As people, one of the most vital factors in our lives is other people. Nowadays especially, when there’s no shortage of social and political turmoil with a global pandemic to top it all off, it’s reassuring to realize we’re not undergoing these challenges alone. Life will always come with its challenges, but fortunately, there will always be others we can depend on to encourage us to face them head on. Built on this principle, audio platform Mindset launched so fans can listen to their favorite artists delve into their own life experiences.
Mindset is a product of media company DIVE Studios, co-founded by CEO Brian Nam and his brothers Eric and Eddie. DIVE Studios creates podcasts featuring K-pop stars and other artists that address topics ranging from relationships to career journeys and beyond. Its content is available to users via platforms like Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
“A lot of [the content] is touching topics that necessarily aren’t often talked about within the K-pop space or just in general from an entertainment perspective. There’ve been a lot of unique stories, [and] I think, some of the kind of stories that hit home with me are stories around the Asian American experience,” Nam told Built In. “Growing up even, you know, 10 years ago, there was a lot less Asian American representation and media. So to kind of see how it’s evolved today with BTS and K-pop really kind of becoming so popular in Western culture, it’s been really exciting to kind of see that shift.”
“Whenever I can hear stories amongst our podcasts touch into that Asian American experience, I think it definitely resonates very strong,” Nam added.
The company’s feedback from listeners showed similar sentiments were widely shared among its users. After learning about which topics its audience was most interested in — namely self improvement, wellness, mental health and the human experience — Mindset was born to deliver that content in a more accessible way and across a more diverse array of backgrounds.
Following a successful beta launch, the Mindset app is live with an upgraded UI, and it’s backed by $8.7 million in seed funding led by Union Square Ventures. The mobile app features three main components. The first entails premium collections of audio clips ranging from about 10 to 20 minutes long. These feature autobiographical storytelling directly from celebrities. Mindset also offers shorter clips called boosters that can be things like motivational tidbits or stories to fall asleep to. Lastly, there’s a tab for daily motivational quotes.
“Just having a place where people can really open up about how they feel, stepping away from the highlight reels on social media and really going into the fact that everyone is human, everybody battles with and endures very similar challenges, I think normalizing that kind of conversation and that understanding of, ‘This is very normal to feel this way’ [is] extremely important, especially at a point where people feel so isolated and lonely right now,” Nam said.
The fresh funding will enable Mindset to invest in the growth of its platform. Currently, it features audio content from four K-pop stars, and it’s planning to expand to include content from Western artists in the future. It currently has about 25 celebrities confirmed ranging from actors to punk rock artists, according to Nam.
“I’m really excited about seeing how we can deliver this type of value to different types of fans or audiences around the world... it’s gonna be really insightful to see how each of these different fandoms will interpret this kind of content that we’re creating for the first time,” Nam said. “So far what we see is that people are [saying], ‘Thank you for creating this platform where they can share these types of stories, we haven’t really experienced something like this before.’”
With an eye on building out community, according to Nam, the company is also planning to put some of its new investment toward hiring new talent to join its team. Mindset currently has a headcount of 34 and lists available roles for a graphic designer, video editor and community coordinator on its website.
