Apparently it was. Just because it didn't monetize well doesn't mean it wasn't doing what it meant to well. Investors were surely disappointed but the userbase

Apparently it was. Just because it didn't monetize well doesn't mean it wasn't doing what it meant to well. Investors were surely disappointed but the userbase got exactly what it wanted and the app served its purpose very well. The ROI for investors isn't a metric of actual performance. Truthfully basically any monetization method besides random ads or a shop would have killed YikYak just as other non-core features did, and those as well probably would have done it. All change the dynamic of the community in interactions for the worse.