This week, we’re going to hear from a company that presented right before the global pandemic shut down everything (why does that seem like 10 years ago now?). Socially Inept is a tech roast show, comedy brand, and term used to describe everyone working in tech. They are a group of renegade software engineers turned comedians. Their mission is to celebrate your tech scene by roasting the hell out of it. Co-Founder Austin Nasso talks through their process below!
New Tech Flashback
1. What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned since you first presented at NTNW?
The importance of being adaptable. For years all of our revenue was coming from live events. We’ve always planned on diversifying our income streams but were forced to do it on an expedited timeline due to the pandemic. In hindsight, we should have heeded the insider tip from our friend at Zoom, who told us in the middle of 2019 that their labs were working on “something real exciting”.
2. Did the pandemic cause your company to change/pivot your business model or strategy?
Initially during the pandemic we set out to answer the question “would it suck for our company to make no money?” The answer, “eh not really”, was surprising and reassuring as we considered the disgusting heaps of cash we stockpiled while slaving in tech and the fact that Nikita’s father is a Russian oligarch. We soon shifted our focus toward content creation and growing our social media following. We plan to continue to focus on the digital media side of business even after the pandemic because we believe that computers are the future (™).
3. What is the most innovative way your tech solves the problems of your customers?
Our target customer is anyone who works in tech. The primary pain point we address is the entirety of their pitiful existence. By leveraging technologies such as microphones and microphone cords (and the foamy thing you put on top of the microphone), we provide a 90-minute respite from the drudgeries of tech work. Additionally, with the now ubiquitous adoption of Zoom, we also offer our custom tailored tech roast shows in an innovative online format that truly blows in comparison to the in person analog.
4. What is something interesting and unexpected that people would be surprised to learn about your company?
All four founding members of the company have dropped out of technical PhD programs or left companies like Microsoft and SpaceX to work full time on Socially Inept. While it’s glaringly obvious that we’re cooler than you, the degree to which we’re cooler might be interesting and unexpected.
Have a company that you think has cool New Tech and would like to be featured? Let us know.