Amrella is a new social media platform that contradicts the usual “data-stealing” and “pay-walling” concepts of the industry. Unlike other platforms, Amrella is run by hobbyists hoping to provide a safe online sanctuary for everyone.
FOUNDER BACKGROUND
Greetings. I am Dewan Mukto, a tech enthusiast from Sylhet, Bangladesh. I had decided to work on Amrella since 2020, when I was 17 years old. Currently, I am a 3rd year Computer Science student studying at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada.
PROBLEM TO SOLVE
Nowadays there are way too many social platforms abundant in the internet ecosystem. However, not all of them are very privacy-conscious nor ethically-functioning. Take Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads) for example. They boast the greatest quantity of content but at the expense of having users’ data exposed and sold out to third-parties. Whereas others, like X (ex-Twitter) have become problematic. Open-source substitutes like Telegram and Mastodon exist. Although they lack certain features that are usually found in the “data-stealing” mainstream ones.
Thus, that is where Amrella comes in! Amrella remains privacy-focused while also providing a quality not often seen in such ‘free’ platforms.
OPERATIONAL MODEL
Amrella is a social platform that lives entirely on a web server. Client apps exist, but only downloadable as PWAs (progressive web apps), ensuring that user data is never tampered with. Users can post content, communicate via messages, join groups, discuss in forums, etc.
Amrella is free to use, does not contain distractions or ads, and keeps user data safe and secure. The only form of monetization we claim is via our VIP memberships, which is an optional but effective way to enjoy additional perks on the platform. Amrella also relies on donations and strives to do everything EXCEPT compromising users’ privacy and data.
GROWTH STRATEGY
Amrella plans to first gain at least 100,000 total users, and have around 100 paying members via the Amrella VIP subscriptions. This should be enough to cover the costs for the first 3 years.
Once the numbers rise beyond 1 million, Amrella shall be expecting some generous donations from other companies and we shall utilize the fame for selling other products such as Amrella’s own branded merchandise which should bring in some more funds to keep the servers running and to pay the wages of employees.