Many software product companies and startups have a very focused path. They dedicate all their attention to building a single product, and then perfecting, pitching, and marketing it. As they reach success, they make a crucial decision to hold onto the product and make it their life’s work. Their attention span is focused on the work of their life, and their vision narrows to a tunnel view. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, but guys at Phase One Karma don’t buy it.
Phase One Karma started as a small product company developing anti-plagiarism service. The guys had a vision and a mission: they wanted to make education transparent and improve the value of authentic intellectual work in education. And they sure did: the product went on to become a real success with more than 1 million users worldwide. However, success has made P1K all but settled. P1K turned their attention to other niches, way outside the Ed Tech industry. Currently, they’ve been developing a Legal Tech tool, which is expected to topple even the success of their initial product. The shift is not perceived that radically within the team, though. Just as with their first product, they dedicate a lot of time to researching the market and the technology, carefully building up to get an effective MVP.
Despite the intense industry shifts and dynamic rhythm of work, Phase One Karma has a tight-knit community around its work. It remains attentive to working with people who correspond values and work ethics and is aiming to continue developing not just top-notch products, but also a distinct community with a meaningful corporate culture.
If there’s one thing to be learned from P1K’s experience, it is that dreaming big is okay even in today’s ultra-specialized, micro-targeted global tech culture. Sometimes it is worth lifting your head up, looking at what’s around you and where you can make a difference with your set of skills and expertise.
