On finding product-market fit... and meaning

Ben RubinJason Rosenthal

Finding product market fit is a trial every founder must face. Serial entrepreneur Ben Rubin, who built the breakout social apps Meerkat, then Houseparty (acquired by Epic Games in 2019), and who is now building a decentralized messaging protocol as CEO and cofounder of Here Not There Labs, shares his journey — and search for meaning — with Jason Rosenthal, head of a16z crypto’s CSX startup accelerator program.

Welcome to web3 with a16z, a show about building the next generation of the internet.

Our featured guest today is serial entrepreneur Ben Rubin, who previously built the viral livestreaming app Meerkat, and then the group video chat app Houseparty — acquired by Epic Games in 2019 — and who is now CEO and cofounder of Here Not There Labs, which is building a decentralized messaging protocol.

Rubin spoke with Jason Rosenthal, head of a16z crypto’s CSX startup accelerator program, about paths to product market fit, given his journey in building breakout apps; they also discuss his unique perspective on creating company culture and more.

This conversation first took place at our recent CSX program, which just concluded in London. (Watch the video interview on Youtube here.)

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