cause. That’s exactly how it died.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Dopplr founded as a social travel network service in the UK.
ACQUISITION ATTEMPT
Nokia acquires Dopplr for approximately $20 million, signaling the beginning of the end.
DECLINE
Post-acquisition, user value and engagement begin to collapse as Nokia neglects platform development.
SHUTDOWN
Nokia shuts down Dopplr in late 2013, ending the platform permanently.