My ‘Oops’ Moment With Andrew Conru

OPW – Aug 18 – Andrew Conru is the Stanford PhD behind FriendFinder.com. In 1994 he created webpersonals.com which was sold to the company that became Lavalife.com. In 1996 he then started FriendFinder, followed by AdultFriendFinder, which was then acquired and merged with Penthouse in 2007. (I worked for Andrew in 2003). I remember interviewing Andrew in 2007 prior to the sale and he said he would be interested in aquaculture, should FriendFinder be sold. So I wasn't sure whether to take him seriously when he told me over dinner in Silicon Valley in March this year that he was creating a social network for homeless people. In fact, I belly laughed when he told me. Oops. He held a straight face. This time he wasn't joking.  

Since he sold FriendFinder, Andrew Conru has been busy seeding startups that help social causes through his non-profit software development company, compute.org. CityRoof.org is one of those startups.  Its his social network for homeless people. Turns out, its a great idea and fantastic social service. The site helps homeless people connect with local resources, rate them, get a mobile phone, share stories and find moral support. Power to you Andrew. Sorry I laughed at your idea.