A vectorized version of File:Captcha.jpg. Traced with Inkscape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As a disclaimer, Detroit Venture Partners has invested in the company I'm featuring in this post. Because I'm the CEO and Managing Partner of DVP, I wanted to expose a potential conflict of interest in featuring this company, with a caveat: the story is worth telling, and the lesson to be learned here is valuable. With that in mind, please read on.
We've all had to go through the horrible pain of filling out a form online. We input all the necessary information and get to the end, only to face off with those obnoxious, squiggly letters and numbers, trying desperately to fill out the confusing, off-putting image to prove we're not a spammer robot. The user experience is frustrating at best, ultimately leaving a bad taste in your mouth by the time you leave a page.
In any business category, the copycats just water down the competitive landscape ("We're the Groupon for _____"). The world doesn't need a "me-too" anything in any category, but in a space where the standard is already terrible, why would it make sense for everyone to repeat it consistently? In this utilitarian category so desperately in need of a good shake-up, everyone seems to just make these CAPTCHAS (the letter/number combos) equally annoying as those preceding them; it makes no sense from a business modeling standpoint and makes us as users lose out, over and over again. Well, that was true until the formation of Are You a Human.
This company's founder, Tyler Paxton, and his then-co-worker were trying to purchase tickets for a Hannah Montana concert for Paxton's friend's daughter. Much to their chagrin and surprise, the tickets sold out in approximately eight minutes, for a stadium show. As it turned out, the tickets were purchased by spammer robots able to bypass the CAPTCHAS set in place by the host website for security. Scalpers then sold these tickets at much higher prices than face value for the concert: exactly what the host attempted to avoid by implementing CAPTCHA in the first place.
This got Paxton thinking that there must be a better way of securing sites, improving the user experience as a priority, and helping web security as an added bonus. After recruiting fellow University of Michigan students Reid Tatoris and Benjamin Blackmer, Paxton and his co-founders launched Are You a Human. This company provides an alternative to CAPTCHA, with PlayThru games. Instead of having to decipher a string of wavy letters and numbers, a user has to play a simple game. It's brilliant. These NERF-wielding tech masters have deciphered a solution to solve a problem we all have – annoyance. Their solution is free for web hosts and increases click-through levels (and security), while most importantly, making websites fun again for the rest of us. Check out a game here.
These young men took a copycat, boring category with no differentiation and out-innovated everyone else in the CAPTCHA world. This "category of one" mentality they demonstrated made their company an obvious investment choice for Detroit Venture Partners. As you build your own business, think about the perspective from my side of the table, as your potential investor. Ask yourself, "Are you using innovation to your advantage?" It's my first question because if the answer isn't a resounding "yes," your chances at becoming successful dwindle in today's saturated marketplace.
For more information on Are You a Human, visit www.areyouahuman.com. For more insight on creativity and innovation, visit www.JoshLinkner.com.
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