Meet Alex Ruber and Parth Chopra, who created a million-dollar app after more than 5 failed startup ideas; what made their product different?

Alex Ruber and Parth Chopra are two US-based entrepreneurs. They tried their hands on several startup ideas before building a brand. The co-founders created Candle to help people feel closer to their loved ones. At first, their product was an AI-powered shopping tool for second-hand fashion. It did not get many users, was expensive to operate and not many people made the purchases.

How did everything begin?

Alex Ruber and Parth Chopra met and at that time were working as full-time engineers. Simultaneously, they enjoyed building and working on side projects. Both were reportedly interested in fashion, particularly second-hand clothing, according to Business Insider.

At first, they developed an AI-powered shopping tool for second-hand fashion. The startup was where users could describe products in natural language, such as a worn-in leather jacket with specific features.


The tool searched resale platforms including eBay, Poshmark, Mercari and ThredUp. Some of the users were attracted by the tool but the operating costs were very high.

Many people were looking at it but the browsing activity did not meant into purchases. The founders later decided to discontinue with it and explore something else.

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What did they do next?

They developed around five or six ideas, according to the report. These ideas centred around therapy, self-journaling, dating apps and business-to-business products in insurance and the paper industry.

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How did they start Candle?

Both the founders worked on several ideas. They even used to take feedback on these ideas from friends, family and other online communities. Still, nothing went in their favour. But, they did not give up.

After many setbacks, they became mentally and physically exhausted. During that time, they noticed that friends and family often checked in on them, but conversations used to revolve around the same things they got bored of hearing.

Then, they created Candle to help people feel closer to their loved ones.

It is a social-connection app built around a daily question. It was at first built by the founders for them and people close to them. But, they later saw an opportunity to go on with this idea. It received a positive response and later showed positive results.

According to the report, by August 2025, its monthly revenue had reached $144,533. Founders also claimed that the business generated more than $1 million in revenue during its first year.