How Gas Went Viral with 1 Million Daily Active Users

In the fast-paced world of social media apps, where trends change faster than the latest TikTok dance, the Gas app stands out as a recent success story that captured the attention of millions almost overnight. Developed by Nikita Bier, the same mind behind the previously successful TBH app, Gas quickly climbed the ranks, attracting millions of teenage users and catching the attention of major players in the tech world.

What Is the Gas App?

Gas is an app designed for teenagers, allowing them to send anonymous compliments to their peers. Unlike other anonymous apps that often become breeding grounds for negativity and cyberbullying, Gas focuses on positivity. Users receive flattering questions like, “Who do you think is most likely to become famous?” or “Who has the best smile?” The idea is simple: create an environment where teens can uplift each other, even if they don’t know who’s behind the kind words.

The Viral Takeoff

The Gas app’s virality can be attributed to its incredibly high K-factor, a term used in the tech world to describe an app’s viral growth rate. Simply put, for every user who joins, they invite two more, creating a self-sustaining loop of exponential growth. In just a matter of weeks, the app climbed to the top of the charts, dominating the teen demographic.

However, this meteoric rise wasn’t just due to its appeal—it was also fueled by an unexpected twist that turned the app into a hot topic across social media platforms.

The Human Trafficking Hoax

As Gas started gaining popularity, a disturbing rumor began to circulate on TikTok and Snapchat. Users claimed that the app was linked to human trafficking, with tales of white vans following people who had downloaded it. These stories spread like wildfire, with concerned teens and parents sharing warnings to avoid the app. The rumors were entirely baseless, but they had a significant impact, causing a wave of deletions and negative press.

Nikita Bier, the creator of the Gas app, was understandably alarmed. He and his team quickly began investigating the source of the rumors. To their surprise, they found evidence suggesting that the hoax may have originated from China.

Bier took to Twitter to announce that their data showed users connecting from China when the app first started growing, with the first fake reviews appearing on the same day. Whether or not this claim was accurate, it added a new layer of intrigue to the story, with the app’s creator hinting at a possible coordinated attack against his burgeoning platform.

Ashton Kutcher’s Involvement

As the rumors swirled, Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher entered the picture. Known for his involvement in anti-human trafficking efforts, Kutcher retweeted Bier’s messages, helping to dispel the hoax. This celebrity endorsement added credibility to the Gas app and brought even more attention to its viral spread.

Riding the Wave of Controversy

While most app developers would try to distance themselves from a controversy involving human trafficking rumors, Bier took a different approach. He leaned into the chaos, positioning the Gas app as a victim of a nefarious plot. In a media environment that thrives on sensationalism, this narrative only served to further amplify the app’s reach.

Bier’s strategy was reminiscent of a playbook straight out of the Trump era, where accusations of foreign interference and fake news were used to rally support. By painting the app as a target of an international conspiracy, Bier turned a potentially disastrous situation into a PR win.

The Media Frenzy

Within just 20 days, the Gas app’s journey from launch to viral sensation became a roller coaster ride filled with twists and turns. Major media outlets, from Fox News to Bloomberg, covered the story, further fueling the app’s notoriety. On platforms like TikTok, users continued to debate the app’s safety and origins, keeping it in the spotlight.

The Origin Story: TBH and the Birth of a Viral Strategy

To understand the success of Gas, we need to rewind six years to the launch of TBH (To Be Honest), an anonymous compliment app aimed at high schoolers. The concept was simple yet genius: users could send anonymous compliments to each other, playing off the natural curiosity and social dynamics of teenagers. TBH became an instant hit, reaching millions of daily users without a single dollar spent on marketing.

Nikita’s strategy was unconventional. Instead of broad-spectrum marketing, he focused on three high schools in rural Alabama, creating a private Instagram account to follow students from these schools. The mystery surrounding the account sparked curiosity, leading to a flurry of downloads the moment the app went live. Within months, TBH skyrocketed in popularity, and Facebook bought it for $100 million. However, after the acquisition, Facebook shelved the app, leaving Nikita to wait out a non-compete agreement.

The Return with Gas: Same Strategy, New Success

Fast forward to 2022, and Nikita Bier was back with a new app, Gas, built on the same premise as TBH but with lessons learned and refinements made. Gas launched in October 2022, and within days, it became the number one app on the App Store. By leveraging the same psychology and viral marketing tactics that made TBH successful, Gas reached one million daily active users within 10 days and $5 million in sales by December 2022.

Gas monetized through a subscription model, charging users $28 per month to unlock premium features like seeing who complimented them—playing directly into the curiosity and social validation that drives teenage behavior. The success was so rapid that by January 2023, Discord acquired Gas for a rumored multi-figure deal, marking yet another successful exit for Nikita.

Wrap Up

The Gas app’s viral journey is a fascinating case study in modern digital culture, blending elements of innovation, controversy, and strategic media manipulation. It serves as a reminder that in today’s interconnected world, the line between success and failure can be razor-thin—and often, it’s the narrative that tips the balance. Whether Gas will maintain its momentum or fade away as another social media fad remains to be seen, but its rise will certainly be remembered as one of the most intriguing stories in the tech world.