The Ethos of an Entrepreneur: Andy Cwik on Building Hubbub and the Drive to Outrun

When Andy Cwik, Co-Founder and CEO of Hubub, first envisioned becoming an entrepreneur, his inspirations were figures like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. It wasn’t just their success that caught Cwik’s eye, but rather their approach – “They outrun everyone. They don’t squash anyone.” This distinction stuck with him as he found that not all behavior in the startup world was as admirable, such as that of Microsoft and Amazon.

Cwik launched his first startup in college, though it never took off. “There were only two VCs. No email,” he laughed. Still, his spark never left. Around 13 years ago, Cwik began considering a new problem — the one that would ultimately become the foundation of his current company, Hubub.

As his idea began to take shape, he joined the Founder’s Institute, which helped him understand early-stage entrepreneurial strategy and build his vision. Eventually, Hubub was born - “a digital concierge.” Cwik assembled the team, crafted the vision, and has remained deeply involved in product testing. 

At its core, Hubub is a B2B [Business-to-Business] platform that aims to simplify and centralize the scattered digital tools people use to organize their lives. “It’s been a very iterative process,” he explains. “We’ve had lots of customer interviews. The problem hasn’t changed—it’s the solution that has changed.” 

Cwik had a key insight regarding users’ behavior: people juggle countless apps and lists, creating inefficiency and stress. However, privacy concerns and switching costs made it difficult to unify those tools without resistance. “I didn’t know what an MVP [Minimum Viable Product] was,” Cwik explained. “I didn’t know about switching costs or how to build a successful marketing strategy.” Still, Cwik persisted—motivated by past frustrations, like wasting six months with a slow-moving Fortune 500 consulting firm—and honed his instincts through trial and error.

Today, Hubub is helping families save time and reduce stress. Indeed, Cwik says the user feedback is what he’s most proud of. Looking forward, he envisions Hubub evolving into a full-fledged two-sided marketplace: “Think of what Amazon is for durable goods—we want to be that, but for time-saving tools.”

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Cwik offered three pieces of advice: First, network relentlessly. “There’s a lot of networking that I had no clue existed,” he said. Attending events and reaching out on LinkedIn has been transformative for him. Second, invest in yourself, especially in terms of communication. “Learn to write, articulate your ideas, and give presentations.”  Third, stay curious. “Always self-educate,” he urged. Cwik reads across genres—business, theology, wellness—and subscribes to countless newsletters. “One out of ten times, I find something very valuable.” It’s this constant learning and drive to improve and adapt that powers Cwik and his work with Hubub.