What motivated you to start building your product?

I hacked self-doubt Like many people, when COVID-19 spread through the US, I found myself without a job and without a plan. I was laid off from my dream job as a systems engineer at Warner Media and lost my start-up and its $32 million contract two days before closing. At this point, my only choice was to leave the life I had built for myself in California, pack up my car, and begin the arduous trek back to Florida. I was returning home with the weight of failure and uncertainty resting heavily on my shoulders. Things quickly went from bad to worse. While crossing a barren stretch of the Nevada desert, I got caught in a blizzard, and my car slid off the road. Having thrown my phone in a brief fit of frustration, I had no way to call for help. I attempted to dig my car out, I even tried placing my clothes under the tires for traction, but it was a futile effort. And there I was, at least 40 miles from civilization with no way out. I found some fireworks leftover from new year's in the recesses of my trunk and began firing them off in threes- S.O.S. I was found six hours later by the highway patrol, who were following up on the missing persons report my friends had filed back in CA. I was towed to the nearest town, where my car was deemed totaled, and I began the second phase of my long journey home. Unfortunately, COVID wasn't done with me yet. Between the remoteness of my location and the travel restrictions early on in the pandemic, planes, trains, and rental cars were scarce. Despite the impossibility of my situation, I knew giving up was not an option; the only way to go was forward. It became clear I would have to rely on my wit, grit, and resourcefulness to find my way home. The next four weeks were like something from a great American novel. I hitchhiked my way 300 miles east to Wendover. I walked 18 miles with only a backpack and a water jug, only to end up at a limestone mine quarry instead of a train station. Eventually, I was able to hitch a ride to Denver, where I quarantined on a friend's couch until I could secure a train back to Florida. This was by far the most challenging time of my life. But something happened during my travels, something imperceptible at first: I lost my self-doubt. Having overcome this series of setbacks, finding a way, MAKING a way, I was no longer afraid of starting over. I did not feel unmoored. I did not feel uncertain about my future. Instead, I felt a renewed sense of confidence. I had seen what I was capable of accomplishing when I coupled my tenacity with my skills. I knew that I was capable of anything. Not only did I hack my own self-doubt and insecurity, I rewrote the program. I wanted to embark on a new adventure, and one that would change the world. From this experience and fearlessness, I set out and founded Etha. Etha is an interactive news and social media, which uses AI and crowdsourcing, to mitigate misinformation and political polarization, giving a 3D touch to the web. I wanted a new way of representing news - not just with factual AI sourced information, not just another social media or news site - but one that allows for multiple perceptions to bubble to the top, and allow for depth of stories to be tracked overtime, to provide a bigger pictures to the world, and providing clarity and transparency into the real world.

Encountered the problem every single day for hours each day. Had to do something about it. AND we'll be launching the solution soon: https://www.producthunt.com/upco...