Here are the core insights from an interview with Nathaneo Johnson, Co-founder & CEO of Series, a Yale student who raised $3.1M in two weeks for his AI social app.
TL;DR:
- The Idea: Series is an “AI social network” that uses AI agents to create “warm introductions” via iMessage, helping users connect based on specific needs. The core feature: No numbers (followers, likes) to eliminate the popularity contest.
- The Raise: The secret was in the storytelling. Instead of pitching an improvement to an old market, they pitched the creation of a completely new market for AI-powered social connections, positioning themselves as the leader.
- Unique Marketing: Use “controlled controversy.” Instead of paying remote interns, they created an “intern house”—an unusual idea with a logical reason behind it, which sparked curiosity and discussion.
- Core Mindset: Speed is the greatest asset; be willing to break things to capture the market. Don’t build a “faster horse” (a better LinkedIn); build the “car” (a whole new way to connect).
Nathaneo Johnson, a 21-year-old Computer Science student at Yale, believes social networks need a revolution. He and his team raised $3.1 million in just two weeks to launch Series, an AI-powered social app, breaking the fundraising record for a current Ivy League startup.
1. The Problem: Networks Locked by Privilege
The best opportunities often go to the best-connected, not the most qualified. Nathaneo calls this the “dad’s golf buddy” problem—lucrative internships or funding rounds are often decided by personal relationships, leaving equally or more capable candidates behind.
Series was built to solve this. It’s not a platform for showing off followers, but a utility for creating valuable connections. The app uses AI agents to find and execute warm intros via iMessage based on a specific need you provide (e.g., “I need a backend engineer for project X” or “I want to talk to someone who understands market Y”).
2. The Fundraising Strategy: Tell the Story of “Creating a New Market”
Initially, many VCs were skeptical and rejected the idea behind Series. They argued it wasn’t a big enough problem and that the model wouldn’t work long-term.
Nathaneo’s key to success was changing the story. Instead of saying, “We’re a better version of X,” he presented a much grander vision:
“Here’s what’s happened in the market. Here’s why it’s changing. And here’s how we are creating an entirely new market on top of that change. We will be the first standard in this market.”
They capitalized on the “technology window” as the consumer AI wave was rising. They convinced investors that it was the perfect moment for AI to enter the social space—a domain that had never been properly explored. This compelling narrative turned a meeting in San Francisco into a “million-dollar dinner.”
3. The Marketing Playbook: “Controlled Controversy” and Speed
a. Create Deliberate Controversy
To generate buzz, Nathaneo believes you need to do something slightly controversial, but with a legitimate reason behind it.
Instead of following the standard path of hiring remote interns, Series created an “intern house,” bringing their interns to live and work together. This idea immediately caught people’s attention and sparked curiosity.
“If you do something controversial that’s stupid, you’ll just look stupid. But if you do something different and have an underlying reason, it creates a ‘spiral of thought’ that makes people ask, ‘Why did they do that?’ That uncertainty gets people excited and makes them share.”
b. Speed is the Greatest Asset
“A lot of people are scared to move at fast speeds because things break. We’re not scared of that.”
Nathaneo emphasizes that the startup game isn’t about winning a single battle; it’s about winning the war. The goal is to capture your market and niche at all costs. To do that, speed is the deciding factor.
4. The Founder’s Philosophy: Breaking the Norms
- Break the “graduate, then start up” norm: Nathaneo is proving you can build a successful company while still in school. He uses the university as an advantage: a built-in community for connection and a direct marketing channel.
- Build the “car,” not a “faster horse”: He draws inspiration from Henry Ford’s famous analogy. People often say they want a 10x better version of what they already have (a faster horse). But true innovation comes from creating the next iteration (the car). Series doesn’t want to be a better LinkedIn; it aims to be a completely new method of connection.
- Synthesize to innovate: Instead of idolizing and copying one company, learn from many different sources (SpaceX, Facebook, etc.) and synthesize that knowledge to go in a completely new direction.