Thursday, February 02
We recently met with John Knific, Founder and CEO of CitizenGroove, to learn a little more about the company. John founded the CitizenGroove to help universities with their enrollment submissions and evaluation processes; they're now branching out into other markets.
CitizenGroove has attracted funding, and it's rapidly attracting new clients.
NEOSA: Tell us a little more about CitizenGroove – product, markets, etc.
CitizenGroove is in the enterprise video screening space. Our core product, DecisionDesk streamlines media intensive application processes by allowing organizations to accept high volumes of video auditions and video resumes online, while dramatically simplifying the evaluation process with a robust set of workflow management tools. We’re currently the leading provider of video auditions in the performing arts space, with seven of the top ten US Music Schools as clients. We will be managing auditions for 50 universities by next month, and expect hit 100+ by the end of the year.
NEOSA: Tell us about the genesis for this business idea behind Citizen Groove?
Two of the three co-founders at CitizenGroove, including myself, were music majors in college. In the age of Facebook and YouTube, we were blown away that universities didn’t accept online videos as part of their evaluation process. The Cleveland Institute of Music was our first beta client. They were receiving approximately 1,200 DVDs with accompanying paperwork every application cycle. Their admissions office looked like a war room with piles of discs and mail bins full of paper. Our first iteration was built on a purchase agreement with CIM. We told them we could eliminate the need for DVDs and we did within months of launching. The next step in our evolution was identifying the workflow needs of the university once the media was processed. We slowly added collaborative online reviewing features, permission sets, reporting capabilities, and within a year, we had encapsulated the entire admissions process in one place. Over that time, we leveraged testimonials to grow our client base. Today we have a full-time sales, support, and development team and are on the second version of our product, branded DecisionDesk.
NEOSA: You’ve gotten funding from a couple of sources, how has it been working with some of the local angels and funds?
It’s been phenomenal, especially our work with the North Coast Angel Fund. As young entrepreneurs, it was crucial for our team to receive support in stepping stone-like phases. Our first victory was winning the LaunchTown Competition immediately followed by the Civic Innovation Lab Grant. This gave us a small amount of capital, an article in the Plain Dealer, and a lot of confidence. Todd Federman, Executive Director at North Coast Angel Fund, was a panelist in several of our early presentations. He invited me to pitch NCAF and meet Clay Rankin, their Managing Partner. They agreed to put us in their pipeline. We had a long due diligence process, but formed an incredibly strong board of directors through the process. More importantly, we “beat up” the idea enough to strengthen it and got the company venture-ready. I feel lucky that all the pieces aligned at the right time. I currently coach a number of student groups at regional universities and help them navigate the region’s funding landscape.
NEOSA: Sometimes it’s hard for early stage companies to attract talent, what’s your experience been there?
You said it! It hasn’t been easy. We’re fortunate that the three co-founders brought enough in-house skills to the table to develop and successfully launch the product. Actively networking in the region has helped me build a Rolodex of prospective talent that we will need to scale successfully. I think we’ve had the hardest time finding software engineers. A great engineer is expensive, already has a job, and isn’t always onboard for the level of uncertainty a startup entails. That said, we’ve been working with some fantastic developers, including contractors. It may be a smaller pool than larger cities have, but the quality is exceptionally high.
NEOSA: What are 2-3 of the best pieces of advice you’ve received as you’re getting this venture off the ground?
1) Sell first, build later. This is my version of lean development. We were tinkering around with lots of features in our first version. As soon as we had a purchase agreement in hand from CIM, everything became clear. It’s so crucial to identify what your minimum viable product is and launch as quickly as possible. So many startups waste time in “Feature Land,” thinking about what is cool rather than what will sell. You don’t know what will sell until it’s in the market
2) Always ask (and get as much gas in the tank as possible). If you’re raising money, raise money. There is a psychology to investment (more so than a science sometimes) and a magic to momentum. We were shy and young when we got going. I now believe it is important to be clear in your vision, honest in your projections, and never afraid to ask. If you follow that model aggressively, rinse and repeat, you will grow a support base quickly and effectively.
NEOSA: Okay, bonus question: the Browns were 4-12 this year (8th losing season in 9 years); who’ll win the 2012 Super Bowl, and when will it be the Browns turn?
Hah, you are asking the wrong guy! I was raised by two musicians and went to a nerd school. If you would have asked me who my favorite jazz pianist is, I could have nailed it :)
Posted by:Brad Nellis