Ahh, the relief of a stable internet connection – it’s one of those things we often take for granted until we’re in the thick of an online session. I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of attending classes virtually (I’ve probably mentioned this in almost every blog entry). But as a parent of three kids under five, finding uninterrupted time, let alone physically attending class after a full day, feels impossible right now. Case in point: tonight’s session was a bit of a struggle as my one-year-old was on a mission to make bedtime as challenging as possible, which made it hard to stay focused. A big shout out to the Accelerator program for letting us attend virtually.
That said, I came into this session with high expectations after last week’s excellent presentation. Ryan Turner certainly had big shoes to fill, and while today’s content was a bit more lecture-heavy, I was immediately impressed by his credentials and direct approach. His focus on knowing and understanding your target audience resonated with me, especially as he reiterated key points from last week about engaging influencers, leveraging social media, and building community.
One of the big takeaways was the reminder that no product stands alone – we need to get everyone (consumers, team members, investors) to care about our mission. Ryan walked us through the three types of media:
Paid Media (e.g., ads on YouTube, X, Instagram),
Owned Media (e.g., blogs, Reddit, your own platforms), and
Earned Media (organic media or publicity you didn’t pay for).
We’ve already begun reaching out to colleges and program leads in the vet industry to gather feedback on gamification and how educators perceive game-based learning tools. It’s an exciting process, and I look forward to seeing the results.
However, I found today’s session to be a bit dry, especially since much of the content overlapped with last week’s discussion. Dan raised an important point with me about how we don’t truly control our audience; platforms like YouTube or Instagram dictate who sees our content, and they can take down videos for various reasons, including the use of "sensitive" language or content. It’s something I’ve noticed as well, and I completely agree. I also struggle with the idea of chasing virality. While I love technology (it’s what we’re building, after all), I’m wary of the darker side of social media – misinformation, unrealistic standards, and the constant churn of cancel culture. These platforms can be harsh, and while I know we need to engage for the sake of Playtheos, I’ll always be cautious about how we approach them.
That said, I’m following Dan’s golden rule: “Don’t chase virality… good content will bring an audience.” I think there’s wisdom in that. For a company like ours, focused on educational software development, going viral isn’t the end goal. Our aim is to create meaningful, impactful content that resonates with our audience over time.
The session ended with a great Q&A, which I always appreciate – it’s so inspiring to hear everyone’s pitches and learn what they’re developing. One of the key takeaways I'm left with is that community-building should always be a priority. Making it easy and inviting for people to join the conversation and fostering a sense of appreciation is crucial.
To be honest, I left today’s session feeling a little lost. Despite Ryan’s sincere and genuine intent, and his valuable insights on working hard and pushing forward, I struggled to connect the dots. Even reviewing my notes afterward didn’t quite clarify things. I understand the importance of knowing your audience, and we’ve built our product with that in mind – it’s designed for students, not for us. We saw a gap in the market and wanted to create something fun, educational, and rewarding. But there’s still so much more to explore, especially as we continue our market research in the vet field.
As we move forward, I’m reminded of a quote from Bioshock: “We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us” (Andrew Ryan). This is a pivotal time for Playtheos, and every decision we make now will shape our future success. Some exciting new steps to report back on soon - stay tuned
Kerry
Co-Founder, PlayTheos
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