Boston Studio's Mixed Portfolio

Paul English describes his venture studio (BVS.net) that develops multiple apps simultaneously, mixing small utility apps with potential billion-dollar companies. Currently has 9 apps under development.

Key Points:

• Development Approach:

  • Mix of small "itch to scratch" utility apps with open source code
  • Larger ambitious projects aimed at becoming unicorns
  • Currently developing 9 apps simultaneously

• Example Project 1 - Middle.net:

  • Helps people find meeting spots halfway between their locations
  • Built to solve personal need for meeting spots in NYC
  • Not intended to make money, purely utility focused

• Example Project 2 - FunContact:

  • QR code-based contact sharing app
  • Multiple QR codes for different levels of contact info
  • Users swipe through different QR codes to share appropriate info
  • Built to solve conference networking friction

• Example Project 3 - Deets:

  • Aims to fix broken online review system
  • Focus on recommendations from friends and chosen influencers
  • Uses machine learning for look-alike modeling
  • Potential billion-dollar opportunity
  • Addresses fake review problems on platforms like Amazon, Yelp, TripAdvisor

• Business Philosophy:

  • Team first, customer second, profit third
  • Focus on becoming excellent at recruiting
  • Build "magic teams" to create "magical products"
  • Profitable business typically follows if product is magical