The Premise. Social media is becoming something of a necessary evil in most people’s lives. While the updates and changing security policies keep users ill at ease, there aren’t any better options when it comes to staying in touch with friends and family.
The Product. The genshi.box is basically a tiny web server that connects to a PC and functions as a private social network that others can connect to. With a unique URL and the ability to make content public or private, the genshi.box can store photos, videos, blogs, and any other content without reliable internet access with a user interface familiar to users of Facebook.
The Pitch. The genshi.box video is stylish and brief, criticizing social media for selling data to advertisers and for accounts being unexpectedly shut down. The rest of the campaign is similarly styled, showing the product as something cool, tech-savvy youth would find themselves behind to protect their privacy, yet simple enough for the advanced in age to make ample use of. Product creators Genshi.lab are looking to raise $250,000 to finish the product’s design and bring it to market.
The Perks. The genshi.box is available for early adopters in March 2015 for $199. Four color variants are available at the $249 tier, with full customization of colors being available for backers who pledge $599 or more. Those who can’t wait can get a beta model in January 2015 for $1000.
The Potential. genshi.box provides a hardware-based alternative for personal sharing. But what sets it apart from previous options such as the PogoPlug is the software that handles the status updates. That’s likely what will re1uire most of the product’s development time. In cutting off most of the rest of the world,. the product makes it easier to have people opt in to certain life events and photos, etc. as opposed to having to screen people out as on Facebook. What one gives up on, however, is the serendipity of seeing updates from other people and being able to easily share those as well. One key to the product’s success will be a good mobile app that will make sharing easy on the go, which is a key way that content gets added to social networks today.