Ep 1.4 - The Future of Local Media and Advertising: Chris Dinn's Vision for Torontoverse and Beyond 544a6h

In episode 1.4 of The MVP Pod, we sit down with Chris Dinn, founder, and lead engineer of Torontoverse which is a local publication platform designed to empower local businesses and writers. Chris discusses the gap he noticed in the advertising space for local businesses, with Facebook currently being their only viable option, and how he aims to disrupt local media by leveraging open city datasets and building innovative tools for writers. He envisions the ideal Torontoverse as someone who is curiosity-driven, data-driven, and not looking for conflict, striving to create "curiosity-driven informative media." Chris also shares insights on building an MVP using open data sets, targeting "lean forward s" who are actively searching for information, and employing direct response advertising to engage his audience. Inspired by his experience playing City Skylines, Chris talks about the challenges of building Torontoverse in 2023, its potential expansion, monetization strategies, and how to build an audience for a local publication in the age of digital media. He delves into competing against Facebook for local business advertising and his approach to building an MVP by staying lean and keeping a small, focused team. Finally, Chris touches on the impact of AI on journalism, sparking a fascinating discussion on how journalists are reacting to the advancements in AI that are disrupting their field. us for an engaging and informative conversation about innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of local media in the digital era. To learn more check out what Chris and the team are building at torontoverse.com, give them a follow @torontoverse on Twitter, and check out Chris's tweets @chrisdinn. As always, we are constantly looking to improve The MVP Pod as our goal is to make building successful products easier by sharing stories and learnings of other products and builders. We would appreciate it if you could tweet or dm us⁠ @m2s4n⁠ and⁠ @harrysiva_⁠ with your ! Check out⁠ themvppod.com⁠ to learn more about the pod! 2i423i