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In a world of unlimited, nonstop, round-the-clock information, wouldn't it be nice to have someone pull together everything that's most important to you and fill you in each morning? As a matter of fact, there is someone who does just that, and his name is Winston.
Technically, Winston is not a person, but an app for your iPhone or iPad. A creation of Reactor Inc., the app is a conversational assistant that briefs you on the day's weather forecast and news you care about, including a summary of your social feeds. You can go about your morning routine while Winston delivers your personal newscast in an appealing audiovisual format (and a dignified British accent.)
We asked Reactor Inc. CEO and co-founder Aaron Ting a few questions about Winston and the future of our relationship with all that information.
Where did you come up with the idea for this app?
Our company's mission is to design a better relationship between people and information, and the Winston app was a very natural way for us to offer a more personal news experience by leveraging our semantic storytelling technologies and A.I. research. It indulged our childhood fantasies of having meaningful, intellectually-encouraging conversations with technology.
Did you start Reactor Inc. with this specific idea in mind?
Absolutely. The Winston app is a statement about how your relationship with information should look in the near future, and we always intended for Winston to be a consumer vehicle for the semantic technologies we're building to transform your personal web.
How did you choose the name "Winston" for this app?
We have global ambitions for the app, and we wanted a name composed of syllables that could be easily pronounced in many different languages. Also, the app is a speech-enabled storyteller, so it made sense to name it after one of the greatest orators in history, Winston Churchill.
How did your team meet and decide to work together?
I was fortunate enough to have really talented friends who shared my passion and excitement.
What have been some major milestones for the company so far?
We were selected by the incredibly competitive Dreamit Ventures accelerator in the summer of 2012. This past spring, we enjoyed a very successful consumer launch and were fortunate to close a $1.1M seed round with some terrific investors and partners. This summer we've been building a really ambitious Storytelling A.I. and we are working with some great brands to leverage it in new markets.
Any lessons learned along the way?
Be stubborn with your values, and be incredibly flexible with your plans. One of my new favorite quotes is by Seth Godin: "Plans are great, but missions are better. Missions survive when plans fail, and plans almost always fail."
What new features are you hoping to add to Winston in the future?
Winston is in the very early stages of a much longer experiment in conversational interface and A.I.-assisted storytelling. We have a huge update coming out later this year.
Does Reactor Inc. have plans to make other apps as well?
I have nothing specific to announce at this time, but we've received a lot of interest in leveraging our back-end storytelling technologies to drive the information experience in emerging devices, such as smart televisions, in-car entertainment, etc.
What advice would you give to newer founders and companies that are just starting out?
Love and believe in the social value of what you're doing, and surround yourself with incredibly smart people who feel the same way.
Are you from Colorado? What made you choose Boulder as your headquarters?
Our whole team is from Colorado, and we're proud to be headquartered in downtown Boulder. Boulder is such a perfect blend of creativity, technical talent and human values. We love the genuine modesty and raw ambition of this community, and we want to support it.
Locations
Colorado, USA
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