SXSW Startups: Privacy Monitor
The Forrest Four-Cast: March 6, 2019
Fifty diverse startups will aim to impress a panel of judges and a live audience with their skills, creativity and innovation at SXSW Pitch Presented by Cyndx. Winners in 10 categories will be announced at the Pitch Award Ceremony at 6:30 pm Sunday, March 10, at the Hilton Austin.
A finalist in the Enterprise and Smart Data category, which will pitch at 12:30 pm Saturday, March 9, Privacy Monitor by Osano provides a data privacy reputation score for websites and services where consumers share their data. Available as a browser plugin and mobile app, Osano’s systems read the compliance documents for every website, performing a 152-point inspection. Privacy Monitor then provides an actionable, easy to understand score based on that inspection.
CEO and co-founder Arlo Gilbert answered some questions about his just launched product.
What is your competitive advantage?
Team and technology! We have an experienced team and we have worked together before. We are the very best leadership team in the world to start this particular business.
Our technology is already a year ahead of anybody who might choose to compete today. Our proprietary dataset is impressive and growing. By having an early technology lead, we are in a position to accelerate our ownership of this space quickly.
What are your goals for Osano in 2019?
To empower the first 1,000,000 users (from individuals to businesses) with ratings and analysis of how their data is used, stored and shared.
Has Osano been involved with other pitch events?
No. We just launched out of stealth on March 5, so it’s great to finally be able to share what we’ve been up to!
How has your invention and involvement of App Suey, Departing, and Meta Saas informed Osano’s development?
At every company I have started, we — like most technology companies — put important parts of our agreements with users inside of documents that quite honestly, we know nobody reads. Having firsthand experience and an understanding of sites’ and app publishers’ motivations gives me unique insight into how to build products that solve these problems.
Osano is based in Austin. Tell us about the startup ecosystem there.
Austin is the single greatest place on the planet to build a startup. There are world famous accelerators like Capital Factory, supportive angel investors, tons of VCs (and growing), and the cost of living here is really cheap relative to the coasts.
More importantly, though, there is a real sense of camaraderie between the founders. We are all crazy and we all know it. We support each other, make introductions, provide feedback and help each other to land our first customers and investors.
How and when did your team come together?
My co-founder and I have been working together for years. Recently, we had a successful exit in the enterprise SaaS space. Personally, I’ve been building companies for 20plus years here in Austin. My first company was actually started in the space that would eventually become Capital Factory, but long before Capital Factory was even an idea!
If your team members weren’t involved in building Osano, what would they be doing?
There is no alternative. We are deeply passionate about data privacy and data rights. If we weren’t building Osano, we would be investing, mentoring and eventually joining the company that would become Osano.
Looking at the entire tech industry, what trend is your team most excited about?
AI is pretty cool but its current capabilities are wildly overblown. That said, there are a lot of areas where AI will help people move faster, be smarter and solve problems more effectively.
Looking at the entire tech industry, what technology would you call the Myspace of 2019…in other words, something we won’t be thinking so much about in 2020 and beyond?
Scooters like Bird and Lime. I am not a fan. They are the pet rock, the Myspace, the Chia Pet of this generation.
What aspects of the startup experience do you enjoy most and least?
I love the flexibility of making up the rules as we go and creating my own work environment while pursuing ideas that I am passionate about. The downside is the unknown. Are we just crazy enough? Or are we too crazy? Only time will tell.
Name three people, in any field, alive or dead, you’d like to meet and tell us why.
Bill Gates: As a professional, he was a ruthless CEO, but his life after Microsoft has really been an inspiration. He’s trying to solve humanity’s biggest problems, using his wealth and power to do good.
Cornelius Vanderbilt: I’ve read his biography and think he’s fascinating. Mean, crazy and a lot of other words come to mind, but it would be amazing to get to know him.
Kara Swisher: I just love her podcasts and writing. She seems to be unafraid of poking the tiger, and I think that’s awesome. [Kara Swisher will deliver a keynote address at SXSW 19 with comedian Kathy Griffin.]
What has the startup experience taught you about life?
Trust your gut.
What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d had that you’d give to others wanting to join the startup journey?
Unless you are obsessed and slightly insane, don’t start a company. Your odds of failing are incredibly high and the odds that it will ruin personal relationships are nearly guaranteed. Instead, join a funded startup where the risk is lower, where you get healthcare, vacations and can still make a dent in the universe with your amazing skills. A startup like…oh I don’t know…Osano.
Look for more interviews with other SXSW Pitch finalists in this space between now and March.
Click here to see all 50 finalists for SXSW Pitch 2019, along with the links to their interviews on Medium.
Also, if you are an entrepreneur, check out all the cool panels and presentations in the Entrepreneurship and Startups Track, which runs March 8–12 at SXSW.
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.
