The Lift Master Plan

Find the Lift website here: http://liftupnews.com/

Today, we want to do something a little different and that is to simply let you in on it all: our struggles, our developments, our strategy, our vision. Everything.

Why, you ask? Well, because at the end of the day, Lift is for the people. For you. Yes, it may sound cliche; but in all seriousness, none of this would be possible without incredible backers like yourself. And so, in many ways, you run this platform just as much as the team behind Lift. It only makes sense for us all to be on the same page.

So, lets begin with this: what is Lift?

Well, Lift is a place for you to explore your city through the fascinating stories and insights of those around you shaping it.

Its a place for you to discover how vibrant and unique the place you call home really is. Dive into the minds of those you call neighbor, and open your eyes to the fact that surrounding you everyday are amazing storytellers, thought-leaders, and creators of all kind. Be amazed by the fact that the businesses all around you are alive: full of impactful stories, brilliant insights, and humbling narratives of highs and lows.

We built Lift out of the belief that your community should be defined by what matters most in the lives of its extraordinary people rather than the dominating, single perspectives of local news. For far too long, we have been bombarded by overwhelming reports of local murder, crime, and corruption. It is for this reason that we couldnt help but to think: Is this what defines Columbus? Is this the ever-changing city that we know and love? We sure didnt think so.

This brings us to the we.

The team behind Lift is brilliant. We dont come bearing the magical words of Facebook, Apple, or Stanford on white sheets of paper. We dont come on high horses after any previous multi-million-dollar exit. Hell, we didnt even build our tech startup out of a garage. Rather, we are a talented team of visionaries, artists, and creators who come hungry to push boundaries. Motivated to the brink of insanity to transform our dreams into your reality, our team at Lift is committed to created substantial impact within cities across the nation.

Though, while our vision appears to be as marvelous as a Nutella and Peanut Butter sandwich, we would be ignorant not to acknowledge the fact that like many daring, young ideas before us, criticisms are sure to follow. So, allow me to now address a few of these concerns. The first of which, and perhaps expected for any startup preparing to dive into a market, is: how do you plan to compete with such large publishing platforms like Medium, Reddit, Tumblr, or The Odyssey?

The answer to this is twofold.

For viewers, we address the problem of relevancy. Today, there are thousands of channels in which you may go to find quality content about any topic of particular interest. Startups? Unicorns? Baby advice? (all the same thing..?) There is a place for it all. However, what is challenging to find nowadays is a more visceral connection with what you read. Every piece found within Lifts local feed is created by the people and businesses you personally interact with: from the aspiring Fortune 500 CEO around the corner, to your Sunday morning yoga instructor, to even those behind your favorite local pizza shop. These pre-existing relationships provide an interactive experience that is exclusive and meaningful.

Though, important to note is that the extent of this unique experience does not end here. The coming social elements, yet to be integrating onto Lift, will evolve the entire experience, enabling you to connect and interact with the people and businesses around you like never before.

Now for publishers, the question becomes: why would I want to publish onto Lift over any other publishing platform? We tackle this concern with the concept of lifting. Lets walk through the journey of lifting with Jim, a chef who lives in Columbus and wishes to voice his opinions on the latest trends in culinary arts. After choosing to post his piece onto Lift, Jims article is now visible for all to see within the bounds of Columbus. Along the way, he finds that others are enjoying his piece by noticing that the amount of Lifts on his article is substantially increasing. As more and more viewers around Columbus either select the native lift button or choose to share his article on social media, he soon finds his way to the top of the Columbus feed. Fantastic! Jim is now a local celebrity! Is that all?

Not even close, here is where things get interesting.

As the technology behind Lift matures and scales across cities throughout Ohio, we begin to collect and organize the most lifted of each respective city: A Hunger Games dynamic if you will, in which each community lifts the pieces that best represent their city’s unique character. Ultimately, this will allow users to enjoy a comprehensive view of the state of Ohio while still keeping true to the same organic feel of local perspectives.

Coming back to our friend Jim, what does this mean for him? Well, after crossing a threshold algorithmically tailored to the Columbus feed, Jim then advances into the regional or state feed where his piece is then amplified and viewed by a significantly larger audience. Along the journey, Jim experienced the value of a small wins strategy in which his piece was propelled by those wishing to see his voice radiate most: the hundreds of thousands of his closest neighbors in Columbus. Especially significant to note is the advantage of accumulating organic growth by gradually transcending Lift tiers. On much larger platforms, the probability of traction seems to be all or nothing when competing against the existing overload of content.

So, in short, the master plan is this :

Create a tech platform with self-publishing capabilities

Amaze Columbus-goers with their own city

Share the love to Ohio

While doing above, integrate social elements for others to act upon their newfound love of home

Tell everyone

While doing above, integrate social elements for others to act upon their newfound love of home

Tell everyone