This Week in Startups E1026: Cocoon Co-Founders Sachin Monga & Alex Cornell are building an intimate app to connect close circles, share insights on key standout features, raising money as a messaging app, breeding trust via strong domain names, ideal customers & more
4 snips
Feb 7, 2020 Sachin Monga, Co-founder and CEO of Cocoon, teamed up with Alex Cornell, its designer and former Facebook Live team member, to create a private social networking app. They discuss their motivation for building an intimate platform amid privacy concerns in social media. The duo shares insights on the importance of a strong domain name for trust, the challenges of competing with giants, and their unique ad-free monetization model. Innovative features like virtual acknowledgments aim to deepen friendships, showing their commitment to fostering authentic connections.
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Instagram's Early Days
- Jason recounts having Kevin Systrom on the podcast in 2011 before Instagram's massive success.
- He draws parallels to Cocoon, sensing a similar potential for disruption in social media.
Cocoon's Design Philosophy
- Cocoon's design emphasizes warmth and intimacy, focusing on close relationships.
- Sharing location and steps with trusted family members adds a unique layer of connection.
Early Facebook Platform Vision
- The founders, Sachin and Alex, envisioned a platform where users could seamlessly bring their identities and friends to various online services.
- Early Facebook platform days held similar optimism for transforming consumer behavior through the social graph.
