YouTube Co-Founders Split As Hurley Spins Out MixBit And ...

MixBit is an app that lets users record clips and then create videos collaboratively. You can choose clips based on location or friendships, ... Considerthistheendofanera.After15yearsofworkingtogether,firstatPayPalandthenatYouTubeandmostrecentlyatincubatorAvosSystems,YouTubeco-foundersChadHurleyandSteveChenareheadedindifferentdirections. Avosispivoting,inasense,andtransformingfromanincubatorintoasinglecompanyworkingonasingleproduct:MixBit,amobilevideoplatform.MixBithasbeenHurley’sbabyfromthebeginning,sohewillbetakingthehelmthere.Meanwhile,SteveChenwillmoveovertoGoogleVentures(whereourownLeenaRaoisheadedtobeapartner)asanentrepreneurinresidence. ChenandHurleyfoundedAvosSystemsin2011togiveboththefreedomtopursuemultipleprojects.TheincubatorransimilarlytoanExpaorbetaworksinthattheprojectswerechosenbyHurleyandChen,andstayedwithinarelativelyclosedenvironment.Avoswasalsouniqueinthatitusedaready-madebaseofAPIsandcodesnippetstohelpentrepreneursgetoffthegroundfaster. “Wewereworkingonnineproductsatonetime,whichsoundsastronomical,butitwasn’tbasedonthewayAvoswasstructured,”saidChen.“I’dsayabout40percentofallwebsitesandiOSappsarebuiltonthesamesharedtechnology,builtandrebuiltandrebuiltagain.WithAvosalltheserversandauthenticationandsecuritywereallwrittenandhandled,soitwasmucheasiertotestoutnewideas.” Butofalltheideas,MixBitwastheonethatgottheattention. HurleyhaddreamedforyearsofbuildingoutvideoonmobilethesamewayhedidwithYouTube,andsoMixBitwasborn.BeingthefoundersofYouTube,HurleyandChenknewtheycouldn’tgetMixBitoutthedoorfortestingwithoutmakinganannouncement.SowhentheapplaunchedintoabetatestingperiodinOctober,theteammadeanannouncementtogetpeopleontheplatformandgetfeedback. Thentheywentsilent. “Tous,thatwasreallyjustaperiodinwhichwecouldwatchhowpeopleusetheserviceandseewhattheywant,”saidHurley.“Plus,itgaveustimetogeteverythingsettledwiththetransitionfromAvostoMixBit.” ButwhatisMixBit? MixBitisanappthatletsusersrecordclipsandthencreatevideoscollaboratively.Youcanchooseclipsbasedonlocationorfriendships,orjustchoosefromthewholebunchofthem.Theserviceisinteresting,anddefinitelyasignaltowardwherewe’regoingwithmobilevideo,butitmaybebeforeit’stime. AsforAvosmanyoftheprojectsalsocircledaroundvideoconsumption,creationandcollaboration,sopivotingfromAvosintoMixBitkeptmostoftheteamtogether.TherearestillofficesinNewZealandandSanMateo,comprisingbetween20and25employees,whowillnowallbeworkingonMixBit. TheteampreppedforthetransitionbysellingoffDeliciousandensuringthatanyotherengineersordevelopersatAvoswerereadytodosomethingmoreindependent.TurnsoutthatonlyafewdevelopersintheBeijingoperationwillbedoingtheirownthing,withtherestoftheremainingAvosteamjoiningMixBit. Iaskedthetwoentrepreneurshowtheyfeelaboutworkingseparatelyafterspendingsomuchoftheirprofessionalcareerssidebyside. “We’llbefine,”saidHurley,laughing. “Wewon’tbefine,”Chensaidwithasmile.“Actually,itwasaverypersonalanddifficultdecisiontomake,butwiththedecisiontoturnAvosintoMixBititbecameprettyclear.MixBitwasChad’sideabeforewestartedAvosandevenatYouTube,andifIfeeldriventoworkonotherprojects,thenI’mjustgettinginthewayofMixBitandtheteam.” Thatsaid,theduoseemsexcitedaboutthenewopportunitiesahead.“IcanalwaysstopbySteve’sandstealsomefoodeveryonceinawhile,”Hurleysaid. Chenwouldn’tgointomuchdetailaboutwhatheplansonbuildingatGoogleVentures,buthedidexplainthatpartofthedrawofGVwasbeingaroundtheyounger,freshermindsintech.“ChadandIhavealwaysbeenontheinsideofonecompany,sotheopportunitytostartfromhigherupacrossmultipleindustriesandtalktothepeopleattheforefrontofthefuture…that’ssomethingthatisexcitingandalluringtome.” Thoughhewouldn’tspeakupaboutwhathespecificallywantstobuild,hedidhintthatitwillprobablyberelatedtomedia. “There’sonlysomuchthatIknowabout,andsomeofthosethingsaremediaandthewaywedistributemedia,”saidChen.“Butit’saverydifferenttimefromwhenwestartedYouTube,beforetheiPhoneandthecloudweresoinplay.”