Spot it. Collect it.
Tired of fighting about screen time? This is the game that makes them want to play outside.
Your childhood had magic.
Theirs has a feed.
Every device in their life is designed to keep them inside, head down, consuming. Set them free.
What if a screen sent them running outside?
Where nature is the game.
Explore. Spot. Collect. Complete your field guide. The mission never ends.
Concept visualization • Hardware in development
Like Pokemon.
But the monsters are real.
A hawk dives at 120 mph. A monarch travels 3,000 miles. A redwood lives 2,000 years. Every Spot adds to your personal collection.
Actual interface concept • Species imagery from Wikipedia
Spot anything
Point at anything alive. Know what it is in seconds.
Never ends
New species every season. New Spots every walk. The game never ends.
No screen guilt
No apps. No feed. No notifications. Just discovery.
Only works outside
Useless indoors. That's the point.
From The Lab
Early hardware explorations. We're just getting started.
I'm building the device I want for my own kids.
Australia, 1986. The world was full of magic.
I've built products for 45 million kids at ClassDojo. I also created New Literacies to explore how to help kids thrive in a world shaped by AI. Now I'm building for my own three daughters.
I wanted to delay giving them a smartphone, but I didn't want to delay their curiosity. The "dumb phone" options were safe but boring. The smartphone options were magical but dangerous.
So I'm building the third option: a game that makes the real world more interesting than the screen.
That's Spot. The gift I want to give my kids. And yours.
If any of this resonates, I'd love to hear from you.
— Mike
Want to Spot it first?
We're prototyping the hardware and testing with real families. I'd love your feedback as a parent — and maybe as an investor.
Confidential • Not for public sharing yet
The Category Bet
Pokemon Go proved the behavior ($8B). Yoto proved the hardware ($100M+). We're merging them to create the definitive "first device" for the next generation.
The "Anxious Gen" Wave
Jonathan Haidt's #1 Bestseller sparked a global movement. 42% of teens say they're addicted. States are passing bans. The recoil from smartphones is the biggest consumer shift of the decade.
Razor & Blade
Yoto ($100M+ Rev) proved parents will pay for safe content. We sell the Device ($199) at cost, then monetize high-margin Expansion Modules ($39-59) for years.
Category King
Nintendo ($60B) owns play. Apple ($3T) owns adults. No one owns the 8-12 "Discovery" slot. The winner inherits family trust for a generation.
The Path to $1,000 LTV
A dedicated device allows us to grow with the child, layering on capabilities as they age.
Spot Explorer Edition
- ✓ Ruggedized Handheld Device
- ✓ "Nature Explorer" Module Included
- ✓ Unlimited Spot & Collect
- ✓ Offline-First Design
Priced as a "Big Gift" (Birthday/Christmas) comparable to Switch Lite or Yoto Player.
Expansion Modules ($39-59 each)
Phase 1: Domains (Ages 8-10)
Space Pack (AR Constellations), Ocean Pack (Tidepooling), Geology Pack (Rock ID)
Phase 2: Tools (Ages 10-12)
Macro Lens Clip-on ($49), Night Vision Sensor ($79). Hardware add-ons that unlock new layers.
Phase 3: Utility (Ages 12-14)
Survival Guide, First Aid, Knot Tying. Moving from observation to agency and skill-building.
The Tech Thesis: Invisible AI
We use the world's most advanced intelligence to create the world's safest offline experience.
1 On-Device Intelligence
Our bet is on the Edge AI curve. As Small Language Models become efficient enough to run locally, we move intelligence from cloud to device. The goal: a device that knows everything about nature but shares nothing about your child.
2 The "Sync" Model
Until chips catch up, we embrace Tethered Intelligence. The device works offline to capture and log. Heavy processing happens on home Wi-Fi. This mirrors the "film development" loop. Anticipation is a feature, not a bug.