Failure Analysis
Brushes faced strategic failure due to several factors. Firstly, the competitive landscape intensified with the entry of well-funded giants like Adobe and emerging startups...
Brushes \USA
Brushes was a YC-backed startup focused on the creative industry, providing a platform for engineers, product designers, and artists to collaboratively create and share digital designs. It aimed to democratize access to professional-grade design tools, offering a suite of cloud-based applications that streamlined the creative process. By leveraging real-time collaboration features, Brushes sought to bridge the gap between ideation and execution, allowing creatives to work seamlessly across geographies.
Discover the reason behind the shutdown and the market before & today
Market Analysis
Today, the design tool industry is dominated by players like Adobe, Figma, and Canva, all of which offer comprehensive suites with collaborative features. The...
Startup Learnings
Insight 1: The importance of rapid iteration and user feedback loops in product development. Insight 2: Leveraging modern cloud infrastructure from providers like AWS...
Market Potential
The total addressable market for digital design tools has significantly expanded with the rise of remote work and digital transformation. Platforms like Adobe Creative...
Difficulty
The description indicates that Brushes is focused on providing tools for creatives and suggests ongoing operations in the creative industry.
Scalability
While Brushes had a compelling value proposition, the unit economics were challenged by the high cost of maintaining a robust cloud infrastructure and the...
Rebuild & monetization strategy: Resurrect the company
Execution Plan
Phase 2
Step 2: Distribution/Validation strategy via partnerships with design schools and creative communities.
Phase 3
Step 3: Growth loop focusing on viral features like shared AI-generated design templates.
Phase 4
Step 4: Moat strategy by building a proprietary dataset of user interactions to improve AI models.
Monetization Strategy
DesignGenie will adopt a subscription-based model with tiered pricing, offering a freemium version to attract users and premium tiers for advanced features. Additionally, revenue can be generated through integrations and partnerships with businesses seeking customized AI-driven design solutions.
Related Startup Failures
SAAS (B2B)
115
Lekee
\China
$42.0M
THE VALUE PROPOSITION
All-in-one hotel management SaaS for China's fragmented independent hotel market, digitizing operations from booking to checkout.
CAUSE OF DEATH
Brutal unit economics, low willingness-to-pay from price-sensitive hotel owners, and fierce competition from Alibaba's Fliggy ecosystem.
Rise
2015
Fall
2021
SAAS (B2B)
43
Gogohire
\USA
$2.0M
THE VALUE PROPOSITION
Recruiting automation platform for SMBs to streamline hiring through automated sourcing, screening, and workflow management.
CAUSE OF DEATH
Commoditized feature set, weak differentiation in crowded HR tech market, and inability to prove ROI against established ATS players.
Rise
2014
Fall
2020
SAAS (B2B)
179
Kyte (B2B SaaS)
\India
$10.0M
THE VALUE PROPOSITION
All-in-one digital operations platform for Indian SMEs, replacing spreadsheets with integrated inventory, billing, and CRM tools.
CAUSE OF DEATH
Failed to achieve unit economics in low-ARPU market; high CAC, complex sales cycles, and feature bloat without clear differentiation.
Rise
2020
Fall
2024
Disclaimer: This entry is an AI-assisted summary and analysis derived from publicly available sources only (news, founder statements, funding data, etc.). It represents patterns, opinions, and interpretations for educational purposes—not verified facts, accusations, or professional advice. AI can contain errors or ‘hallucinations’; all content is human-reviewed but provided ‘as is’ with no warranties of accuracy, completeness, or reliability. We disclaim all liability for reliance on or use of this information. If you are a representative of this company and believe any information is inaccurate or wish to request a correction, please click the Disclaimer button to submit a request.