Smashing: A New App Curating the Best of the Web Using AI and Human Recommendations

Goodreads' co-founder, Otis Chandler, is back with a new app called Smashing, which aims to connect users with their interests by surfacing the internet's hidden gems. The app, currently in invite-only beta, uses a combination of AI and human recommendations to curate the best content from the web, including news articles, blog posts, social media posts, podcasts, and YouTube videos.

The launch of Smashing comes at a time when the media ecosystem is becoming increasingly fragmented, with journalists establishing their own newsletters and Substacks, and changes at Google and Meta resulting in a significant drop in traffic to online publishers. Chandler believes Smashing can address these problems by surfacing high-quality content and encouraging users to visit publishers' sites to read more.

Chandler's inspiration for Smashing came from his own experience trying to find good content online. During his sabbatical, he tried to train for a Half Ironman triathlon and found it difficult to find reliable and accurate information using traditional search engines. He tried various news aggregators, social media, and other apps, but was dissatisfied with the results. This led him to create Smashing, which he hopes will provide users with a better way to discover interesting and accurate content.

Smashing's iOS app allows users to follow their interests and submit their own content. The app uses AI-powered recommendations, which are then curated by a community of users who can vote up or down content. The app also provides summaries of news articles, key excerpts, and interesting pull quotes. Chandler believes that Smashing will drive traffic to online publishers, rather than replacing them.

The app's design is reminiscent of Digg, a news aggregator from the Web 2.0 era. Users can vote up content they think is interesting, and the app will surface the best content based on user feedback. Chandler hopes that Smashing will become a community-driven platform that helps users discover new content and connect with others who share similar interests.

Smashing has raised a seed round and is currently in invite-only beta. Chandler hopes to expand the app's features and user base in the coming months.

Overall, Smashing aims to provide a better way for users to discover and engage with high-quality content online. By combining AI-powered recommendations with community feedback, Chandler hopes to create a platform that helps users find the best of the web.

AndroGuider Team

Articles written by the AndroGuider team. We try to make them thorough and informational while being easy to read.