Key facts
- The Launchpad incubator prioritized social media presence and growth metrics for participating startup founders.
- Teams were required to meet daily metrics, including social media video uploads and sales calls.
- The event was filmed for a planned reality show by Stan, the platform behind the incubator.
- Founders were selected based on their existing social media followings and ability to grow them.
Startup founders participated in a two-week incubator event called Launchpad in rural Pennsylvania, hosted by Stan, a company that supports independent creators. The event was designed to be like a reality show, with founders selected based on their social media presence and ability to grow it. Teams were required to meet daily metrics, including producing social media content, with magnetic personalities being a key commodity. Film crews documented the entire event for a planned reality show. While the atmosphere was competitive, with eliminations and alliances, the focus was strictly on business and social media growth, with no romantic entanglements reported among the mostly young tech founders.