Built for the world after AI.
Two guys who spent their careers building things people play with and watch, now building for what comes next.
The world just changed. People didn't.
AI rewrote the rules of growing up, working, shopping, playing, and being known, in a couple of years, for everyone. Most of what's being built for that world is designed to do more for people. We think the better question is what leaves people more capable: sharper, safer, more generous, more in control of their own time.
That's the bet SideQuest is built on. Every product we run exists because a real person needed it, a parent, a browser, a shopper, a gamer, a reader, and because we believe technology and media should leave people better off than it found them.
The detours are where you level up.
In the games we grew up on, the main story is only half of it. The side quests are where you pick up the better tools, the extra skills, the map to the next area: optional detours that make you stronger for everything that follows.
Life after AI is the main quest now. We build the side quests: the tools, stories and rewards that help people and their kids come out of it more capable, not less. Different products, one conviction.
Twenty years of friendship. One company.
Mike Wann
Multi-exit entrepreneur. CEO of Mobcrush (acquired by Super League, Nasdaq, 2021), Head of Strategy at Tastemade, and CRO of Fullscreen (acquired by Warner Media, 2014).
Ryan Hoffman
Founder of multiple mar-tech companies with exits. Founder and CEO of RSS Graffiti (acquired by Demand Media), General Manager of Search at Demand Media through its 2011 NYSE IPO, and an early investor in Oculus (acquired by Meta).
We've known each other for almost twenty years, and SideQuest is the first thing we've built together. Between us: games, streaming, video, search, VR, two decades of building the things people spend their time on. SideQuest is what we think that time should be worth.
Questions people ask about SideQuest.
What is SideQuest?
SideQuest (SideQuest LLC) is a consumer technology and media company. We build and run seven products for life after AI: Storybranch, Fluid Simulation, anonymoX, SafeShop, FairBrowse, SideQuest Network and SideQuest Media.
Who founded SideQuest?
Mike Wann and Ryan Hoffman, who have known each other for almost twenty years. Mike was CEO of Mobcrush (acquired by Super League in 2021), Head of Strategy at Tastemade and CRO of Fullscreen (acquired by Warner Media in 2014). Ryan founded RSS Graffiti (acquired by Demand Media), was General Manager of Search at Demand Media through its 2011 IPO, and was an early investor in Oculus.
What products does SideQuest make?
Training and resting the brain: Storybranch, choose-your-own-adventure books for ages 3 to 8, and Fluid Simulation, a free stress-relief Chrome extension. Living online on your own terms: anonymoX, a free privacy extension for Firefox and Chrome; SafeShop, a free fake-store and phishing checker; and FairBrowse, cashback that goes to the charity you choose. Bringing you more of what you love: SideQuest Network, a rewarded-engagement network for gamers, and SideQuest Media, our independent publications.
What is SideQuest Network?
A rewarded-engagement advertising network that pays gamers in the in-game currency they already want, such as Robux and V-Bucks, for time spent with brands. It reaches 400MM+ monthly active users, 200MM+ in the US, across 2,000+ top gaming apps and offer walls, without collecting personally identifiable information.
Which publications are part of SideQuest Media?
StarsUnfolded (biographies), EarlyPayoff (household money), A Gentleman's Lifestyle (style and buy-it-for-life advice) and Thank You Robot (practical tech). Together they reach 3MM+ visitors a month, and more publications are coming.
Is SideQuest the VR app store?
No. SideQuest LLC (sidequest.net) is not affiliated with SideQuestVR, the app store and community for Meta Quest virtual-reality headsets at sidequestvr.com. The two companies share a name only.
Why is it called SideQuest?
In role-playing games, side quests are the optional detours where you pick up better tools and new skills that make you stronger for everything that follows. Life after AI is the main quest now; we build the side quests.
Does SideQuest use AI?
Yes. We use AI to help develop, verify and optimize our products, and people manage every book, product and campaign against a quality bar that is never skipped. Some images on this site are AI-generated, and we say so.
How do I contact SideQuest?
Use the contact form at sidequest.net/contact or email support@sidequestapp.com. Advertisers, partners, investors, nonprofits and press all use the same form.
Built to serve people at scale.
Monthly active gamers in the SideQuest Network, 200MM+ in the US
People a day browsing privately with anonymoX
Taking a mindful break with Fluid Simulation
Monthly visitors across SideQuest Media publications