after almost three years of building 
@orb, i’ve got an update to share.tldr: orb has been acquired by @masknetwork, and i’m stepping down from my role as ceo.i started orb as a side project in my apartment during grad school. i cold DM’d the first 50 users, back when it was just a flashcard app to help people learn web3. that was it. no grand plan.then i came across the idea of web3 social, and it felt both fascinating and full of promise.like me, i saw so many others excited about it too, but accessing the web3 world was still complicated.so i decided to build the simplest mobile app that anyone could use.we launched the first version, and within weeks, tens of thousands tried it.over time, that side project became something real.we raised a few million, built a team, and poured ourselves into what became one of the most creative, expressive corners of web3.hundreds of thousands joined us on orb’s journey.
many creators earned real income through it.
we introduced features no one else had.
and for a lot of people, orb became home.for me, it was everything.i spent countless nights building and shipping, often staying up just to fix a bug or reply to a user dm.people used to ask if i ever slept. the simple answer was: “what’s sleep?” (wish i had today’s ai back then lol)now, orb, along w/ my cofounder 
@kipto and the entire team, is joining mask to carry forward the mission of making web3 social more fun and accessible. i believe web3 social will be widely adopted, and while it may take time, this partnership gives orb the strength it needs for the road ahead. i’ll be following orb’s journey closely and offering support wherever and however it’s needed.this wasn’t the ending i once imagined, but it’s the one that lets orb move forward.this journey has been emotional, challenging, overwhelming, filled with ups and downs, wins, mistakes, and lifelong lessons.we got a lot right. we got a lot wrong.but every step taught me something, and i’m taking it all with me into whatever comes next.---to everyone who’s been part of this ride: thank you.from the first 10 users to the first person who believed enough to write a check so we could go full-time (ty founders, inc <3)to every creator, every tester, every bug reporter, every investor, every team member, every person i’ve ever interacted with who gave us a shot, thank you.not everything went as planned, but you let us try. and that meant the world.---what’s next for me?i’m not sure yet. i don’t have it all figured out.but i’m staying curious, building, and living in sf.lately, i’ve been tinkering with some consumer ai use cases on mobile, and getting more and more fascinated by ai, robotics, and hardware.(tho i know nothing about robotics or hardware, but not knowing has never stopped me from finding out :)for now, i’m open.to new people, new ideas, new energy, and most definitely new adventures.if you’re in sf building something cool, i’d love to meet/chat. my dms are open :)with love,
nilesh
