The lack of technical barriers raises the question: can overnight fame translate into lasting success? On the evening of January 13th, the previously controversial app "Is It Dead" (死了么) officially announced a name change. The team stated that after careful evaluation, the application will adopt the global brand name "Demumu" in its new version, and the original Chinese name will no longer be used as the primary identifier. The next step is to continue focusing on its safety monitoring purpose, promoting the service solution originating from China to overseas markets to serve more people living alone.
Over the past week, the solo-living safety app "Is It Dead" went viral. Since January 10th, the app has held the top position on Apple's App Store paid chart for four consecutive days; the team told media that daily new user numbers are currently 500 times higher than before the surge in popularity.
It is reported that over 60 investors have approached the team in just three days, and the valuation of "Is It Dead" has soared to tens of millions of yuan. Inquiries were sent to the team for confirmation, but no response was received by the time of publication.
Alongside the火爆 came controversy: accusations of plagiarism, criticism that the name was "unlucky," and even suggestions from netizens to rename it "Is It Alive" (活着么). The "Is It Dead" team did not adopt this suggestion, instead opting for the global brand name "Demumu." However, "Is It Alive" has indeed arrived—and it took only 6 hours to create.
"It wasn't difficult; I made it overnight using AI," revealed Yu Xianggua (a pseudonym), a developer with ten years of experience, who built the functionally similar app "Is It Alive" the same evening he saw "Is It Dead," utilizing Google's Gemini model and participating with zero coding himself.
Beyond Yu Xianggua's version, a batch of new "Is It Alive" apps has already appeared. A search on the App Store shows over a dozen similar check-in applications. Some industry insiders have publicly stated that such apps have very low technical barriers and are easily replicated.
Yu Xianggua believes that 99% of the popularity of these "meme-based" apps relies on luck, as there is no significant technical hurdle. Although his app gained over 2,000 users within two days of launch, he contends that the core value of such products is limited, making sustained popularity difficult unless new highlights are found to extend their lifecycle.
The original "Is It Dead" app was developed by three individuals born after 1995, with the team previously stating the development cost was under 1,500 yuan. Functionally, the app is relatively simple: users just need to check in daily; if they fail to check in for two consecutive days, the system sends an email reminder to their emergency contact the following day.
Initially launched as a free download, the app switched to a 1-yuan paid model at the end of 2025. Following its viral success, the team cited the need to cover SMS and server costs as the reason for raising the price to 8 yuan.
Yu Xianggua came across the "Is It Dead" app on January 10th. After reviewing screenshots and the description, he concluded the functionality wasn't complex and that he could build it himself. That evening, he began using AI to write the code, calling upon the Google Gemini model within VS Code for assistance.
"Starting seriously at 9 PM, I finished the project development around 2 AM, and began preparing promotional images, descriptions, privacy policies, and compliance documents for the Apple Store by about 3 AM, followed by requesting an expedited review." The "Is It Alive" app was live by the early hours of the 11th.
The actual coding for the project took less than 6 hours. Yu Xianggua emphasized his "zero-code participation," explaining, "I created an empty project and then, through conversation, let the AI take over subsequent tasks—the AI handled creating new files, writing the server-side code, and generating the icon." His role was limited to final testing and providing feedback to the AI on issues.
Prior to this, Yu Xianggua had experience developing for Apple iOS and mini-programs, possessed an existing developer account, and had subscriptions/credits for Google Gemini and server resources. He stated that all these constituted pre-existing "infrastructure," making the development of this app essentially zero cost for him.
Yu Xianggua noted that the AI outputs code rapidly, communicating requirements isn't time-consuming, and the AI acts as a competent product manager, even rebutting his ideas. "For instance, I wanted to implement a global check-in leaderboard, but the model strongly opposed it, deeming an entertainment-focused ranking inappropriate for such a serious context."
He highlighted the value of the AI's ability to not blindly agree, suggesting it compensates for individual developers' limitations in product thinking and user perspective, helping avoid project deviations due to personal bias.
Without AI assistance, Yu Xianggua estimated manually coding the app would take about four days. However, he sees AI's value extending beyond time compression. Personally unfamiliar with server-side development, he acknowledged that without AI, he could only complete the client-side, rendering the app non-functional. During development, the AI served as programmer, product manager, and designer, with only final testing requiring full human oversight.
Reflecting on the process, Yu Xianggua expressed amazement at the rapid advancement of AI over the past year. Before June 2025, AI could only operate within single files, requiring developers to manually move code; post-June, AI can take over entire projects, autonomously creating files and writing content—a change he finds staggering.
Yu Xianggua has observed many non-coders and individuals outside the tech industry using AI development tools to create interesting utilities, mini-programs, or webpages, demonstrating strong creativity. Conversely, long-time professionals in the internet industry, accustomed to working based on product requirements, often feel lost when tasked with independent innovation. He predicts more non-technical people will leverage AI to fulfill their specific functional needs in the future.
Despite creating the "Is It Alive" app, Yu Xianggua remains skeptical about the long-term prospects of such applications, citing their limited core value. The current user base exceeding 2,000 has already far surpassed his initial expectations; he hopes for a maximum of around 5,000 users but anticipates downloads will gradually decline thereafter.
"Aside from strongly social or entertainment-focused software like WeChat or Douyin, most applications have a finite lifecycle. Regardless of quality, they all face user attrition," Yu Xianggua stated. He believes that finding a core highlight through operation, and developing valuable features that create an emotional connection with users, might help extend that lifecycle.
He mentioned that many developers have previously created similar check-in functionalities, but not all achieved virality. The popularity of "meme-based" apps is 99% dependent on luck, lacking technical moats; a particular version might be discovered, shared, and gain traction with influencer endorsement. However, he concedes that "luck is also part of capability."
Considering the scenario addressed by "Is It Dead," which targets people living alone, many might first think of elderly individuals living solo. However, young people living alone might actually be the primary target demographic for such apps.
"If the goal were truly health monitoring or accident detection for the elderly, most people would prefer purchasing hardware devices. Elderly users are often less familiar with smartphone operations, making daily check-ins cumbersome. Fitness trackers and similar hardware, costing anywhere from tens to over a hundred yuan, can be linked to children's accounts for dynamic monitoring, offering greater stability and accuracy," Yu Xianggua explained.
The "Is It Dead" team had previously mentioned targeting young people living alone in first and second-tier cities. Currently, the app's user base consists mainly of women aged 25 to 35 in these urban areas.
For young users, such apps lean more towards entertainment. They might hold short-term novelty but struggle with long-term user retention. From a needs perspective, safety for people living alone can be addressed through multiple channels. For example, industry observers have noted that WeChat step counts serve as a good monitoring metric; if major platforms added a specific feature to their existing apps, they could potentially fully replace these dedicated check-in applications.
Despite these uncertainties, the "Is It Dead" app appears to be highly sought after. The team disclosed to media that over 60 investors expressed investment interest within three days. On January 10th, the team initially planned to sell a 10% company stake for 1 million yuan; after investor bidding, the price for 10% soared to nearly 10 million yuan. This implies the app's valuation has reached the tens of millions.
In Yu Xianggua's view, investors are likely attracted by the potential arising from a large user base concentrated within the app, enabling exploration of various monetization avenues—such as pivoting towards social or entertainment fields. Even simple advertising models could generate short-term profits. Furthermore, once capital is injected, the app would likely undergo rapid changes and adjustments, with feedback on new features or experimental directions coming quickly.
However, alongside news of soaring valuations and investor competition, "Is It Dead" is also facing increasing scrutiny and controversy. On January 12th, short video blogger @MerchandiseDisplayProdigy released a video claiming the app's concept and logo design highly resemble a conceptual video they published in 2023. The blogger alleged the currently popular "Is It Dead" logo is missing one dot compared to their original design, and some proposed functions remain unimplemented.
In response, the "Is It Dead" team stated that the app's创意 originated from broad discussions within the online community, from every netizen, rather than from any specific individual blogger.
Previously, the team indicated the app idea initially stemmed from an online meme. Several years ago, a hot topic on social platforms asked what app everyone needs and would definitely download. A netizen proposed the concept of an "Is It Dead" app, which received significant likes and caught the team's attention. They subsequently registered the name and completed development within a month.
This dispute remains unresolved. The heat and controversy surrounding "Is It Dead" have not subsided, and the team still faces significant tests. The ultimate challenge for any overnight sensation app is navigating the path from fleeting viral fame to establishing long-term value, enduring the dual scrutiny of the market and its users.
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