Who Founded HQ Trivia
HQ Trivia was co-founded by Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll in 2017, with early product development led by Yusupov. The app launched as a live, mobile trivia game show that paid winners in cash, quickly gaining viral popularity. Yusupov served as CEO, while Kroll was a co-founder and CTO. The platform monetized through ads and in-app purchases, creating a new category of social trivia entertainment before operational challenges led to shutdowns and ownership changes. This profile clarifies founding roles and the company’s trajectory for long-term reference.
Founders and Early Team
Core Founders
- Rus Yusupov: Co-founder and CEO; previously a co-founder of Vine.
- Colin Kroll: Co-founder and CTO; formerly a lead engineer at Twitter and Vine.
Product and Engineering
HQ Trivia’s early success relied on tight collaboration between design, engineering, and content operations. Yusupov led product vision, while Kroll oversaw technical execution, enabling rapid iteration on live question delivery and audience engagement tools.
Company Timeline and Key Milestones
| Date or Period | Event | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | HQ Trivia launches | Introduced live, cash prize trivia at scale; strong early user growth |
| 2018 | Peak daily active users and cultural visibility | Established trivia-as-entertainment category; attracted mainstream attention |
| 2019 | Layoffs and operational slowdown | Business model pressures and rising costs challenged sustainability |
| 2020 | Shutdown of main HQ Trivia app | Live game operations ended; signaled end of original product run |
| 2020–2022 | Acquisition and rebrand attempts (e.g., by Rupture and others) | Legacy brand and audience sought by new owners for trivia and livestream experiments |
Business Model and Revenue Approach
HQ Trivia generated revenue primarily through ads and optional in-app purchases. Live shows created high-engagement moments that drove ad impressions, while bonus rounds and tickets-to-pin pull mechanisms encouraged spending. This hybrid model supported rapid user acquisition but depended on continuous high-quality content and host presence, which became operationally difficult to sustain at scale.
Current Status and Founder Trajectories
HQ Trivia’s original live format ended with the shutdown of the main app. Since then, the brand has been involved in licensing and acquisition activity, with limited direct involvement from Yusupov and Kroll. Yusupov has been reported to focus on new ventures in interactive media and social products, while Kroll’s public activity has been more limited. No ongoing HQ-branded trivia product is operated by the original founding team.
Comparison With Similar Platforms
| Platform | Live Interaction | Prize Model | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQ Trivia | Yes (synchronous) | Cash prizes, ad-supported | Shutdown; legacy brand |
| Funtactix / QuizWiz | Limited or async | In-app currency, ads | Operational |
| TikTok Live Q&A | Yes (creator-led) | Non-cash engagement | Active |
Key Takeaways
- HQ Trivia was co-founded by Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll, leveraging experience from Vine and Twitter.
- The company peaked in 2018 with widespread cultural adoption of live trivia games.
- Revenue relied on ads and in-app purchases, which strained sustainability as user growth slowed.
- The original live product ended in 2020; the brand has since been licensed or acquired.
- Founders have moved on to other projects, and no direct HQ Trivia product is currently operated by them.
FAQ
Reader questions
Who is the founder of HQ Trivia?
HQ Trivia was co-founded by Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll. Yusupov served as CEO, and Kroll as CTO and co-founder.
What happened to HQ Trivia?
The original live trivia app shut down in 2020 due to business-model challenges. The HQ brand has since been involved in acquisition and licensing activity, but the original product is no longer active.
Are there any current HQ Trivia games operated by the founders?
No. The original HQ Trivia platform is discontinued, and the founders are not currently running a live HQ-branded trivia product.
How did HQ Trivia make money?
HQ Trivia earned revenue primarily through advertising and optional in-app purchases, including ticket-based mechanisms and bonus rounds designed to drive engagement and spending.
What are the founders doing now?
Rus Yusupov appears to be pursuing new interactive-media and social ventures. Colin Kroll’s recent public activity is limited, and he is not known to be involved in live trivia operations today.