The Vergecast Solo Acts: Raluca Pop, founder of Hive Social
Feb 20, 2023
Raluca Pop, founder of Hive Social, launched her app at just 19, navigating the complexities of the social media landscape. She shares the journey of building Hive, emphasizing the challenges of rapid user growth and security issues. The app gained traction as a notable alternative to Twitter amid market changes. Raluca highlights innovative features like profile songs and discusses how communities, especially K-pop fans, have fueled Hive's engagement. Her insights on resilience and entrepreneurship provide inspiration for aspiring tech creators.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Hive's Origin
- Raluca Pop created Hive Social because existing platforms didn't meet her needs.
- She learned to code at 19 and launched the first version while working and studying full-time.
Building Hive
- Raluca learned to code using online tutorials and built the first version of Hive in four months.
- She coded for long hours, prioritizing the app's development over basic needs.
Unexpected Growth
- Hive Social gained 150,000 users overnight after Elon Musk acquired Twitter.
- The influx caused server crashes and a duplicate username bug, highlighting the challenges of rapid growth.