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1121 points alokedesai | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.425s | source
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aarontcheung ◴[] No.10467925[source]
I'm one of the founders of Homejoy. I'm still very passionate about the home service space. After leaving Homejoy, I started FlyMaids, where we're exploring a few different angles on the space.

We recently acquired the customer and service provider data from Homejoy.

We're a small team that has been focused on moving quickly while bootstraping. We tried to quickly test different approaches, but we realize now that we did so in an unclear manner. We recognize the need to use the data we acquired responsibily. As a result, we're taking the site down, and we're going to do a better job with our testing moving forward.

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1. 7Figures2Commas ◴[] No.10468700[source]
1. From http://cleanerconnect.com/, which appears to be connected to your new venture:

> Cleaner Connect is not an employer, but simply connects independent service professionals with customers

Your Homejoy co-founder stated lawsuits over worker misclassification were the "deciding factor" in the decision to wind Homejoy down[1]. Assuming cleanerconnect.com is indeed part of your new venture, the above suggests your "testing" involves the same flawed contracting strategy that contributed to Homejoy's demise.

2. Your email to former Homejoy customers encourages them to use a "partner" service. You fail, however, to disclose that you are actually a principal of the "partner" business. Additionally, your comment suggests that FlyMaids is not actually a partner of a company that is supposedly winding down but rather is the acquirer of certain Homejoy assets.

3. As far as I can tell, neither FlyMaids or Homeaglow were ever featured by Oprah, The New York Times, etc., yet this claim is/was being made on their sites.

4. There are multiple sites (http://www.dazzlingcleaning.com, http://www.homeaglow.com/ and http://www.flymaids.com/) that appear to be connected to your new venture. Each of their terms of service refers to Delaware corporations that don't seem to exist.

Humble advice: you might want to rethink your passion for the home service space. And make sure you have a good attorney on retainer.

[1] http://recode.net/2015/07/17/cleaning-services-startup-homej...

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2. pavornyoh ◴[] No.10469182[source]
>3. As far as I can tell, neither FlyMaids or Homeaglow were ever featured by Oprah, The New York Times, etc., yet this claim is/was being made on their sites.

Thank you. I asked the same question below and got some downvotes for it. Falsifying things like that is a big sham. I see on homeaglow, the company claims more features on Rachels (whatever that is).