Flappy

Today, Dong Nguyen, the developer of the game Flappy Bird announced he is taking down the app. (Thanks for the heads up Casey Lewis!)

This is a surprising move given that it’s the number one free app in both the iTunes and the Google Play store.

Why is he doing it? He didn’t give much info, but he did say that he’s not selling it and that as far as the success is concerned, “It is something I never want. Please give me peace.” (Read TechCrunch for more details.)

While it’s hard to know exactly what the issue is, there’s no denying the weight of success. I’ve written a hundred times that I’ve seen leaders get wrecked more by success than by failure. According to multiple reports, Nguyen has said that the sudden fame and attention is something he doesn’t want, which makes sense. If you’re a young developer living in Vietnam and suddenly find yourself on top of the app world, that can be overwhelming.

As you chase your dream, promise me you’ll do 2 things:

1. Have a plan for if you succeed, not just for if you fail. Most people don’t have a “survive success plan.”

2. Keep people you trust close to you and people who love fame far away from you.

I hope Nguyen keeps developing apps and doing what he loves. Success can be a great thing too and I hope that’s the kind he and you both find.