These YC Founders Pivoted 5 Times Before Building A Social App That Nabbed 300K Users And Over $1M ARR In 6 Months
A few months ago, two YC-backed founders found themselves stuck in what they called “pivot hell.” They had cycled through more than 10 ideas, watching the clock on their seed money tick down. Yet, against the odds, these YC founders pivoted 5 times before building a social app that nabbed 300K users and over $1M ARR in just 6 months.
Image Credits:Candle
Their story is one of grit, timing, and a little bit of viral luck.
From Failed Ideas To Y Combinator Backing
The startup, now known as Candle, was founded by Alex Ruber, a former Apple engineer, and Parth Chopra, who had previously worked at Asana and Twitter.
Before Candle, they built Encore, a conversational AI shopping tool. That product secured them a spot in Y Combinator’s Fall 2024 batch and helped raise $2 million.
But as Ruber recalls, the economics didn’t work.
“The secondhand shopping space is a tough market to begin with,” he told TechCrunch. “You either become like Google Shopping or build a marketplace like Whatnot or eBay. Neither was a target we wanted to pursue.”
The Grind Of 10+ Failed Pivots
Between December and April, the duo raced through more than a dozen experiments across niches like fashion and sports.
None stuck. Each failed pivot drained more time, energy, and morale. At one point, even their personal relationships with friends and partners were strained—a familiar pain for early-stage founders.
Ironically, it was that very tension that sparked the breakthrough.
The Birth Of Candle: A Social App For Connection
The first version of Candle was intentionally simple. It offered a swipeable deck of questions to spark deeper conversations with partners and friends.
The real turning point came when an intern—now Candle’s marketing lead—posted about the app on TikTok. The video went viral, gaining unexpected traction in Europe.
From there, the growth snowballed.
Explosive Growth: 300K Users And $1M ARR
Within six months, Candle grew to 300,000 active users and crossed $1 million in ARR. For Ruber and Chopra, the hard pivots had finally paid off.
The app’s viral engine and strong word-of-mouth helped it stand out in a crowded social space where most new products quickly fizzle.
Why This Story Matters
The journey behind Candle is a sharp reminder for founders:
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Pivots aren’t failure—they’re discovery.
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Timing and virality matter as much as tech.
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Persistence pays off when paired with smart execution.
These YC founders pivoted 5 times before building a social app that not only found product-market fit but also scaled faster than anyone expected.
And in today’s competitive startup ecosystem, their story shows that staying adaptable is the ultimate founder superpower.
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