“If I Were to Start a Business Today, I’d build it Around Alexa or Google Home” – Mark Cuban
In a recent podcast that Mark Cuban did with Recode, he was asked the following question, “I was curious with all the investing that you do, what are three areas that you’re really excited about investing in, besides gambling … currently?”
To which Mark answered, “So, if I we’re going to start a business today, I’d build it around Alexa and Google Home. If I was 15 or 20 or 25, and you know, back in the day when I was working as a bartender and started a company, I would learn … because Alexa skills and scripting Alexa skills is really, really easy. But everybody thinks it’s really, really hard. And so that disconnect is a great opportunity. And so I told my kids, other kids, learn how to script, and just go get your neighbors and set up all of these Alexa tools and you’ll make $25, $30, $40 an hour.”
I’m not sure everyone building in the voice ecosystem would agree with the details of what Mark is saying, particularly around scripting. However, I think he’s right from a high-level about there being a rather low barrier of entry to get started in the voice space, and there is seemingly a large abundance of opportunity to find a niche within the voice economy to build a business around.
The podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at SXSW, and throughout the podcast, there are a number of questions for Mark from the audience around Alexa, Google Assistant and AI more broadly. It’s definitely an interesting conversation, with a very tech-literate audience that ask pretty challenging questions. So, if you’re curious to know what Mark Cuban thinks about the future of smart assistants and the like, give it a listen.
-Thanks for Reading-
Dave
To listen to the broadcast with your Alexa device, enable the skill here: https://www.amazon.com/Witlingo-Future-Ear-Radio/dp/B07PL9X5WK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=future+ear+radio&qid=1552337687&s=digital-skills&sr=1-1-catcorr
and then say, “Alexa, launch Future Ear Radio.”
