We were lucky to catch up with Toby Moore recently and have shared our conversation below.

Toby, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

One of the craziest moments in the early days of building Cubestream came when we first started developing the platform. At the time, we had just secured our very first investment—$50,000—which was meant to fund the development of the entire site and app. We hired a developer who assured us he could build the platform from the ground up.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. After spending the full budget, the developer had only completed about 12% of the project and then disappeared with the money. It was devastating. That $50,000 represented our entire starting investment, and suddenly the project felt like it might be over before it had even begun.

During that time, I happened to be watching my sister’s dog while she and her husband were away on vacation. I was pretty distraught and honestly wasn’t sure how we were going to recover from the setback. When they returned and heard what had happened, my brother-in-law—who works as a military contractor—offered to take a look at the project. I had never really known the details of what he did for a living because most of his work is classified, but he turned out to be an exceptionally skilled coder.

He stepped in and began rebuilding the platform properly. As he dug into the original codebase, we discovered something surprising: if we had continued with the first developer’s architecture, the platform likely wouldn’t have been able to scale anyway. In a strange way, the setback forced us to rebuild Cubestream on a much stronger technical foundation.

Looking back, what felt like a complete disaster at the time actually ended up saving the project. It’s one of those moments in startup life where a crisis reveals a better path forward.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started out as an actor, appearing in a few TV movies and guest-starring roles on shows like Law & Order: SVU and CSI: Miami. One of the movies I worked on, “Separate Peace,” was even nominated for an Emmy, and it’s still shown in schools. Over time, I transitioned into production, working with Gerald Molen, an Oscar-winning producer, which gave me a deep understanding of the filmmaking process. Around the same time, my father, who was an author, had books we tried to adapt into films. Despite an Oscar-winning writer, Jim Sheridan, working on a screenplay, we couldn’t get the funding. It’s a common struggle in Hollywood, and after a while, I returned to acting. But the industry had changed—many opportunities were ultra-low budget and didn’t pay well. I realized there were so many talented people who could create amazing films but had no real way to monetize or distribute them. That’s why I created Cubestream. It gives filmmakers the power to upload their work, set their own price, and keep the majority of the revenue. And that’s just the foundation—we’re building an entire ecosystem, and we’re excited about what’s ahead.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Yes, absolutely. I’ve read a lot of positive-thinking and personal development books over the years. I grew up immersed in that world—my father was an entrepreneur, and he was always listening to legends like Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, and Bob Proctor. I’ve definitely drawn from a lot of modern works, but if I had to pinpoint the book that’s been foundational for my entrepreneurial mindset, it’s Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich.” I’ve returned to that book many times. While it’s not specifically a management or marketing manual, it’s a framework for mindset and clarity of purpose. The principles—definiteness of purpose, persistence, and visualization—have really been guiding forces for me. It’s remarkable that a book that’s over 80 years old still holds so much relevance. So, while I’ve learned from many sources, “Think and Grow Rich” has really been at the core of my entrepreneurial philosophy.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

One of the closest calls we faced was early on when a developer took a substantial portion of our investment and only delivered a fraction of the work. That was tough, but we recovered. Later, I had another critical moment when I was seeking funding in Silicon Valley. I met a tech entrepreneur who offered to mentor me, co-lead the company, and help scale it. Initially, his offer seemed promising—two potential deals, one of which was very appealing. But as the negotiations progressed, he kept shifting the terms. Ultimately, he wanted to take the company without any upfront investment, reduce my share to 6%, and promised future payouts based on eventual success. In other words, he wanted control without real investment.

I knew it wasn’t right. My wife works in the startup world, and I’ve seen enough deals to know investors typically put in capital upfront. My passion is in film, and I wanted to build Cubestream with integrity. Unfortunately, my partner—who was my late father’s best friend—disagreed. We had a major falling out because I refused the deal. That partner became a significant obstacle, and I eventually had to buy him out. It was a tough period, and it slowed us down, but we worked through it. Now, the company is back on track, and I’m more excited than ever about where we’re headed. Experiences like that teach you a lot—about your values, about the importance of alignment, and about the kind of business you truly want to build.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cubestream.com
• Instagram: cubestream_inc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CUBESTREAM.io?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cubestream/
• Twitter: @cubestream1

Image Credits

Movie Posters by Gloria Ma.