Can a media company succeed without Facebook? This startup says yes.

Most app developers targeting teens and their ever-shrinking attention spans fall short of mainstream success — but not Mammoth Media.

The Santa Monica, Calif.-based startup claims it has reached about 30 percent of U.S. teenagers in less than four years, solely through the two apps its created: Wishbone and Yarn.

Wishbone, a teen polling app, and Yarn, an interactive fictional storytelling app, are part of what the company calls "micro-entertainment," or bite-sized experiences that can fill the space of a few minutes or even a few seconds.