How Two Brothers Raised $42 Million For A Social Media Startup Rooted In Nostalgia

Описание: In this Forbes Talks interview, Ben and Dan Silvertown, the co-founders of Lapse, discuss their social camera app and its unique approach to social media. They delve into the importance of authenticity in social media, where they aim to counteract the performative nature of current platforms by promoting genuine, unedited photography; the importance of user feedback versus maintaining a core vision, as they navigate the challenge of iterating based on user input while staying true to their original goals; and the focus on retention over rapid growth, emphasizing the need to build a strong network and create daily value for users before scaling aggressively.

00:00 - Intro: Meet the Founders of Lapse
00:29 - Their First Hustle… at Ages 11 and 13
01:13 - The Moment That Sparked the Idea
01:58 - Why Film Photography Was the Inspiration
02:38 - Working Together as Brothers
03:19 - Splitting the Roles: Creative vs. Business
04:01 - From Camera App to Social Platform
05:21 - Building the Business with Complementary Skills
06:21 - How the Product Has Evolved
07:34 - When Users Changed the Vision
08:31 - Listening to Users vs. Trusting Vision
09:03 - The Noise of Daily User Feedback
09:47 - Why Frequency Is Everything in Social Apps
10:34 - Their Core Audience: Gen Z, Mostly Female
11:31 - Gen Z’s Impact on Social Media
12:40 - Redefining “Authenticity” in the Age of Curation
13:50 - Getting Ahead of What’s Next
14:02 - Why They’re Not Embracing Generative AI
14:48 - How They’re Retaining Users Without Monetizing
15:49 - Why Growing Too Fast Can Kill a Startup
16:36 - They’re Not Monetizing Yet—Here’s Why
17:06 - How They Raised $42M Without AI Buzz
17:57 - 100% Organic User Growth Strategy
18:35 - Breaking Away from Silicon Valley Branding
19:29 - The Power of Nostalgia in Visual Culture
20:28 - What’s Next for Lapse
20:42 - Their Mission: Make People Love Photography Again

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