Earlier this week, Path launched the 3.0 version of its privacy-focused and mobile-centric social networking app. It was an update that was important for two key reasons: It debuted private messaging, and rolled out Path’s first real revenue-generating feature with a shop for premium emoji-like “stickers.”
TechCrunch TV interview talked to Path founder and CEO Dave Morin today at the South By Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Texas. You can watch that in the video embedded above, to see us discuss 3.0, whether messaging could interfere with Path’s Facebook relationship, Path’s new hire, CFO Kim Jabal, and more.
But there were some key off-camera comments as well, in which Path founder and CEO Dave Morin told me some interesting details about how 3.0 has made a bigger impact on the company than even the team had expected.
In fact, Morin said, in the first 24 hours after the 3.0 launch, Path made more money than it had in its entire lifetime as a company, total (starting with its 2.0 version, Path has collected affiliate revenue from media sales generated in the app.) And messaging has proved extremely popular, with more than 1 million messages sent by users within the first 24 hours of 3.0’s debut. I’m told he’s now announcing those figures publicly in an ongoing on-stage SXSW interview following our chat.
It’s good news from the social networking app, which is universally lauded as beautifully designed and thoughtful, but has been criticized for possibly not quite making a big enough dent outside of the early adopter crowd. This is an example of Path being more forthcoming with numbers that might prove those naysayers wrong — similar to how the company recently announced that its user base numbers 6 million people — and could be an indication of more confidence from the company.