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a16z Podcast | Three Kids, One App, One Love -- The Five-O Story
8 segments available
Teenage siblings Ima, Asha and Caleb Christian from Atlanta, Georgia join Ben Horowitz for a discussion about the motivation and origins of their new app, Five-O. In the aftermath of the tragedy in Ferguson, Missouri, the young developers built Five-O as a tool to rate and document interactions -- good and bad -- with the police. Ben and the Five-O team discuss the origins and technical underpinnings of the app. Rapper Nas makes an appearance, offering his own experience with the police, and why efforts like Five-O work towards a solution that both citizens and police should get behind.
Segments Timeline
Inspiration from Ferguson
Teenage siblings Ima, Asha, and Caleb Christian discuss their motivation for creating the Five-O app in response to the events in Ferguson, Missouri. They highlight how, unlike many who felt frustrated, they took action to build a tool that promotes transparency in police interactions, aiming to improve the future of policing.
"hello we are here on the a 16z podcast with the writers and makers of the 500 a p-- with us i have three awesome american teenagers and they unlike most of us when they watched what was happening in F..."
Turning Anger into Action
Asha explains how their family's negative experiences with law enforcement motivated them to approach the issue constructively. Instead of reacting with anger, they focused on problem-solving and utilized their coding skills to create the Five-O app, demonstrating a proactive approach to community issues.
"very excited to have Caleb EEMA and Asha here and will it get started so Emma what made you wanna build 500k well we started developing this app about six months ago and what really made us decide to ..."
Building the Five-O App
Caleb shares the technical aspects of the Five-O app, detailing its features such as incident reporting, community message boards, and a 'Know Your Rights' section. He emphasizes the app's design to empower users by providing essential information and facilitating transparency in police interactions.
"determination to get the app out great so we have a real tech audience here on the a 16z podcast so Caleb can you take us through a little bit of how you architected the application what the component..."
Nas Joins the Conversation
Rapper Nas joins the podcast, praising the Christian siblings for their innovative approach to addressing police issues. He shares his own experiences with law enforcement and emphasizes the importance of community support for initiatives like Five-O, highlighting the potential for positive change.
"you know it's like we do I do also you know have experiences with police you know that weren't so great coming up so you know but then like they say that there's some good cops out there too I know so..."
Experiencing Silicon Valley
The siblings recount their visit to Facebook, expressing their admiration for the welcoming environment and the positive energy they experienced. They reflect on how this visit inspired them and changed their perception of the tech industry, reinforcing their commitment to developing the Five-O app.
"when you think about coding you don't really think about it like how people like how it looks at Facebook you think about it like someone's slaving away at a computer but it's not that at all it reall..."
Handling Media Attention
The Christian siblings discuss their experiences with the press and how they prepared for interviews. They share strategies for answering questions about their app and maintaining a constructive dialogue about police interactions, showcasing their maturity and readiness to engage with the media.
"executives that aren't that good at yeah we're learning this is good so where do you think the app can go from here so you've kind of got it out there people can report on issues you know if you kind ..."
Future Aspirations for Five-O
The siblings outline their vision for the future of the Five-O app, including plans for global expansion and accessibility through SMS for users without smartphones. They express their commitment to enhancing the app's functionality and ensuring it serves communities worldwide.
"and we know that um some countries and around the world they don't have smartphones so we're also trying to get it that function so it can work with SMS and they can submit their interaction reports t..."
Funding and Community Support
The Christian siblings discuss their fundraising efforts for the Five-O app and their plans to leverage open-source contributions. They invite developers to collaborate on the project, emphasizing the collective effort needed to make the app a valuable resource for communities seeking safer interactions with law enforcement.
"with college about everything in front of you and how do you see it evolving over time with just with your own time and and what you're gonna be able to do well I feel like in terms of because I'm abo..."