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When True Blood’s Stephen Moyer approached Andrew Sachs in 2013 with an idea for an app, the LA entrepreneur was hesitant. Many actors have unsuccessfully tried to enter the business world, but after hearing the idea, Sachs was convinced the actor was on to something special.
The duo created Weev, a conversation stimulating app that allows users to post a question or idea and share video responses in an ongoing thread. The platform eradicates internet anonymity which Sachs believes has fostered an international, caring community.
“People where going nuts with conversation. I thought a Weev wouldn't be more than 20 or 30 responses because that’s how much someone would watch. But now they go on for hundreds of responses. People stay up all night long with their friends they’ve met on weave and they’ll say, 'I’m sad', 'I’m bored', 'let’s play a game', 'let’s sing'— they connect. Its astounding to me.”
But when the app launched in July 2014, Sachs admitted there were some serious problems. The high video traffic caused bugs for users on an iPhone 4 or 5, but when the iPhone 6 launched in the fall, mobile technology had finally caught up to the potential of the app.
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Weev currently has over 10,000 active monthly users from around the world who stay engaged on the app for an average of 16 minutes per visit, creating a community that Sachs and Moyer did not anticipate.
Amid thousands of international friendships, two users who met on Weev were married earlier this year; a group of users have scheduled a Weave-Con in Colorado; and there are nightly “open bars” in which users stay up and drink with one another. “I joke that we’ve found the cure to drunk driving,” said Sachs.
Two LA comedians have even started a morning talk show on the app. Karli Kaiser and Brian Rodriguez recently began producing “The Karli and Ben Show in the Morning” in which viewers can engage with the host’s questions and interact with other fans. The show currently has 1,300 viewers a day.
But despite their loyal following, Weev has not begun their marketing push to bring on a steady stream of new customers. The 11 person Santa Monica company will soon be closing a $1 million angel round that Sachs plans to use to bring some new faces to the video app.
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