The following post was originally published on the Tryna Grub blog in March 2021 as we announced the closure of the company. While it marked the end of one chapter, it also paved the way for new opportunities and learnings that have shaped my current role as a product manager and AI advisor.
From the outset of Tryna Grub, my goal was to run a bootstrapped startup until we reached profitability. Despite receiving offers and funding term sheets along the way, I chose to stick to this plan. As we grew and attempted to scale, there were many moments when I questioned this decision, wondering if external funding might have propelled us both further and faster.
Tryna Grub was, by definition, a social dining platform that connected people to meet up in person at restaurants. The pandemic hit us hard - more than half of our restaurant partners closed permanently, and our once-active user base dwindled to almost nothing. In retrospect, I now understand that it's all about timing. Whether funded or not, Tryna Grub would have struggled to survive the pandemic.
Looking back, the decision to shut down Tryna Grub during this unprecedented time was a pivotal moment in my entrepreneurial journey. It taught me valuable lessons about adaptability, market dynamics, and the critical importance of timing in product development - skills that are also crucial in the rapidly evolving field of AI.
This past year has been difficult for everyone, Covid19 has taken many victims. It became extremely clear that in the times of social-distancing, there is no space for a social dining platform. Therefor we have decided that it is time for us to move on.
A wise man once said “Sometimes you gotta close a door to open a window”
We want to thank everyone that supported Tryna Grub on this journey: our family, friends, advisors, mentors, accelerators, interns, developers, restaurant partners, and most importantly our USERS. Thank you so much for sticking with us!!
As we get closer to the end of this pandemic we would like to urge everyone to stay positive.... we are almost out of it.
Thanks again for all your support and hope to that sometime soon we can all eat a juicy animal-style 🍔 together.
-Jered from Tryna Grub
Comments