Embrace failure: In a time when it is so easy and acceptable to be comfortable and complacent — embrace discomfort. Embrace failure. Embrace set backs and learn to smile as you take life’s punches. View them for what they are — learning lessons. You become stronger and more capable through every experience in which you face adversity. If there is an obstacle, run through it, jump over it, move it, or go around it but never stop trying. Success is not permanent and failure is not fatal. You only fail when you give up.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rich Hacking.
Rich Hacking, the visionary founder and CEO of the iconic social platform, Buffet, boasts an impressive background with titles that include, United States Marine, MMA Fighter, Investment Banker & Entrepreneur. His leadership qualities were recognized early on, earning him three meritorious promotions and culminating in his appointment as a Platoon Sergeant in the Marine Corps. With a strong entrepreneurial background and a relentless drive, Hacking transitioned from M&A advisory to tech, leading Buffet’s mission to break down barriers to loneliness and help improve in-person social connection through their user friendly app.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Absolutely. I started my career with the United States Marine Corps and then worked full time opening and operating a boutique boxing gym called GloveUp Boxing and Fitness, all while going to school at night. My days would start with a 4am wake up to get to the gym by 4:30am to prepare for my first client at 5am. I’d be there training clients and teaching classes until about 2pm, and then drive an hour to school where I would be in classes anywhere from 4pm to 10pm at night. I had this routine for about five years and in that time I learned so much about business, people, relationships, and most of all the importance of a community.
When Covid hit, the gym had to close its doors and I started my own fitness brand. I taught classes online, at local parks, and trained people at their homes. Even though business was great and I was doing really well, I wanted more. I had just finished my degree in Finance and always knew there was a ceiling in fitness. Not having any internships or a well known university on my resume, I cold called and networked my way into my first corporate finance job. Soon after, I got a job opportunity that would take me from Boston to Los Angeles, where I worked in management consulting and investment banking.
I enjoyed my time in finance as I was working with smart people and learning a lot, but I really missed working for myself and being in control of my own success. While on a business trip to Dubai, my co-founder and I were sitting in the back of a cab talking about how hard it was to meet people, whether to date or forge a friendship. This conversation snowballed into what would become Buffet. The idea to combine social discovery and locations, with an application designed and geared specifically to bring people together, instead of doom scrolling, swiping left, and conversations not leaving the message box. From the moment we landed back in LA, we put one foot in front of the other and started building Buffet. The rest is history.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
I think the most interesting stories are from the people I have met and connected with along the way.
About a year ago, we were doing street interviews at the Santa Monica Pier to gain insight on what people wanted out of a social app. I interviewed a man who had just moved to LA from Trinidad 3 days prior. He didn’t have much, but he came here to pursue his dream of being a musician. On the surface you might think we didn’t have much in common, but we very quickly connected on what it meant to have a dream and to chase it. Given that mutual understanding and shared experience, there was an immediate level of respect for one another. We both knew what it meant to break off from the traditional path, to ignore the naysayers, to sacrifice for our goals, and to work towards a dream despite the odds against you.
Experiences like this are why I built Buffet. People need connection and we connect over commonalities, shared interests and values. We live in a world where our heads are constantly down in our phones and real connection seems like a fallacy — Buffet’s mission is to help shape a future where that connection is closer than ever before. Where people connect with people and where we can listen and learn from one another, because without that connection and feeling of understanding, we are alone.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Early on when we were in beta testing, I was always excited to talk about Buffet and share my vision! I would passionately tell people about what we were doing and our goals to challenge the biggest names in tech. People would get equally as excited and ask to see the app. Despite being early on in the development stage, I would proudly show off our product…which would frequently crash, fail to load, or simply not work. I would receive an array of responses from laughter, to pity, to second hand embarrassment. I would always just smile, laugh and say “that’s why we beta test.”
Though the product wasn’t perfect at the start, my belief in it never wavered, and I’m proud of where it is now. It’s important to learn to appreciate the journey and recognize how far you’ve come. Every professional started as an amateur, and every business started as an idea. What enables you to go from one to the other is the underlying grit, discipline and self belief that you have what it takes to make it happen, to keep showing up and to continuously put one foot in front of the other despite the odds and circumstances.
Today, the product speaks for itself and we’re only getting better.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Yes! There is a very serious mental health crisis going on in the United States. The US Surgeon General has called it The Loneliness Epidemic. We are socializing 70% less than we were 20 years ago, which from a health perspective is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Other health consequences include increased risk of premature death, dementia, heart disease, and stroke.
Growing up, my family moved around a lot and I myself experienced long periods of loneliness. This has enabled me to have an advantageous and personal perspective on this issue and its solution. As a kid and now as an adult, I’ve been fortunate enough to find my sense of community in MMA gyms and with Marines. Knowing how tough it can be to find your people, I want Buffet to help others connect with their communities and feel less alone.
Buffet was specifically built to address the loneliness epidemic and to create a frictionless way to bring people together over shared experiences. People have been congregating over food/drink and shared experiences since the beginning of time, but current apps aren’t designed to bring people together. They’re built to illicit dopamine and encourage endless scrolling. Buffet makes it as frictionless as possible with an user interface designed to actually bring people together, all you have to do is connect, confirm and go! Whether that’s going to your favorite restaurant, checking out your local farmer’s market, or finally taking that workout class, there is something for everyone on Buffet!
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Yes! We try to make it a point to get as much user feedback as we can. It’s how we get better and improve the product. Shortly after we launched, I reached out to users on the app to get some input on what they were liking or not liking about Buffet. One specific conversation I had really sticks with me and I like to think about it on those tough days to remind me of our why.
I won’t say her name, but a young 28 year old woman responded to my inquiry and agreed to hop on a quick call. She then told me that she had moved from the Midwest to LA with her fiancé about a year ago for his job. She was working remotely, while he was going into the office 3 days out of the week. Understandably, he was meeting new people and making new work friends. On the other hand, she was rarely leaving the apartment and subsequently having trouble meeting new people. She felt awkward introducing herself to strangers and didn’t know how to go about meeting people in such a big city in her late 20s. She was feeling lonely, depressed, and even resentful that her significant other had new friends of his own.
She heard about Buffet on Instagram and shortly after downloading, went on her first meetup to a local coffee shop. She liked that Buffet made it really simple and provided the person, the place and the ability to propose a time. She said she had a lot more faith in the meetup happening because Buffet had provided an activity/location. She has been on a few friend meetups now through Buffet and feels herself coming out of her shell more and more. She looks forward to getting out of her apartment and meeting new people.
As someone who moved around a lot as a kid, I know that feeling of loneliness and struggling to make friends. It made me proud as the Founder/CEO to hear her story and how Buffet played a hand in expanding her social life. We hope to start hearing many many more stories like hers!
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
I believe everyone can help address this epidemic by listening, empathizing, and educating. We naturally want to talk about our own problems, and social media has exacerbated this while also shortening our attention spans. By being conscious of this and actively listening, we allow others to feel acknowledged, respected, and heard, which builds trust and promotes connection. Showing genuine interest in others and their stories can also teach us so much, you never know who you might meet or what you might learn. Listening is also a critical part of empathy. By putting yourself in someone else’s shoes we can better understand one another and the emotions someone’s feeling, ultimately leading to a deeper level of connection. Finally, educating ourselves about the importance of connection, the consequences of its absence, recognizing signs of loneliness, and learning about available solutions is crucial. We are inherently social beings and thrive on connection and community.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Great question. Being a leader is the single most important aspect of business. To be a leader is to inspire and drive a group of individuals forward toward a common goal. A mission. Leadership means taking ownership and responsibility for all your actions and the actions of your team — regardless of the outcome. It means leading by example, looking out for your subordinates, keeping them informed and prioritizing their development. To be a leader means to be technically and tactically proficient, to know yourself and to consistently seek improvement. It means always setting the example and taking care of the people, product and the profits in that order. Because great people make great products and great products make great profits.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- Embrace failure: In a time when it is so easy and acceptable to be comfortable and complacent — embrace discomfort. Embrace failure. Embrace set backs and learn to smile as you take life’s punches. View them for what they are — learning lessons. You become stronger and more capable through every experience in which you face adversity. If there is an obstacle, run through it, jump over it, move it, or go around it but never stop trying. Success is not permanent and failure is not fatal. You only fail when you give up.
- Discipline is everything: You need a strong foundation of discipline. Many people want to be their own boss but few understand what that means. Both success and failure start and end with you. The level of your success is directly correlated to how much you can endure and keep showing up. Being an entrepreneur is not easy. Ask yourself, are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown? As a founder, the work is never finished and new tasks are always being added to the list. You will be tired, unmotivated and frustrated. There will be moments when you want to take a break, slow down or quit. That’s when discipline takes over. Doing the things you don’t want to do — but know you have to do to get where you want to go is how winning is done.
- It will be lonely: The top thing I wish someone told me when I first started is how lonely it will be. It sounds ironic when we are creating an application to solve loneliness, but people rarely talk about the psychological and emotional strain it takes to be a founder. Those who haven’t been through it will ever fully understand. The late nights, canceling plans, the lack of sleep, the doubt that creeps in. It takes a toll on you mentally and physically, and many have and will succumb to the doubt. Few are able to turn all that negative energy into power and purpose, but when you do you will become unstoppable. Let the doubt come, feel it, but let it fuel you to do what needs to be done and so much more!
- The importance of people: Who you surround yourself with is extremely important, from the people you work with to your personal support system. It’s crucial to bring in team members who share a similar work ethic, mindset, and belief in the vision. Whether they are building or marketing the product, they need to understand and believe in the company’s values and the purpose behind it. Similarly, the people you surround yourself with in your personal life are equally important. It’s often surprising who supports you and who doesn’t. You’re going to lose friendships because people may not understand the commitment required to build something. It’s crucial to distance yourself from those who doubt your vision or have a negative outlook on your journey. Having a support system that encourages and uplifts you is essential to success.
- Pavlov’s Dog: Celebrate the wins: Celebrate the wins. It can be so easy to get caught up in the hustle and what’s next on the to-do list, but taking a moment to acknowledge your accomplishments is equally important. I always make it a point to give a shout out when a team member has a win, whether it’s adding a new feature to our app or reaching a follower goal on social media. Recognizing these achievements builds momentum and boosts confidence within the team. As a founder, it’s easy to get caught up with the list of things that need to get done. It can be overwhelming, but taking a moment to reflect on all that has already been accomplished reminds us how far we’ve come and the limitless potential ahead.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Build people up and make the effort to connect with others. It takes nothing from you and can make someone’s entire day. With social media, there are a lot of people addicted to staring at a screen while simultaneously having limited in person social interactions. People are constantly comparing themselves to others instead of appreciating what’s around them. I would challenge people to get out of their comfort zones and embrace the unknown by connecting with people you may not normally gravitate towards. Give someone a genuine compliment, maybe comment on their outfit or ask what flavor of coffee they ordered, you never know who you might meet or the things you can learn from a total stranger. It’s hard to imagine now, but this is how friendships and connections used to be made. Now with Buffet, connections are made everyday.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I strongly believe that in life — “It’s not what you say. It’s not what you do. It’s what you tolerate.”
This ties back to being a leader and the importance of values. The true measure of an individual or an organization’s character is not their words or actions but by what they accept. The standards you set, the behavior you permit and the boundaries you establish reveal more about your principles and who you are than your actions alone. Practicing extreme ownership means having the discipline to hold yourself and those around you accountable to a set standard and not tolerating anything less.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Yes. The US Surgeon General or any member of the World Health Organization. The US Surgeon General came out with an 83 page advisory report on the Loneliness Epidemic and the World Health Organization formed a special committee around the topic of social connection. I would love the opportunity to speak with them to see how we might be able to work together to help combat this issue.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can follow us on Instagram, Tik Tok or LinkedIn.
https://www.instagram.com/buffetapp_/
https://www.tiktok.com/@buffetapp_
https://www.linkedin.com/company/buffetapp/?viewAsMember=true
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Rich Hacking of Buffet Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.