At long last, it's the return of my "5 Questions with ..." executive Q&A series with entrepreneurs from companies innovating in new ways (and which I believe are worth knowing). I took a several month hiatus on these -- but they are now back with a vengeance! Expect several more to follow in the days ahead. Always good to hear from the entrepreneurs themselves, rather than hear their words interpreted by others. And, that's what you have here -- my 5 questions, the guest's direct and unvarnished answers. Today's featured entrepreneur is Matt Serletic, co-founder & CEO of music startup Zya -- a company with pedigree-d investors that include Liberty Global and Intel Capital. That's how I first learned about them. On his LinkedIn profile, Matt says that he "co-founded Zya to democratize music creation and expression through imaginative games and apps [and the company] has built the world's first streaming engine that empowers anyone to make and share music." Sounds intriguing -- and love the music angle -- but, Matt, tell us more ...
(1) What is the reason your company exists (and what problem(s) are you looking to solve)?
Zya exists to change the way the world interacts with music. Since the digital revolution, arts and artistic expression have played a central role in digital experiences. Just look at the rise of platforms such as YouTube and Instagram to see how crucial video and photography are to modern consumer-oriented expression. Yet, due to technical challenges, licensing issues, and lack of imaginative solutions, music has lagged behind. There is an enormous opportunity to change music interaction models and move music forward across the globe. Zya is doing that.
(2) How are you different from your competitors?We are focused on the social and communication potentials of music and are working to connect the world through music. Our app Ditty is an example. Ditty sings anything you type, making every text musical. It’s a never-before-experienced form of communication.
(3) Why will you succeed (and what is your single most important ingredient for success)?
Our technology sets us apart. We have spent years inventing several new modalities for musical expression and have learned through trial and error what users respond to. At Zya, we feel that our technology stack combined with exceptional user-centric product design will help us continue to succeed and grow.
(4) What makes your company unique (and what do you enjoy most outside of building your business)?
We don’t give up. Combining music and technology is difficult and I’m glad to say our team is relentless and up for the challenge. There is an incredibly unique set of cross-disciplinary skills at Zya. It pretty phenomenal to share your love of interacting with and making music both in and outside of work.
(5) What digital media trend is most interesting to you (and what is the least)?
We study emerging trends constantly. The digital rise of the rest of the world is too powerful to ignore. Ditty is a # 1 Music App in seven countries, and Top Ten in sixty-six. We are continually evolving our products to address opportunities both abroad and here at home.