SXSW Pitch Finalist: Citefull
The Forrest Four-Cast: February 27, 2020
According to a Pew Research Center study, Americans rate fake news as a larger problem than racism, climate change, or terrorism, one that is eroding people’s confidence in government and each other.
While the survey found that a majority of the respondents thought that journalists should take responsibility for fixing the problem, Phoenix-based Citefull can play an important role in fixing fake news by verifying digital content. Objective, reliable and fast, Citefull is a trusted and independent resource that can quickly confirm — or debunk — news stories in real-time.
One of 50 finalists for SXSW Pitch 2020, Citefull measures and grades news outlets, authors and the content in an effort to stop the spread of misinformation once and for all.
See the pitch in the category of Entertainment & Content Technology, 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm Sunday, March 15, before a live audience and a panel of expert judges.
Winners in each of the 10 categories will be announced at the Pitch Awards Ceremony, at 6:30 pm Sunday, March 15. SXSW attendees are also invited to Meet the Finalists from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Monday, March 16. All SXSW Pitch events take place at the Hilton Austin Downtown.
Kyle Grone, Citefull Co-Founder and CEO, talked about the promise of blockchain, the possibilties for cryptocurrencies, and what he learned as a competitive poker player.
What is your top goal for Citefull for 2020?
My Co-Founder Crystal Houston and I are eager to introduce college newspapers and their attentive student audience to verified news. Securing two dozen schools on our platform by the end of Q4 will yield a daily readership in excess of 150,000 students.
With the exception of Citefull, what tech trend is your team most excited about?
Both of us founders and our partners at Polyient Labs have strong backgrounds in blockchain and crypto. Nothing gets us more excited than finally seeing the range of useful products coming to market solving user problems in ways only that blockchain can. And when it’s combined with AI? Yeah, we can’t wait to see how that convergence will influence adoption.
What was the most overhyped tech trend of 2019?
From where I sit, I wonder if the promise of XR has lived up to the hype. Been around a long time so while I feel VR will have its moment in the sun, it’s currently just a glamorous toy with limited utility. I’m still interested to see if there are any bold XR applications on the horizon. For now, I’m not sold on the technology outside of gaming.
If you weren’t working for Citefull, what would you be doing?
I have a huge calling to bring smart banking services to the unbanked. After working at blockchain-focused company, I became fascinated with the possibilities of cryptocurrencies. With three billion people on the planet who don’t have access to sophisticated banking services, they’re unable to fully participate in our global economy. If we could get the the right crypto products and services into underserved communities we could vastly improve lives and eliminate poverty.
What has the startup experience taught you about life?
Working at startups means working in teams. Previously, I did very well in sales in a more solitary environment where I counted on my strengths alone to succeed. My startup life has taught me how collaborating with and relying on others can achieve even greater outcomes! Sharing our wins in a group setting is much more rewarding, and makes me appreciate my teammates and their individual contributions.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
Elon Musk. He has a unique and uncompromising vision of what the future should look like, and that there is nothing more important than reaching that future. None of the other glamorous aspects of being a billionaire seem to get in his way, he just keeps pushing towards his vision with unbridled tenacity, and he knows what to do to get there.
What do you think is the most overrated virtue?
Contentment seems to be the most elusive virtue for me. I always wished I could be content with a normal 9 to 5 work life, but then found myself excessively frustrated with persistent problems no one else seemed to be fixing. Dedicating my life to being a disruptor who is driven to tackle hard problems may seem pathological to an outsider, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I found it effortless to be more detail-oriented. I can get there on things in my gift zone, but it’s taxing to dive into nuance to get the details right on some other tasks. Luckily, that’s where my partner [Crystal Houston] shines. Crystal’s foundation in writing, so she’s well-versed at getting granular. She’s also strategic and can recalibrate her focus to see how the pieces make up the big picture. Doing this partnership dance has helped me to strengthen that muscle.
What’s your actual super power?
I played competitive poker for many years, and even had a sponsor for the 2010 World Series of Poker, so I’ve developed a good sense of how to read people. That Spidey-sense absolutely guides me to quickly learn about and connect with people.
What motto or quote do you live by?
“If we are talking about opinions, mine wins — but data will trump my opinion every time,” by Jeff Bezos. It reminds me that our ideas and approaches aren’t precious but are intended to serve as learning opportunities, and that facts and data should be our guide.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten — or given?
For 15 years, I worked in the car business. One manager’s mantra: “Your reputation will always precede you, make sure it’s a good one. ” As a founder that resonates with me. Now more than ever, people can know about you before they ever meet you. So I’m intentional that my actions leave a good impression.
Tell us your favorite thing about being based in Phoenix.
As a family man with a wife and three awesome daughters, maintaining the right work-life balance is key. Living in the Valley, with its 300 gorgeous days a year, doesn’t suck. We bootstrapped this venture, so while there aren’t many perks, being able to go from a white board to a green golf course in 10 minutes is a bonus.
Tell us about something you love.
My favorite restaurant is a locally famous, hole-in-the-wall, joint called Dick’s Hideaway (you guessed it, there’s no identifying sign). For decades, the owner’s had restaurants in my neighborhood that my dad started taking me to when I was three. I take my kids now, too. They specialize in “New Mexican Cuisine,” which is a spicier take on the region’s food. I get shrimp enchiladas with red sauce, potatoes and rice, topped with a scrambled egg and chives. It’s my death row meal and it pains me to contemplate how much money I’ve spent on this one dish over the course of my lifetime. Now I am hungry.
Tell us about a memorable celebrity encounter.
Probably the most notable of my celebrity run-ins occurred a few years ago at a Starbucks in the financial district of San Francisco during Oracle’s Developer conference. Sean Parker walked in with his fiancé. I approached them. Said “Hi,” shook his hand, and walked away. Short and sweet.
If you were offered the opportunity to colonize Mars (but with no guarantee that you would ever return to Earth), would you go?
If I could take my family with me, then yes, I would go. My family is the most important thing to me and leaving Earth wouldn’t be worth leaving them behind. If I had my home crew with me however, the hardship, inconvenience, and risk would be offset by the importance and impact of such a trip.
Look for more interviews with other finalists in this space between now and the start of SXSW Pitch on Saturday, March 14. Visit this page to see all previous interviews in this series as well as a list of all finalists.
If you are an entrepreneur, check out the SXSW 2020 Startups Track, which runs March 13–17. This track brings together founders and funders and showcases exciting new companies, products, services, and business models across different verticals and industries.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
