Hello friends,
Welcome to a fresh beginning for our shared journey. As we embark on this new adventure, we'd like to take a moment to reflect on our past. In this inaugural newsletter, we wanted to start by touching on the fate of the Storya app project, offering insights from both of us on the highs, lows, and lessons learned. Subscribe to the newsletter to stick with us as we explore the dynamic world of technology, startups, and the ever-evolving dance between AI and creativity at a time of rapid social change. We are so excited to get going!
Paolo's Perspective
The curtains have drawn on Storya, our first startup, despite the dedication and relentless efforts of our stellar team. Closing its doors in June 2023 was a tough, emotional decision. It was the unfortunate culmination of two intense years of drive and determination top build a new model for indie authors and publishers.
The “silence” that followed has been a stark contrast to the familiar hustle of startup life. As someone who values deep reflection, I took a bit of time to grapple with the end of this chapter. But, as always, tomorrow is another day. Or, for me, the start of so many new exciting projects. I have found again my creative streak and it feels awesome.
Praveen's Perspective
From a technical standpoint, Storya was a groundbreaking initiative. We aimed to create a platform that had the potential to redefine the publishing industry, with a robust and cutting-edge tech stack at its core. While the technical side was solid, we faced challenges in other areas, including building a sustainable business model, adapting to shifting market demands and the rapid advancements in the AI space.
The decision to shut down was influenced by various factors, the most prominent being our business model's alignment with market expectations and the prevailing funding environment. While our product was technically sound and ready for deployment, translating that into a revenue-generating model became a complex challenge, especially given the lack of investors targeting creator economy startups in our part of the world and the overall tightening of funding.
Yet, the experience has been invaluable. It's one thing to read about startup failures and quite another to live through one. The technical challenges we faced, the late-night coding sessions, and the thrill of each small victory have been enlightening.
Moving Forward
Paolo
I am based in Singapore for the foreseeable future, keenly exploring ideas and projects at the intersection of generative AI and creativity, with a big focus on creative writing and publishing. I will be sharing more on those in future newsletters so stay tuned.
Praveen
I continue to explore the intersection of technology and creativity. The lessons learned from Storya have only fueled my passion for building scalable and impactful solutions.
We look forward to reconnecting with as many of you as possible as we explore new ideas and opportunities.
As always, thanks for your time and attention.
Peace,
Praveen & Paolo
Don't give up✊✊✊