VILLAGEx 2022 Founder Friday: DAWn Audio
Founder Fridays is a series that spotlights VILLAGEx founders and their startups
In 2020 Diego Pinzon, Jake Gus, Leo Simanonok and Sam Matluck decided to partner together to develop startup DAWn Audio, a software platform which allows audio artists worldwide to create music collaborations in real time regardless of their digital audio workstations.
Pinzon pitched the idea to bring DAWn Audio to life to his fellow Engineering classmates at Tulane University Gus, Simanonok and Matluck in 2020. Quickly, the three agreed to join the venture, realizing that they had a unique opportunity to break geographic and system audio barriers that hinder musicians to seamlessly create music together.
“I think that the most exciting part [about building DAWn Audio] is we’re making an experience for [audio] artists. And that's what drives our company and our growth. But at the same time, the ultimate output of that is going to be music.” said Pinzon. “Music that would have never been possible before. Music that blends genres that would have never met before.”
The founders of DAWn Audio are dedicated and passionate about building technology that brings artists globally together to work and share their music production. Currently DAWn Audio, VILLAGEx 2022 startup, is in its early stages of testing. More recently they've introduced three artists into their software to further improve product development ahead of Demo Day 2022. DAWn Audio is projected to fully launch in 2023.
Q & A
(Responses have been edited for clarity)
What problem does DAWn Audio solve?
Diego Pinzon: “The problem is inefficient collaboration amongst audio artists. It’s a lengthy process of emailing revisions and waiting for feedback; because of that, artists lose a lot of time, money and also their creativity is completely stifled. [For example,] if I have an idea [for an audio piece right now and] I try to work with you, I would have to wait for you and that back and forth revision process.That [process alone can completely destroy creativity.] If you think of music as an experience and as a process for creation it's very communal. Music is never made by just one person in a room locked by themselves. It’s what we call a co-creative experience. That co creation we define as differently than collaboration in that each artist should be able contribute their unique skills uninhibitedly. What we’ve created is technology that replicates or mimics that in person, co creative experience, but on a digital platform, so you can be on opposite ends of the globe, and still share that same experience.”
What have you gained from the 2022 VILLAGEx cohort?
Sam Matluck: “What has been one of our most favorable outcomes is the network in New Orleans and the people that we've been able to connect with. The Idea Village really feels like the center of the startup and entrepreneurial community in New Orleans. I think being in an ecosystem, where if we need assistance in a certain realm, or have a certain question, there's always someone who can pretty easily be connected with us. Having that kind of network has been super crucial.”
What is it like being a first time founder?
Diego Pinzon: “I think it brings a very unique perspective and experience. The reason why we've been able to make a lot of this progress is that we're still very user or artist driven and centric. While as with any startup, the solution and the ultimate vision changes month to month, week to week, day to day, as our understanding grows into developing a new experience that doesn't exist digitally. When you look ahead it is really exciting.”
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DAWn Audio is a web-based application that allows musicians and audio artists anywhere in the world to co-create real time. Not a new DAW, but a bridge between all