Goose founder Derek Chadwick steps down from Grindr rival after two months
Chadwick indicated that he plans to continue creating projects for the gay community
By Aaron Sugg
Gay dating app Goose founder Derek Chadwick has announced his departure, admitting the company’s direction no longer aligns with his original vision.
Launched in late June 2026, Goose was marketed as a Grindr rival, a platform that fosters real relationships over just sex and hook-ups.
According to its official Google Play app description, Goose allows gay men to “discover guys through shared places, interests, friends, and moments happening around you”.
How does Goose work?
“No Matches. Just Waves. Goose replaces matching with a simple wave. If two people wave at each other, they’re connected. It’s lighter, more natural, and removes pressure from the start.”
Since its launch, Goose has gained a 4.5-star rating on the Apple App Store, with one user writing: “Highly recommend Goose, quality, not hookup.”
Chadwick, known for his acting career, notably in The Sex Lives of College Girls, announced he left the company last week.
Derek Chadwick leaves Goose after the company changes direction
In an Instagram statement, the founder wrote: “Where I landed is that my vision for where this should go and the direction the company is going aren’t the same thing anymore,” he wrote. “When my name and my face are on something, I want to be able to stand behind all of it, fully. As that stopped being true, staying didn’t feel right.”
“Although I’m no longer involved with Goose in any capacity, I wish the team the best – there are great people over there working incredibly hard to make Goose special,” he continued.
“To everyone who joined, who waved, who sent me a message, who told me they actually made a friend on there, thank you. That was always the whole point for me, and it still is.”
“I’m not done building for us. More soon” – Chadwick teasing more gay projects
Chadwick indicated that he plans to continue creating projects for the gay community, ending with: “I’m not done building for us. More soon.”
Goose previously faced backlash over a number of data privacy concerns after sections of its terms and conditions were scrutinised online.
Since then, Goose has amended the section to “reflect industry-standard language commonly used across lifestyle and dating apps”.
Many have described the wording as exploitative and questioned whether Goose is truly the hook-up-free app it claims to be, particularly given that it includes disappearing photos, a feature also associated with Grindr.