Ryan Hoover
Founder of Product Hunt. Investor at Weekend Fund.
Description
I grew up in Oregon with entrepreneurial parents. I started my career in gaming and fell into product management shortly after college. That led me to San Francisco where I worked in gaming for the first few years of my career before starting Product Hunt. Fast-forward to today, I spend most of my time investing in early-stage startups out of Weekend Fund and live in Miami (although I spend a fair amount of time working remotely in LA, NYC, and other places with fast WiFi). Outside of work I enjoy live music, hanging with friends in smaller groups (introvert 🙋🏼♂️), and weightlifting.
Suggested Questions
- What do you think the educational system should do to encourage and support recent graduates in starting their own ventures?
- What is your goal with the investments you're making through your $3 million fund?
- What is one thing that can be done in an investment meeting that is most likely to get you, Ryan Hoover, to say yes and write a check?
- How do you think the role of fashion and branding in technology will evolve as wearable computing becomes more commonplace?
- Can you share a specific example of a startup that successfully pivoted and what they did right?
- How do you believe improving the efficiency of knowledge-transfer could impact the human race?
- How do you think observing the way different age groups and demographics use technology can help in identifying new product opportunities?
- What do you believe is the "non-technical" ingredient essential for a startup's growth?
- How can an understanding of people's motivations and biases provide "super powers" to designers and product builders?
- How did you feel about the tech industry's response to the re-launch of PlayHaven's platform?
- Can you share a specific example from your experience where balancing enjoyable and necessary tasks in a startup led to a successful outcome?
- What other studies or frameworks, besides Lean Startup, have influenced your perspective on product design?
- What are some reasons you believe "no code" tools will become more prevalent in building products or MVPs?
- How do you think nostalgia in product design influences user engagement and experience?
- What do you enjoy most about the process of creating new things?
- How have "no code" tools changed the landscape for creating things on the internet compared to when you first built a website with Dreamweaver?
- How do you think Facebook's strategy of rapidly replicating business models and features affects their user experience?
- What are some key considerations to keep in mind when designing the user experience for a wellness app that promotes privacy and personal growth, especially for a younger demographic?
- How did Naval's investment in your seed round influence the acquisition of Product Hunt by AngelList?
- How does Tinder make its users feel a sense of productivity and accomplishment with each swipe?
- Can you share a specific example of how your friends in Miami provided valuable insights or connections that impacted your entrepreneurial journey in a unique way?
- How do you balance doing tasks you enjoy with the necessary tasks that you might not enjoy in a startup?
- What are some benefits for startups working on side projects according to your experience?
- How do you think embracing rejection and pushing forward through challenges contributes to an entrepreneur's success?
- Can you provide examples of innovative marketing tactics that have helped emotional AI companion startups stand out in a competitive market landscape?
- In your experience, what are the key challenges faced by startups in the AI companion market that focus on emotional aspects, and how can they overcome them?
- What are some key metrics that companies should track when implementing a PLG strategy to measure its success?
- How do you think the integration of augmented reality (AR) technology in the iWatch could enhance the gaming experience beyond hand motions and real-time video views?
- How do you differentiate between a founder who is open to feedback and learning versus one who is resistant to change when evaluating their ability to pivot and adapt in a dynamic market environment?
- How do you assess a founder's ability to pivot and adapt to market changes during an investment meeting?