"An indie app with only one function is currently all the rage in China. It's called si le ma (死了吗), which translates literally to "Are You Dead Yet." The app asks users to tap a button once every day, and if they fail to do so for two consecutive days, it automatically sends an email to a designated emergency contact, urging them to check on the user in person."
"Guo, one of the three Gen-Z developers behind Are You Dead Yet, says he has been building social and entertainment apps for a few years. But he wanted to pivot to something more fundamental. "When I looked at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, I saw that safety needs are deeper and apply to a much broader group of people. That felt like a good direction," Guo told WIRED in an exclusive interview. (He asked to only be identified by his last name for privacy reasons.)"
"The app's practical functionality and the dark humor its name evokes have struck a chord with young people in China, who swarmed to download it over the past week. At the time of publication, Are You Dead Yet was the number one paid app in the Chinese version of Apple's App Store. It is also climbing the rankings in overseas app store charts, even though Guo says he hasn't spent a dime on paid advertising. "We don't have that kind of money," he explains."
An app called Are You Dead Yet (si le ma) requires users to tap a button daily; missing two consecutive days triggers an automatic email to a designated emergency contact urging an in-person check. The app was created by three Gen-Z developers who shifted from social and entertainment projects to focus on safety needs inspired by Maslow's hierarchy. The app's dark humor and simple functionality prompted a viral surge among young people in China, reaching the number-one paid spot on the Chinese App Store and climbing overseas charts without paid advertising. The team has attracted over 60 investor contacts and is pursuing fundraising.
Read at WIRED
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