Queer community app Lex has promoted co-founder Jennifer Lewis to CEO after seed-funding $5.6 million for further advancement of the app. The funding boost also allowed now-former CEO Kel Rakowski to step into the role of chief creative officer and the acquisition of former Hinge product boss Michelle Parsons as chief product officer for Lex.
The team is proud of their successful funding efforts and seeks to continue updating the app with new features for LGBTQ+ users, but are also moving towards an attempt to monetize the app. “I personally believe that how we build the business, and how we monetize for an LGBTQ company, has to be so nuanced and has to be so tailored to the needs of our community and really reflective of that,” Lewis says of monetization.
Stating that they don’t want to pursue ad-based monetization, one aspect being introduced is a paid tier for Lex users who want to post more than the app’s limit of six posts per user monthly.
Lex has already faced some backlash from their user base when they revamped the app in a massive update that many users felt took away from the personal aspects of the app. When Lex was founded, it was inspired by lesbian personal ads of yesteryear. Those seeking friends, dates, and—more often than not—hookups were encouraged to use the app as a private and intimate way to connect with other queer individuals.
After the update, Lex began to resemble a social media app more than it previously had, and users felt it was a departure from the app’s original intent and values.
But Lewis says in an interview with TechCrunch that Lex’s core intent remains the same: “a social app for all things queer.” And as Lewis takes over as CEO, it seems Lex users can keep their eyes open for new features both paid and free.
