Author Archive for Reed Oakes

Letterboxd: Revolutionizing Film

Posted by Reed Oakes 
· Monday, December 9th, 2024 
· 4 Comments

It is very rare that I interact with an app that changes my life. Instagram and Snapchat were amazing in their prime, back in middle and high school. However, now that I have grown up, games and social apps just do not do the same thing they used to do. In 2021, some friends recommended an app called Letterboxd, which is a movie cataloging service that also involves a social aspect. Because of my love for movies, I was able to jump right in and start reviewing my first films, and it made me feel like a serious movie critic.

Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow invented Letterboxd in 2011, which completely shook the world of movie critics. Before, critics would hide behind sites such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, and create reviews that were far different from audience reviews. With Letterboxd, there are millions of different reviews for each film, and there are so many different ways to write reviews.

In conclusion, Buchanan and von Randow changed how movie reviews are written and read today, and as an avid movie lover, I am so grateful for these entrepreneurs changing a market that I never thought would change.

4 Comments
Categories : App, Business, Business::Entrepreneurs, Movies

Evan Spiegel: Innovating One Snap At a Time

Posted by Reed Oakes 
· Thursday, November 7th, 2024 
· 1 Comment

When I think of innovative ideas that have shaped today’s culture, I think of social media. It is said that over 60% of the world is on some form of social media, which is extremely impressive given the newness of major social media platforms. One social media that is particularly innovative is Snapchat. Typically, social media platforms allow users to share pictures to friends with a caption, and comments or reactions can be added to posts. With Snapchat, pictures with captions are exchanged between one person to another for a few seconds, and are then deleted forever.

One of the masterminds behind this innovative platform is Evan Spiegel. Spiegel co-founded Snapchat with a college friend at Stanford in 2011, and quickly gained immense wealth. By the time Spiegel was 25, he was officially a billionaire. He is now worth upwards of $3 billion. Spiegel was able to use his knowledge of app development, as well as his real world knowledge of social media to develop one of the biggest social media platforms to date.

One thing that is very inspiring about this is how Spiegel entered into an already booming marketplace, and was able to come out as one of the social media masterminds. Although Snapchat has had its legal issues and its many problems, it has proven to be a social media that is here to stay, and that is thanks to Evan Spiegel and his genius in the social media realm.

1 Comment
Categories : App development, Entrepreneurship, Snapchat, Social Media

Spotify and the Daniel Ek Story

Posted by Reed Oakes 
· Monday, October 28th, 2024 
· 5 Comments

Revolutionary music streaming platform Spotify is a giant in the world of streaming. Arguments have sparked up over what is the ‘best’ service, but the numbers do not lie, and Spotify takes the cake. I was curious to find out why Spotify is as popular as it is, and I landed on Daniel Ek.

Daniel Ek is the millennial entrepreneur creator of Spotify, and launched Spotify in 2008. Before Spotify, there were very few subscription-based music platforms that were legal. Spotify also offers a very affordable subscription price, and even offers college students a further discounted price.

Ek saw this problem where there were easy ways to access music through companies like Napster or Deezer, but the ways people were using these services was illegal. Daniel Ek wanted to help artists take back their music, while he could also make money off of this.

Today, Spotify has its very popular algorithm that suggests new music for people to listen to based on their previous listening history, and also shows them statistics like who their favorite artists were from a certain year. Spotify today is valued at over $70 billion and is the first place on the podium of music streaming platforms, and that is coming from an Apple Music subscriber.

5 Comments
Categories : Business::Entrepreneurs, Music

Matt Mullenweg: Creating Words

Posted by Reed Oakes 
· Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 
· 2 Comments

A software that hundreds of Grove City College students use everyday, and I am using right now, is WordPress. Matt Mullenweg, at just 19 years old, created the widely used blogging site that is used by thousands of people everyday, and takes no experience to build a blog or a website. Mullenweg was getting tired of popular blog websites not being updated, and was not ready to let go of his passion for blogging.

One thing that is extremely inspiring about Matt is that he did not let his desire for a dying art stop just because his resources were limited. Instead, he took the problem by its horns and was able to create a company that he was passionate about, but that would also solve problems for others. With the creation of WordPress, people can learn how to start their own website, as well as join blog forums to discuss their passions.

One takeaway from Mullenweg’s creation of WordPress is never stop chasing something you are passionate about, even if no one else is interested. This niche market that Matt got himself involved in is now a thriving hub for businesses, school, non-profit organizations, and hobbyists. If everyone chased their passions and got involved in their own niche marketplaces, the whole world would thrive with creativity.

2 Comments
Categories : Blogging, Marketplace, Millennial Enrepreneuers

The Seiders: Breaking Through the Unbreakable Market

Posted by Reed Oakes 
· Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 
· 3 Comments

I will start this off with a disclaimer: it is unclear whether the Seiders brothers are “millennials,” but they have heavily impacted both the Millennial and Gen X generations. Ryan and Roy Seiders grew up in Texas, where they were avid enjoyers of the outdoors. Spending many weekends in the Texas heat catching fish, they knew there was a problem with their coolers. That is when the Seiders came up with the idea to revolutionize the cooler and drinkware market with their idea, Yeti.

The cooler and drinkware market has long been dominated by many different companies, and it is a very easy market to make your way into. However, it is a near impossible task to become the leader of that market, and stay there for over 10 years. The Seiders revolutionized the way drinkware can be personalized and classy, while still remaining completely functional. The Yeti brand has become a staple in the cooler and drinkware community, and has been regarded as the best coolers money can buy. Every year, Yeti creates something new and innovative that nobody thought would be useful or worth it, and it instantly sells out.

These brothers are so inspiring because they found a problem in their own lives, and created a solution that has helped hundreds of thousands of people. Tailgates, parties, fires, and gatherings have all been revolutionized by the Seiders brothers invention of Yeti.

3 Comments
Categories : Business, Coffee, Entrepreneurship, Marketing

Social Entrepreneurs

Posted by Reed Oakes 
· Monday, September 23rd, 2024 
· No Comments

When thinking of modern-day entrepreneurs, I think of social media influencers. Social media has become such a life-changing career for a lot of people, and it has truly become a major influence on the younger generation. One entrepreneur that has proven himself to be influential and successful is Jimmy Donaldson.

Under the username MrBeast, Donaldson has built a social media empire, and is worth an alleged $700 million at the young age of 26. Along with his YouTube channel that has over 315 million subscribers, he is also the founder of the snack and candy company, Feastables. Donaldson got his start in 2012 on YouTube, and gained fame years later with innovative but silly ideas like counting to 100,000 while on camera.

Donaldson has proven he is the one of the most influential people in the world today, but he has proven that there is more to his life than just earning money. One thing that is very respectable about Donaldson is his redemptive aspect to entrepreneurship. Even though he has never really publicly talked about religion, he comes from a Christian school background. He is a very philanthropic person, and has given millions of dollars to people and businesses in need.

Overall, even though I am not a fan of MrBeast, I think he needs to be included in the greatest entrepreneurs of the Gen Z era. He has created a very entertaining and family-friendly environment, and is not afraid to share his wealth with the world.

No Comments
Categories : Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneur, Social Media, Uncategorized, YouTube