<p><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5fad62bbdf90d0001837816a-2000/untitled design - 2020-01-09t125908.442.png" border="0" alt="david dobrik david's disposable photo app" data-mce-source="Adam Hadi for David's Disposable"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>YouTube superstar David Dobrik just relaunched his disposable camera app, Dispo, and it's getting major interest from investors.</p><p>Dobrik is known online for his comedic skits with his influencer posse <a href="https://www.elitedaily.com/p/whos-in-the-vlog-squad-david-dobriks-youtube-crew-is-seriously-massive-18546479">the Vlog Squad</a>, and for <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-car-has-given-away-tesla-ferrari-youtube-2020-4">surprising friends and followers with luxury cars</a>. The 24-year-old rose to fame online through the now-defunct short-form video app Vine, and he has since taken over social media with 23 million followers on TikTok, 18 million subscribers on YouTube, and 14 million followers on Instagram. </p><p>Dobrik first incorporated disposable cameras into his influencer brand after launching a second Instagram account, David's Disposable, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/davidsdisposable/'hl=en">which today has 3 million followers</a> and only displays the photos Dobrik took with a disposable camera. These photos include pictures of celebrities like Beyonc, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Chris Hemsworth that he snapped at different Hollywood events.</p><p>After the success of this second Instagram page, Dobrik and his longtime friend <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/behind-the-scenes-working-with-david-dobrik-natalie-noel-mariduena-2020-8">Natalie Mariduena</a> decided they wanted to turn the hobby into a larger business venture, and they brought the idea to his <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-influencer-agents-managers-database-youtube-instagram-tiktok-2020-6">talent manager Jack Reed in the middle of 2019</a>.</p><p>In December 2019, they launched the smartphone app <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-dobrik-disposable-camera-photo-app-1-million-downloads-2020-1#:~:text=Since%20its%20launch%20on%20December,taken%20with%20a%20disposable%20camera.">David's Disposable, which was designed to mimic the experience of using a disposable camera.</a></p><p>In June, the team renamed the app to Dispo and brought on entrepreneur Daniel Liss. A friend of Liss introduced the group to Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, and his <a href="https://www.sevensevensix.com/" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="40" data-uri="68fe5b23c4bd2e3ee1ee48be889f3d11">Seven Seven Six</a> fund made its first investment <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dispo-announces-4-million-in-seed-funding-301147789.html">leading the $4 million seed round for Dispo</a>. Liss hired a team to redesign the app.</p><p>Dispo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-dobrik-app-may-score-100-million-valuation-after-being-inundated-with-offers-2021-2">officially relaunched this week</a> and is already in talks with investors like Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and Benchmark, among others, <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/camera-app-dispo-gets-investment-interest-from-sequoia-andreessen-horowitz-benchmark'shared=1677692ef9d5c709">for funding at a $100 million valuation</a>, according to The Information.</p><p>What makes Dispo different from other photo-taking and sharing apps is that after a photo is taken users have to wait until 9 a.m. the next day for them to "develop" and to view the picture. Users can purchase physical prints from the app to be mailed directly to their homes. This design is meant to simulate the experience of using an actual disposable camera and also help prevent users from obsessing in the moment over getting the perfect shot.</p><p>The company plans to monetize the app eventually, but right now is focused on growing the audience, Liss said. </p><p>After relaunching the app, the team is now working on creating photo filters and other new features. The group is currently working from its headquarters in California, and looking to fill more roles to grow the team, including a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2429352218/'refId=ykGJgFO31qtsPfoVqTacRg%3D%3D&trackingId=mU2BTv7LegjvR7ThCA7i7Q%3D%3D">backend engineer</a>.</p><p><em>This article was originally published on November 16, and has been updated with new information about the relauch and new Dispo team members.</em></p><p><strong>Meet the 8-person team building the second release of the app below:</strong></p><h3>David Dobrik: Chief Fun Officer</h3><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5fad5f78355f4100197e5d30-400-300/david-dobrik-chief-fun-officer.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Dobrik has spent the last few months pitching the app concept to numerous investors over Zoom, according to Liss. </p><p><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dispo-announces-4-million-in-seed-funding-301147789.html">Other investors in Dispo include</a>, Unshackled Ventures, Shrug Capital, Weekend Fund, members of the Vlog Squad, Latin World Entertainment's Sofia Vergara and Luis Balaguer, The Chainsmokers, Roivant CEO Vivek Ramaswamy, Lime CEO Wayne Ting, Knowable CEO Warren Shaeffer, Brud CEO Trevor McFedries, Pizzaslime co-founders Matt Hwang and Stove, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-youtube-star-david-dobriks-seatgeek-influencer-marketing-deal-2019-9">Ian "from Seatgeek" Borthwick</a>. </p><p><strong>Background: </strong></p><p>Other projects Dobrik has recently worked on include starring in Nickelodeon's series "America's Most Musical Family" in 2019, hosting the Teen Choice Awards, and now hosting Discovery's new show "Dodgeball Thunderdome."</p><p>He also recently launched a perfume, David's Perfume by David Dobrik.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Natalie Mariduena: Treasurer</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fad5fdc355f4100197e5d32-400-300/natalie-mariduena-treasurer.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>So far in her role at Dispo, Mariduena has helped with the hiring process and onboarding new members.</p><p>She has a degree in psychology and environmental science. </p><p><strong>Background: </strong></p><p>Mariduena, who is most known for being Dobrik's childhood best friend from Chicago, joined <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/behind-the-scenes-working-with-david-dobrik-natalie-noel-mariduena-2020-8">David Dobrik LLC a few years ago, and now she serves as his executive assistant. </a></p><p>When she's not appearing in Dobrik's vlogs or TikTok videos, she is working beside him to help scale the growing business.</p><p> </p></p><br/><br/><h3>Daniel Liss: CEO</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fad6008df90d00018378159-400-300/daniel-liss-ceo.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Dobrik brought Liss on in May to help raise capital for the company, and assist them in building a tech team.</p><p>"I'm a huge fan of David and Natalie and I'm incredibly impressed by their connection with the audience and also their values," Liss said. </p><p>He's worked to bring on investors and build a team.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong></p><p>Liss is a venture capitalist. He is the cofounder and previous partner to the venture capital firm Pilot Labs, which invested in AwesomenessTV, IAG Research, and BeautyCounter.</p><p>He was a consultant to the co-CEOs of the fitness subscription Box company FabFitFun, and an advisor to Sofia Vergara's company Latin World Entertainment.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Briana "Bhoka" Hokanson: Lead Designer</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fad6021df90d0001837815a-400-300/briana-bhoka-hokanson-lead-designer.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Hokanson is a professional product designer, graphic designer, and illustrator. She landed the job at Dispo after a venture capitalist she knows messaged her about the job, she said.</p><p>"I've been doing design for over 10 years now," Hokanson said. "Some of my favorite memories in college were being in the dark room, developing film photography."</p><p><strong>Background: </strong> </p><p>Previous to her role at Dispo, she freelanced for startups in NYC, and she was among three designers building Adobe Lightroom, Hokanson said. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></p><br/><br/><h3>Regynald Augustin: Back-end Engineer</h3><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5fad6039355f4100197e5d38-400-300/regynald-augustin-back-end-engineer.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Augustin is in charge of all the back-end infrastructure right now and he said he's focused on building a good company culture. </p><p>"Most tech doesn't really feel fun anymore and just talking to Dan (Liss), Dispo definitely felt above anything else like a really fun experience and that's kind of why I choose it," he said.</p><p><strong>Background:</strong></p><p>Previously, Augustin was an engineer at Twitter, and earlier this year he worked to move Twitter toward using more inclusive language, and replace the company's use of words with racist connections, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-engineers-replace-racially-loaded-tech-terms-like-master-slave/">according to CNET</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p></p><br/><br/><h3>Malone Hedges: IOS Engineer</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5fad604ddf90d0001837815d-400-300/malone-hedges-ios-engineer.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Hedges is the most recent hire and he is in charge of front-end development for Dispo.</p><p>He thinks Dobrik's engaged Gen-Z community makes him an ideal candidate to launch a social app, which Hedges is excited to help build, he said.</p><p><strong>Background:</strong></p><p>Hedges previously worked at a video-based startup and he has a background in computer science and coding. </p><p> </p></p><br/><br/><h3>Michael Shillinburg: Designer and 3D Animator</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/60366591d920880018591bb0-400-300/michael-shillinburg-designer-and-3d-animator.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Shillinburg, a designer and 3D animator at Dispo, created the interactive animation that users see when they first open the app. </p><p>Liss reached out to Shillinburg directly, looking for a motion designer to join the team. </p><p>"I've been doing the intersection of 3D animation and UI design," Shillinburg said. "Mainly, why they brought me on, was so that I could visually spice up the app." </p><p>Currently, Shillinburg is working on building themed cameras and filters to add to the app's existing features, he said.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong> </p><p>Previously, Shillinburg was a founding designer at the short-form video-sharing app Byte.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>TJ Taylor: VP of Community</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/603665fcd920880018591bb2-400-300/tj-taylor-vp-of-community.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Taylor joined Dispo in January and learned about the role through Liss who has been a long-time industry connection. </p><p>In his role, Taylor is focused on customer trust and safety, support, platform moderation, and working with influencers and creators who join the platform to figure out potential partnerships while also making sure the average user feels welcome, he said. </p><p>"As the vision got clearer and clearer, and I was in the position to make a move and take on a new challenge, that is when I ended up coming here," Taylor said. </p><p><strong>Background: </strong></p><p>Previously, Taylor was the director of community development at the celebrity dating app Raya.</p></p><br/><br/>
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