Bubbleshare
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
BubbleShare was an online photo-sharing web application founded by Albert Lai. It was praised for its simplicity - considered easy enough that it could teach Flickr a thing or two - but also seen as more of a feature than a standalone business. In January 2007 it was acquired by Toronto-based Kaboose Inc., a family-focused online media company (BabyZone, Amazing Moms), for $2.25 million. The service was shut down in 2009.
02 / Bubbleshare FAILURE REASONS
Failure factors supported by the current evidence
Founder Albert Lai wrote that after the early-2007 Kaboose buyout, BubbleShare’s team was diverted to parent-company projects and product innovation stopped, so BubbleShare languished as its technology was scattered across Kaboose properties. TechCrunch separately reported the service would be shuttered on 15 November 2009 after Disney bought Kaboose assets, but said it had “no word on why they’re shutting down.”
After the Kaboose buyout, the BubbleShare team was diverted to parent strategic projects and product innovation stopped.
Lai wrote that BubbleShare languished as bits of its tech were scattered across Kaboose properties.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Operations ended
BubbleShare notified users that the photo-sharing service would close on 15 November 2009.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
Albert Lai founded BubbleShare as a simple online photo-sharing web application.
- 02
In January 2007, Toronto-based Kaboose Inc. acquired the photo-sharing service for $2.25 million to strengthen its position as a family-focused online media company.
- 03
The BubbleShare service was shut down in 2009.
- 04
No reliable realized loss figure with clear subject, period and basis has been disclosed.