Startup Spotlight #62: HiLife

HiLife is 1 Second a Day meets TikTok.

Dec 02, 2020

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I got the chance to speak with Hunter Isaacson, founder and CEO of HiLife, about what he’s working on at his startup, and any advice he has for emerging entrepreneurs.

Shortly after graduating from high school in 2017, Isaacson had an idea for a Gen-Z Foursquare reboot called Leadr. Starting Leadr was the greatest journey he could’ve ever asked for. Isaacson had no experience in tech, social, product, or anything in the industry at the time, but he had passion. The COVID lockdowns dealt a crushing blow to his team as Leadr was just a week away from launch. He and his team decided to pivot Leadr into 'HiLife.’ Now as he preps for HiLife’s 1.0 release, he has armed with the knowledge to build and scale.

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Startup Spotlight: HiLife

Problem: All social apps are starting to look the same, and the lines that once separated content within social have significantly faded. The power of posting has decreased and most of us scroll aimlessly through hundreds of redundant stories and posts.

Market: The TAM is 3.8B global mobile social users. The SAM is 247M USA mobile social users and the Service Obtainable Market (SOM) is 60M USA mobile social users ages 13-25.

Solution: “No-coding” the vlog format for vertical social media: 30-second highlight reels made up of 1-3 sec quick clips of your day. Think 1 Second a Day meets TikTok; when the day ends, add text, music, transitions, then post!

Team: Team of 5. Hunter (Founder/CEO), Zachary (Marketing), Steven (Operations), Katie & Jon (Engineering). Met Zach and Steven in my sophomore year at USC, Katie and Jon reached out on LinkedIn.

Recent Success:

Isaacson: Weathering the storm. The most difficult part of building in this space is you have to be willing to change everything on a dime. Over the course of the company, we’ve pivoted twice times (raising money in the process), rebuilt both front and back end twice, hired and fired, and even rebranded. The only way to strive through the challenges is as a team. I was beyond lucky to find 4 extremely loyal and passionate people, all young and untested, but they rose to the occasion. End of the day if you have persistence, you’ll strive through the mess of the early days.

Recent Struggle:

Isaacson: I struggled to be real about what I know and don’t know. In the early stage of HiLife (formally Leadr) I had no experience in consumer social or product design. I relied too heavily on anecdotal knowledge from “trusted” sources and waited too long to start the true learning process. Many of those sources were just as clueless as I was and led me down unsuccessful rabbit holes. Being able to step back and admit that you don’t know what you’re doing is a tough pill to swallow and it took me a while. Once I gained that self-awareness and humility opportunities trickled in. I networked like crazy, embraced the underdog spirit, and gained successful friends and mentors who showed me the ropes.

Founder Advice:

Isaacson: Vision first, plan second. Whenever one starts a business they tend to plan how long everything takes. You might layout 3, 6, or 9-month plans, but it’ll never go according to that. Focus on the 5-year goal and don’t get caught in a negative loop when you don’t hit a milestone as quickly as you hoped. Everything worth doing takes 2-5 times longer than you think. Trust the process!

Three Cool Founders You Should Know About:

Isaacson: Here are three founders you should check out next!

Ethan Glass, Founder of ParkPlace: ParkPlace builds omnichannel inventory management solutions for parking operators.
Tanner Kesel, Founder of QuikTok: QuikTok is a service that connects musicians, brands, and companies with TikTok influencers.
Jake Bjorseth, Founder of Trndsttrs Media: Trndsttrs Media is a Gen Z owned & operated agency that helps brands connect with modern consumers.

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