Company

Product & Technology

Big Picture

Is personalization evil?

There has been a lot of debate about the possible impacts of personalization in the various online services we use. Some have claimed a so-called 'personal filter bubble' could be a negative influence that limits the depth and variety of information available. We see this as a false assumption. The fact is, all information discovery tools have in-built biases that are simply the result of various design choices. We are very conscious of these dynamics as we make product design decisions. In addition, we think that by helping to increase the diversity of tools available, it will allow users to choose the right ones to fit their needs depending on what they are trying to do.

What about surprise and serendipity?

We think surprise and serendipity are fundamentally important concepts and have woven them deeply into the fabric of our user experience and algorithms. It's a delicate balance to try and offer people what they want and expect, and still provide nice surprises. We want to help augment your natural curiosity.

But isn't surprise the opposite of relevancy?

We discuss this topic frequently. Some of the most wonderful moments in life are the result of a perfect combination of surprise and relevancy; too much of either can be either boring or bewildering. We truly hope we can spark that magic for you.

How do you view your competition?

We believe we are building something unique, to serve a human need that is just emerging, in a market that does not yet exist. We have our own vision of how to help shape this space. There is room for many flowers to grow.

Sounds idealistic, are you guys hippies?

Nah. It is inevitable that as the amount of digital information continues to explode, it creates a need for new and better ways for us to make sense of it all. We hope to be enjoyable and useful to a lot of people.

Are you planning to license your technology?

We have received a lot of enquiries from various companies about using our technology platform to power a 'predictive personalization' experience on top of their data and content. While flattered, we are currently focused on our own product development. We definitely intend to collaborate widely, it's just a matter of focus currently. Feel free to contact us if you have something interesting you would like to explore.

How do you make money?

We don't, yet. We believe the best path for us to create something meaningful and sustainable is to provide a free service. We are trying to create something useful for a lot of people. Only when we have proven our value to a significant amount of people do we think the business model actually matters.

So are you a non-profit?

Definitely not. The best way to ensure the long-term viability and independence of anything is for it to become financially self-sustaining. If people derive real value from something, we think they should be willing to share some of that value with those that dedicate their energy to keeping it alive and moving forward.

What are your views on intellectual property?

The patent system was created to encourage grass-roots innovation. It's pretty clear that there is room for improvement in how it is supporting this goal. That said, we understand the landscape we operate in and have proactively filed intellectual property to try and protect ourselves as we pursue our creative vision.

What does Futureful want to become?

We want to become your predictive discovery interface to all the information that flows around you. We see Futureful becoming something much bigger than an app. Our deep technology could power a variety of interesting experiences and be an important part of open and large-scale information ecosystems.

I think therefore I am?

Humanity is currently going through an interesting transformation period fueled by the explosion of digital data. New data is providing unprecedented ways for us to reflect on ourselves and the world around us. We are inspired by the opportunity to positively contribute to this future... wherever it may lead :)

“Be the change you want to see in the world”
– Gandhi