When R1 went viral and millions of consumer users arrived overnight, DeepSeek made almost no effort to retain or monetize them; the API runs with minimal staff (only a few maintainers, no sales team, no customer service), reflecting Liang's view that consumer apps are distractions from AGI research.
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Unidentified Speaker — DeepSeek's Invisible Founder Just Talked for 4 Hours. It Le… [BcKQk0NeBV0]Evidence Quote
“When R1 went viral last year, millions of consumer users showed up overnight, and the company did almost nothing to keep them. No retention push, no monetization. His words, "We really couldn't chase them away." The API runs with a few maintainers, no sales team, no customer service.”
Created: 8/12/2026, 6:15:41 PM
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