JubJub

Tom’s Journey with Hyper

Before building JubJub, I had deep domain expertise across Hollywood VFX and crypto, with a clear technical vision for the future of media ownership. But turning that vision into a fundable, buildable startup was the biggest challenge. The idea was strong, but it needed structure, clarity, and a clear narrative that could translate complex infrastructure into something investors, creators, and partners could immediately understand.

The biggest challenge early on was moving from technical insight into a real product strategy. JubJub was not a simple consumer app. It was a deeply technical infrastructure play designed to become a canonical ownership layer for media, with automatic payment routing to rights holders. To make that work, I needed a framework for validating the thesis, sharpening the product story, and focusing on the steps that mattered most.

Working with Hyper helped create that structure. The team supported me through the early-stage fundamentals, helping validate the thesis, refine the product narrative, and create accountability around building from scratch. One of the most valuable things I gained through the process was clarity, especially around how to position a complex technical product in simple, compelling terms for non-technical investors and creators.

We secured venture funding from Antler, deployed smart contracts on Base, and completed the first end-to-end streaming payment between a viewer and a rights holder. Along the way, we also learned from and were advised by Disney executives and digital team members, which helped strengthen our thinking as we brought the product into production.