AOL Startups

Leave Me Alone is a privacy-first email unsubscribe service founded by Danielle Johnson and James in November 2018. After validating the idea with a landing page that attracted 50 beta users in hours, they built an MVP in 7 days and launched on Product Hunt in January 2019, reaching #1 product of the day. By focusing on community engagement, transparent communication about their journey, and charging from day one ($3-$8 per scan), they grew to $1,700 MRR within months, with a major boost from a Lifehacker feature and subsequent Product Hunt 2.0 launch.

Answer Media is an ad tech company founded by Lauren Wilson and Eric Hayes that operates as a diversified video advertising platform. The company processes north of $10 million in annual ad spend through its network, generating well into the eight figures in revenue. They've expanded beyond their core ad network business to include a virtual video studio with 200 freelance contributors and technology solutions focused on publisher monetization.