What They Did
Brainly was a peer-to-peer homework help platform with over 350 million users worldwide. Students could post questions and receive answers from other students and verified experts. The platform offered both free and premium subscription tiers, with a significant presence in markets like India and the United States.
How LLMs Killed Them
ChatGPT and other LLMs replaced the need for peer-to-peer homework help. Students could get instant, detailed answers to any question without waiting for another user to respond. The free, always-available nature of AI chatbots made Brainly's community-driven model obsolete almost overnight.
Timeline
- 2024: Laid off approximately 30% of its workforce, cutting around 120 of its roughly 400 employees.
- 2024: Shut down Indian operations entirely, laying off 72% of the Indian team.
- 2024: Discontinued paid premium subscription plans in India.
By the Numbers
- 350M+ users on the platform
- ~30% of workforce laid off (~120 of ~400 employees)
- 72% of Indian team let go
- India operations shut down entirely
- Paid premium plans in India discontinued