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XGenies Builds Engineering Team With Ex-Snapchat Employees
Samson Amore
Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.
Virtual avatar company Genies wants to be the go-to option for online personas and it's targeting the wealth of talent and seasoned executives from the area's biggest tech firm, Snap Inc., to help make that goal a reality.
Genies' latest hire from the Venice-based social camera company is George "YJ" Tu, a former senior engineer who worked on its Snapchat app and Spectacles camera glasses. Prior to working at Snap, Tu worked for three and a half years as a senior engineer at Facebook and specialized in developing the company's mobile infrastructure.
Tu joins Genies as its director of engineering. Genies CEO and founder Akash Nigam told dot.LA Tu's main mandate is hiring engineers to continue developing its avatar creation platform and digital marketplace, where users can buy and sell digital collectibles and wearable items for their virtual selves.
Tu is the first engineering executive the company's hired since its launch in 2017, but it plans to devote a big chunk of its recent $65 million Series B raise to attracting new talent.
"I think we've landed quite a few Snap employees for a few reasons," Nigam said. "Genies and Snap are probably the two biggest social companies on the Westside in LA, so I think that's an attraction for people that are already local."
The company already has some big celebrity names using its tech to make and share avatars -- including Justin Bieber, Rihanna and hip-hop tycoons Migos -- and the next step is to bring in more users.
George "YJ" Tu is Genies' new director of engineering.
Nigam said the company's hired close to 30 new employees in the last three months, with about 80% of those hires being engineers. He added that roughly 90 people work at Genies, and estimated that 10% of them are ex-Snap employees.
"I think from a product perspective, we share a lot of philosophies and we're very similar in the way that we scheme and we game plan. Snap always is kind of shooting a few years in advance specifically within the social category."
Matt Sibka, Genies' vice president of recruiting, spent three and a half years at Snap creating a team for its CEO Evan Spiegel and was hired to do the same at Genies earlier this year. Genies competes with Snap's Bitmoji avatars, which got a 3D upgrade this July.
"Eighty percent of new spend after our fundraise, and anything moving forward for the next two years, is all going to be on engineering to become an engineering powerhouse," Nigam said. Genies has raised $110 million to date and Nigam previously told dot.LA the company wants to make "Ninety nine point nine percent of its revenue from selling digital goods.
Nigam said that the synergy between Genies and Snap wasn't a conscious choice, but noted that both companies have a similar vision – to advance augmented reality and encourage people to adopt virtual avatars that they can increasingly use as an extension of how they express themselves online.
Nigam's plan is to integrate Genies avatars into as many applications as possible. Currently the company has a deal with Facebook's Giphy that will let users bring their avatar with them to platforms where Giphy is integrated, like Facebook, TikTok or Snapchat – but Nigam said it wants to bring its avatars to popular games like "Roblox" too.
"That's the first API partnership, but we want to have hundreds of those," Nigam said. "So all of a sudden if you get ported into 'Roblox,' you can get any avatar."
Genies' next big goal is getting Generation Z to buy into the NFT hype by creating unique items for their avatars and then trading them. Genies is working with Dapper Labs, which operates NBA Top Shot and CryptoKitties, two of the most popular NFT exchanges, to create its own blockchain-based system for creating, verifying and selling digital goods.
Genies plans to make the marketplace available by the end of this year. Right now it's only accessible to celebrities, but Nigam said it'll open a beta version to customers by year's end.
"It almost becomes like a login authentication button, where you can port your Genie and your digital goods associated with it from one environment to the next, and in that case, we're kind of creating a new digital identity layer," Nigam said.
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Samson Amore
Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.
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samsonamore@dot.la
Personality Assessments Improving Workplace Dynamics
12:54 PM | August 28, 2024
Misunderstandings can have significant and sometimes severe impacts, far beyond the hilarious cake pictured above. Many organizations are increasingly using personality assessments to improve team dynamics and productivity. Tests like the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and DISC assessment are valuable tools for developing existing teams in addition to hiring new employees. These assessments provide insights into team members' motivations, communication styles, and work preferences, helping colleagues understand each other better. By highlighting the different personalities within a team, these tests can enhance communication, resolve conflicts, and optimize task assignments based on individual strengths. As companies aim for greater efficiency and collaboration, the Enneagram, MBTI, and DISC assessments are becoming essential for transforming established teams into more effective and cohesive units.
Image Source: iEQ9
Enneagram
The Enneagram test is a sophisticated personality assessment that categorizes individuals into nine distinct personality types, each defined by unique motivations, fears,and behavioral patterns. This holistic approach enhances team dynamics in a business setting by fostering self-awareness, improving communication, and facilitating conflict resolution among team members. By understanding different personality types, teams can optimize their composition, tailor professional development, and create a more empathetic and collaborative environment. This framework not only helps leaders adapt their styles to better support diverse team members but also promotes inclusivity and effective collaboration, ultimately leading to improved team performance, productivity, and retention.
Resources:iEQ9. We recommend getting an Enneagram coach to get the most out of the results.
Key Features: Focus on core motivations. Accounts for personality shifts under stress or growth. Offers practical, actionable guidance for personal growth. Uses a dynamic, adaptive questioning approach. Claims 95% accuracy rate through advanced techniques.
Image Source: DiSC Profile
DiSC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness)
The DiSC assessment is a widely used behavioral analysis tool that categorizes individuals into four primary personality types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. For businesses, DiSC provides valuable insights into employees' communication styles, work preferences, and motivations. By understanding these behavioral tendencies, teams can improve collaboration, reduce conflicts, and enhance overall productivity. Implementing DiSC in a business setting can lead to more effective leadership, tailored communication strategies, and optimized task allocation based on individual strengths.
Resources:DiSC Profile.
Key Features: Designed specifically for workplace applications. Focuses on observable behaviors rather than psychological traits. Widely researched and validated over 40+ years. Provides practical strategies for improving interactions.
Image Source: The Myers-Briggs Company
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a widely used personality assessment tool that categorizes individuals into 16 distinct personality types based on four dichotomies: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. For businesses, the MBTI provides valuable insights into employees' communication styles, decision-making processes, and work preferences.This helps promote a more productive workplace, and enables employees to become involved in more meaningful ways, all while leveraging everyone’s unique strengths.
Resources:The Myers-Briggs Company.
Key Features: Focuses on preferences rather than traits. Focuses on how people perceive and judge information. Widely used in business and career counseling
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📱From Digital IDs to AI Feeds: Tech Giants Shake Up the Digital World
03:47 PM | September 20, 2024
🔦 Spotlight
Happy Friday Los Angeles!
This week, two tech titans, Apple and Snapchat, announced groundbreaking updates that are poised to reshape the way we interact with our digital devices. From secure digital IDs to personalized AI feeds, these innovations are set to have a significant impact on our daily lives.
Apple's Digital Driver's License: A Game-Changer for LA Residents
Apple has taken a major step forward in digital identity with the integration of California driver's licenses and state IDs into Apple Wallet. This initiative, part of the state's mobile driver's license (mDL) program, offers a more convenient and secure way for LA residents to carry their identification. With encrypted data and NFC-enabled verification, users can now use their digital IDs at TSA checkpoints, select retailers, and even for age verification at bars and restaurants.
The mDL program not only simplifies travel and everyday transactions but also presents exciting opportunities for LA-based startups specializing in fintech, cybersecurity, and identity verification. As digital IDs become more widely adopted, these startups can innovate to create new applications and services that leverage this technology.
Image Source: Snap
Snapchat's AI-Powered Feed and Enhanced AR: A Personalized Experience
Snapchat is undergoing a major transformation with its most significant redesign in years, focusing on simplicity and personalization. The app now offers a more personalized experience, with an AI-driven "For You" feed that curates content tailored to individual preferences. Additionally, Snapchat has enhanced its augmented reality (AR) tools, opening up new possibilities for interactive experiences and creative expression.
LA's thriving tech ecosystem, particularly its startups focused on AI and AR, stands to benefit greatly from Snapchat's innovations. These updates provide opportunities for local developers to create complementary technologies and explore new partnerships within Snapchat's evolving platform.
Impact on LA's Tech Ecosystem
Both Apple's and Snapchat's updates underscore a growing trend toward personalization, security, and streamlined user experiences. LA's tech scene, with its vibrant startup community and strong focus on innovation, is well-positioned to capitalize on these shifts.
As digital experiences become more integrated into our daily lives, LA's startups can explore new frontiers in AI, AR, and secure mobile technologies. This wave of innovation is set to drive growth and collaboration within the local tech ecosystem, solidifying LA's reputation as a global hub for cutting-edge technology.
🤝 Venture Deals
LA Companies
- PictorLabs, an AI-powered histopathology platform that enhances disease detection, has raised a $30M Series B led by Insight Partners. The company has now raised a total of $48.8 million. - learn more
- CUDIS, a wearable tech startup specializing in AI-powered health rings, has raised $5M in Seed Funding led by Draper Associates. - learn more
- Karman Industries, a startup aiming to decarbonize industrial manufacturing by replacing natural gas with thermal energy, has raised $4M in Pre-Seed Funding from Riot Ventures. - learn more
- Mellomanic, formerly We Are Giant, has raised a $6M Funding Round, bringing its total capital to $13.8M, to expand its platform and enhance its music experiences for artists and fans, backed by investors including Sterling Partners. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
- Mucker Capital participated in a $2.5M Seed Round for Tab Commerce, a fintech company providing financial management solutions to transform how restaurants handle their spending and optimize operational efficiency. - learn more
- Finality Capital led a $3.2M Seed Round for RISE, a Gigagas Layer 2 blockchain platform designed to enhance scalability and reduce transaction costs. - learn more
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