# Greg Cohn

> Greg Cohn is the co-founder and CEO of Ad Hoc Labs, the Los Angeles product studio behind Burner, the app that pioneered disposable, on-demand phone numbers back in 2012. A former Yahoo product leader who spent his early career in book publishing and content strategy, Cohn built Burner after his first app failed, turning that stumble into a durable, privacy-focused business that has outlived most of its venture-funded peers. He is an advocate for building consumer apps that deliver lasting value over chasing hypergrowth.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Ad Hoc Labs
- **Organizations:** Ad Hoc Labs, Burner, Dialed, Firewall, Yahoo, Away.com, St. Martin's Press, Waterfront Media
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** University of Pennsylvania, Oxford University
- **Known for:** Created Burner, one of the first consumer apps to offer on-demand, disposable phone numbers (launched 2012), Built Ad Hoc Labs into a durable, independent product company that has operated for over a decade, Raised an angel round backed by Techstars co-founder David Cohen and super angel Dave McClure

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Director of Travel Books at St. Martin's Press, running a $7.5M travel book line
- **1999** — VP of Content Strategy & Partnerships at Away.com
- **2001** — Independent deal developer / consultant
- **2003** — General Manager of Health at Waterfront Media
- **2004** — Co-founder of Auctions for Change
- **2005** — Joins Yahoo, eventually Sr. Director & Global Head of Product for Social Monetization & Games
- **2011** — Founds Ad Hoc Labs; begins work on Burner after his first app, Wrangle, fails to gain traction
- **2012** — Burner launches on iPhone (August); raises angel round (October) from David Cohen and Dave McClure
- **2013** — Android version launches (April); raises $2M led by Founder Collective and Venrock (October)
- **2015** — Launches Burner Connections and developer webhook integrations
- **2025** — Appears on the Sub Club Podcast to discuss pivots, funding, and building apps that last

## Achievements

- Created Burner, one of the first consumer apps to offer on-demand, disposable phone numbers (launched 2012)
- Built Ad Hoc Labs into a durable, independent product company that has operated for over a decade
- Raised an angel round backed by Techstars co-founder David Cohen and super angel Dave McClure
- Raised $2M institutional funding led by Founder Collective and Venrock in 2013
- Led Yahoo product for Social Monetization & Games as Sr. Director and Global Head of Product
- Expanded Ad Hoc Labs beyond Burner into products including Dialed and Firewall (VPN)

## Latest updates

- **2025-12** — Featured on the Sub Club Podcast discussing when to pivot, why most consumer apps shouldn't raise VC, and why optional free trials outperformed default ones.

## Links

- Website: https://adhoclabs.co
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregcohn/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/gregcohn
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSu9ZrwKHLo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/burnerapp

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/greg-cohn
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-01