Otis Chandler Reimagines Content Discovery with Smashing
Otis Chandler, co-founder of Goodreads, is back in the tech scene, this time aiming to create the next dynamic app community—not centered on books, but on uncovering online content. With Smashing, an innovative AI-driven content recommendation platform, Chandler aims to connect users with their interests by showcasing the internet’s hidden gems, including news articles, blog posts, podcasts, and social media content. Currently in an invite-only beta phase, Smashing addresses a growing demand for quality online content amidst a fragmented media landscape.
The launch of Smashing coincides with many news consumers mourning the loss of Artifact, the AI news reader that was recently sold to Yahoo. As journalists adopt independent newsletters and Substacks, and platforms like Twitter undergo significant shifts, the media space is rapidly changing. The transformation of Twitter into “X” has introduced fresh competition, while recent developments at Google and Meta have drastically reduced traffic to online publishers, resulting in widespread layoffs. The rise of AI-generated news summaries further complicates the landscape, raising concerns about click losses for publishers.
Chandler is confident that Smashing can tackle several of these challenges by not only surfacing valuable articles and posts but also encouraging readers to visit the publishers' sites for more in-depth reading. “I named Goodreads ‘Goodreads’ and not ‘Goodbooks’ because I always envisioned adding articles,” Chandler shared. While books alone proved sufficient for sustaining the app—which sold to Amazon in 2013—Chandler’s desire to delve deeper into online content remained consistent.
After leaving Amazon five years ago, Chandler embarked on a personal journey that inspired the creation of Smashing. During a sabbatical, he decided to take on the challenge of completing a Half Ironman triathlon. This endeavor required extensive research into training, nutrition, and cooking—skills he didn't possess at the outset. Frustrated by the overwhelming and often irrelevant results from traditional search engines, Chandler realized there was a gap in the market for a platform capable of delivering high-quality, relevant content.
His findings led him to collaborate with Greg Veen, a former colleague and co-founder of Smashing, whose impressive background includes the founding of Measure Map (later acquired by Google) and Typekit (acquired by Adobe). Through user research, they discovered that people typically follow five to six main interests online, leading to frustration from the sheer volume of information. Users desired a more refined approach to content curation that would not leave them feeling overwhelmed.
Developed over the past year, Smashing’s iOS app allows users to pursue their interests in a way reminiscent of Artifact, but with a broader scope. Users can submit their own content and provide feedback on AI-generated recommendations sourced from various online platforms. Significantly, any content with a URL can be submitted, making it a versatile tool for discovering engaging material.
Smashing incorporates a voting system similar to Digg, enabling users to elevate the content they find most intriguing. With a limit of 30 votes per day, users can choose to focus their support on a few standout articles or distribute their votes across multiple links according to preference. Additionally, users can like, save, and comment on articles, enhancing community engagement and promoting quality content.
The app’s AI features provide content summaries, key excerpts, and notable quotes while identifying topics that resonate with users. However, Chandler emphasizes that the true "magic" of Smashing lies in creating a community that enhances the AI’s capabilities.
Despite the app's reliance on AI, Chandler asserts that Smashing is designed to drive traffic to online publishers rather than detract from it. “We created Smashing to curate interesting, long-form content and guide readers towards it,” he explained. “We’re not aiming to replace the experience of reading.” With a commitment to quality content, he firmly believes that the internet is filled with valuable insights waiting to be discovered.
Smashing is now launching in an invite-only private beta starting today.
The startup, which also includes co-founders Mike Mraz and Dan Barrett, has secured $3.4 million in seed funding from a range of investors, including True Ventures, Blockchange, and several prominent angel investors.
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