Deconstructor of Fun 312. How Three Engineers No One Wanted to Fund Built a $XXXM Company
Nov 24, 2025
Guest
Andre (co-founder, Heroic Labs)
Guest
Mo (co-founder, Heroic Labs)
Guest
Chris (co-founder, Heroic Labs)
In this engaging discussion, Chris, Mo, and Andre, the co-founders of Heroic Labs, share their journey from struggling for funding to building a successful company quietly powering game studios. They delve into their bold pivot to open source, recount their intense experiences at Y Combinator, and reflect on the challenges of remote work dynamics. The trio also discusses the value of persistence, company culture, and the lessons learned from setbacks, showcasing how innovation can arise from necessity and friendship.
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Open Source As A Distribution Strategy
- Heroic Labs shifted from SaaS to open source because core infrastructure adoption required open distribution.
- Open sourcing risked losing customers but maximized long-term adoption in studios.
YC Arrival And The Airbnb Bubble
- The founders met at university, worked in fintech, then applied to YC and relocated to California for the summer batch.
- They lived in Airbnbs, met other founders, and treated YC as an intense, immersive product sprint.
Three Months Of Fever At YC
- YC compressed work into a three-month fever of 8 a.m.–10 p.m. days with weekly dinners and partner mentorship.
- The founders felt behind but used the intensity to iterate rapidly toward Demo Day.