Goose Founder Derek Chadwick Steps Down Two Months After Launching Grindr Rival
Photo Credit: Derek Chadwick / Instagram
by Chris Tremblay Aug 20
3 MIN READ
Derek Chadwick has stepped down from Goose, the gay dating and lifestyle app he co-founded and launched roughly two months ago.
Chadwick announced the decision in a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday, August 18.
“As of last week, I’ve stepped away from Goose,” Chadwick wrote.
He said the decision had not been made lightly and described building the service “for our community” as one of the most meaningful projects he had undertaken.
Chadwick attributed his departure to a disagreement between his original vision and the company’s direction.
“Where I landed is that my vision for where this should go and the direction the company is going aren’t the same thing anymore,” he wrote.
“When my name and my face are on something, I want to be able to stand behind all of it, fully,” Chadwick added.
He said that, once he could no longer fully stand behind the project, remaining involved “didn’t feel right.”
Chadwick said he was proud to have helped move the project forward and thanked people who joined the platform during its first weeks.
“Tens of thousands of you showed up in a matter of weeks,” he wrote, while crediting users rather than himself for that response.
The figure was presented by Chadwick in his Instagram statement; the available reports do not provide an independently audited user total.
Chadwick said he was no longer involved with Goose “in any capacity.”
He nevertheless wished the company’s team well, describing its members as people working hard to make the app successful.
The statement did not identify a specific dispute, change in ownership, management decision or product alteration as the reason for the difference in direction.
There was no detailed public explanation in the reports reviewed of what Goose’s direction had become or how it differed from Chadwick’s plans.
Goose launched in late June, according to reporting on Chadwick’s departure.
The service was presented as an app for gay men that was intended to extend beyond dating.
Its description said users could meet people through “places, friends, interests, stories, and what’s happening nearby.”
Coverage before the launch described Goose as an “anti-algorithm gay dating and lifestyle platform” and as an alternative to more hookup-focused services.
The app was described as “intentionally social-first,” with an emphasis on dating, friendship and community.
Unlike conventional matching systems, Goose used a “wave” interaction, in which two users connected after waving at each other.
Reporting at the time of the launch said Goose used human screening for its membership and was initially available through Apple’s App Store.
The product therefore entered a competitive market while publicly distinguishing itself from services associated in its marketing and coverage with casual encounters.
Goose also faced scrutiny shortly after launch over allegations that AI-generated or otherwise suspicious social-media profiles had been used to attract prospective users.
Wired reported that the app appeared to be connected to promotional activity involving accounts presented as potential users, while noting that Goose’s founders did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Gay Times reported that Goose had been accused of using AI-generated social-media profiles to generate interest in the service.
Those earlier reports do not establish that the scrutiny was connected to Chadwick’s departure.
Chadwick’s statement did not mention the allegations, AI-generated profiles, promotional practices or any other controversy as a reason for leaving.
Chadwick said he intends to continue creating projects for the gay community.
In his statement, he wrote, “I’m not done building for us. More soon.”
He also referred to users who had waved, messaged him or told him they had made a friend through the app, saying that this had been the project’s purpose for him.
The statement did not announce Chadwick’s next project or provide a timetable for further details.
The reports reviewed also did not include a detailed statement from Goose explaining how the company will operate after Chadwick’s exit.
For now, Chadwick’s public explanation is limited to the gap between his vision and the company’s direction.
His departure leaves Goose to continue without the public figure most closely associated with its launch and early identity.
“As of last week, I’ve stepped away from Goose,” Chadwick wrote.
He said the decision had not been made lightly and described building the service “for our community” as one of the most meaningful projects he had undertaken.
Chadwick attributed his departure to a disagreement between his original vision and the company’s direction.
“Where I landed is that my vision for where this should go and the direction the company is going aren’t the same thing anymore,” he wrote.
“When my name and my face are on something, I want to be able to stand behind all of it, fully,” Chadwick added.
He said that, once he could no longer fully stand behind the project, remaining involved “didn’t feel right.”
What Chadwick said about Goose
Chadwick said he was proud to have helped move the project forward and thanked people who joined the platform during its first weeks.
“Tens of thousands of you showed up in a matter of weeks,” he wrote, while crediting users rather than himself for that response.
The figure was presented by Chadwick in his Instagram statement; the available reports do not provide an independently audited user total.
Chadwick said he was no longer involved with Goose “in any capacity.”
He nevertheless wished the company’s team well, describing its members as people working hard to make the app successful.
The statement did not identify a specific dispute, change in ownership, management decision or product alteration as the reason for the difference in direction.
There was no detailed public explanation in the reports reviewed of what Goose’s direction had become or how it differed from Chadwick’s plans.
Goose’s launch and positioning
Goose launched in late June, according to reporting on Chadwick’s departure.
The service was presented as an app for gay men that was intended to extend beyond dating.
Its description said users could meet people through “places, friends, interests, stories, and what’s happening nearby.”
Coverage before the launch described Goose as an “anti-algorithm gay dating and lifestyle platform” and as an alternative to more hookup-focused services.
The app was described as “intentionally social-first,” with an emphasis on dating, friendship and community.
Unlike conventional matching systems, Goose used a “wave” interaction, in which two users connected after waving at each other.
Reporting at the time of the launch said Goose used human screening for its membership and was initially available through Apple’s App Store.
The product therefore entered a competitive market while publicly distinguishing itself from services associated in its marketing and coverage with casual encounters.
Questions raised during Goose’s first weeks
Goose also faced scrutiny shortly after launch over allegations that AI-generated or otherwise suspicious social-media profiles had been used to attract prospective users.
Wired reported that the app appeared to be connected to promotional activity involving accounts presented as potential users, while noting that Goose’s founders did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Gay Times reported that Goose had been accused of using AI-generated social-media profiles to generate interest in the service.
Those earlier reports do not establish that the scrutiny was connected to Chadwick’s departure.
Chadwick’s statement did not mention the allegations, AI-generated profiles, promotional practices or any other controversy as a reason for leaving.
What comes next
Chadwick said he intends to continue creating projects for the gay community.
In his statement, he wrote, “I’m not done building for us. More soon.”
He also referred to users who had waved, messaged him or told him they had made a friend through the app, saying that this had been the project’s purpose for him.
The statement did not announce Chadwick’s next project or provide a timetable for further details.
The reports reviewed also did not include a detailed statement from Goose explaining how the company will operate after Chadwick’s exit.
For now, Chadwick’s public explanation is limited to the gap between his vision and the company’s direction.
His departure leaves Goose to continue without the public figure most closely associated with its launch and early identity.
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