I think that the general consensus from anyone who understands the tech side of it is that their tech stack sucks and it's going to lead to their failure, or a HUGE headache for the founders down the road.

I imagined a platform like Simily (except more Facebook-y) where fiction authors could write short stories and build a fan base using the power of social media. Readers could share great stories with their friends from their news feed, making the best ones float to the top naturally.

I have a background in book marketing and social media, but I couldn't find a tech cofounder and financing it was impossible without a prototype and proof that there would be interest in the project.

And pretty much everyone in the publishing industry that I spoke with told me that authors would never share their stories online because tit meant they could never traditionally publish them. Industry leaders still haven't caught on to how self-publishing has changed that, while it continues to do so at a rapid pace. I digress.

The point I want to make is that I agree with you, but I also understand what the founders at Simily are up against. They've managed to do what I couldn't. My hope is that if they fail, they are at least able to pave the way for another company to come along and do it better, now that there is evidence that there is proof that authors will flock to the model.

But the person who does it is going to need a passionate tech cofounder and a sizable chunk of money to keep them afloat for a few years until they can monetize it. There needs to be an app, because you're never going to get readers to flock to a website. There needs to be a better newsfeed. And the monetization needs to come from ads.

Sorry for the long response. It's a bit of a passion project, if you can't tell.