Testing Multiple Visions for Storya's Future
It’s been a while since our last update, and I wanted to share at least one aspect of the discussions that have been taking place behind the scenes.
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of discussions, research, and exploration as we consider revitalizing the Storya platform. After closing down the first iteration of the Storya app in June 2023, we've been on a reflective journey, exploring the intersection of AI and creativity in publishing in various forms. Now, an exciting opportunity has emerged that could leverage Storya's existing infrastructure in a new and impactful way.
Reimagining Educational Reading with Technology
There's growing interest in using technology to promote literacy and engage young readers, particularly in multilingual contexts. One project we're exploring involves creating an interactive platform that takes classic literature and makes it accessible through various formats—comics, audio narrations, and interactive elements—all tied together with gamification to keep users engaged.
This concept resonates deeply with what we originally built Storya to do: making literature more accessible across languages and formats. The key difference is the focus on educational outcomes rather than user-generated content.
Key Technical Components
As we explore this possibility, several technical components are emerging as critical:
1. Multilingual Support
The first priority is supporting an even broader variety of languages compared to what was already available: the original app had authors publishing in nearly 20 languages already from across the world. This presents unique challenges but is essential for truly global accessibility. While technically manageable with a few weeks of development work, ensuring proper cultural context and linguistic nuance requires more than just code—it requires cultural experts who understand both the language and its literary traditions.
2. Age-Appropriate Content Streaming
Creating differentiated content for various age groups is crucial. The same classic story might need multiple versions—simplified for children, more nuanced for teenagers, and fully preserved for adults. This means developing systems to:
Tag content appropriately by age group
Stream the right content to the right users
Create a gamified progression path that encourages users to eventually engage with the original text
3. Multimedia Integration
Comics, audio recordings, and original text must be seamlessly integrated, allowing users to switch between formats while maintaining their place in the story. This requires:
A robust slider/gallery system for comics
Audio player integration with playback controls
Clear navigation between different formats of the same content
4. Gamification System
Perhaps the most exciting technical challenge is developing an effective gamification system. Our research indicates several key components that would drive engagement:
Points System: Awarding points for reading time, completing chapters, and engaging with content
Streak Tracking: Encouraging daily reading habits through streak counters and rewards
Progressive Rewards: Offering more points for advancing to more complex content (from comics to original text)
Social Engagement: Rewarding comments, discussions, and community participation
Founding Member Benefits: Special recognition and perks for early adopters
Personalized Notifications: Smart reminders that help build reading habits
Although the technical implementation of such a system is achievable, we can already foresee that designing one that effectively promotes the desired reading behaviors will require deeper research into behavioral psychology and educational best practices.
Potential Business Models
This exploration has also led us to consider different approaches to monetizing the Storya platform:
White Label Licensing
Organizations could license the entire platform with customizations, taking ownership of the code and infrastructure. This approach offers a significant upfront return but limits ongoing revenue.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Alternatively, we could offer the platform as a subscription service, with ongoing maintenance, bug fixes, and a development roadmap. This model provides more stable long-term revenue and allows us to continuously improve the platform based on user feedback.
Both models have merits, and the right choice depends on the specific project needs and our long-term goals for Storya.
Reflections on Rebuilding
This potential revival of Storya in a new form has prompted a variety of feelings and reflections in us. As we've often discussed in previous posts, the balance between vision and pragmatism is crucial. This opportunity represents a chance to take what we built and apply it to a concrete use case with clear educational benefits.
Even if this specific project doesn't materialize, the conversations have rekindled our thinking about Storya's core capabilities. We have never stopped observing the market and we believe the platform still has life in it—whether through this project or another application we haven't yet considered. Our goal remains unchanged: breaking down barriers for global, diverse storytellers to reach their audiences everywhere, empowered by technology.
Next Steps
As we continue to explore this possibility, we're focusing on several key areas:
1. Developing more detailed mockups of the gamification system to visualize the user experience
2. Researching effective educational gamification strategies
3. Evaluating the technical effort required to implement multilingual support and comic display
4. Considering how to structure the business model to ensure sustainability
Whatever path we choose, it's exciting to see how the core vision of Storya—making literature more accessible across languages, formats, and cultures—continues to resonate and find new potential applications.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this potential direction. Have you seen effective gamification in educational settings? What features would make you more likely to engage with classic literature in digital formats?
Until next time,
Paolo & Praveen