Steph Curry, long known for breaking records and delighting fans on the court, is trying something new.
The Golden State Warriors superstar has launched a social media startup that helps professional athletes connect with their fans online. The platform, called Slyce, filters through athletes’ incoming posts to save them time, and lets them post their own content to multiple social media platforms at once.
Slyce is also letting Curry interact with fans in new ways. He’s hosted a number of live Q&As on the platform, opening up the floor last week to allow fans to ask whatever was on their minds. Trina Choudhury, a 24-year-old from New York who calls herself a “huge Steph Curry fan,” was thrilled when Curry responded to something she posted.
“It felt good to know that there was a connection at some level,” Choudhury said, adding the experience was “just like having a normal conversation.”
The Slyce team includes former Nike financial analyst Bryant Barr, who is a Slyce co-founder and CEO, according to LinkedIn. Jason Mayden, a former co-chair of Nike’s Black Employee Network, and Jim Cai, a former LinkedIn engineer, also are listed as co-founders.
USA Today’s For The Win reported the platform’s debut earlier this week.
Barr has told reporters that Curry’s social media activity started to decline recently because it was too much of a hassle for the athlete to maintain his online presence. That’s not surprising, given how Curry has rocketed to stardom. Fans watch riveted as Curry makes crazy half-court shots and helps his team break one record after another. The Warriors hold the NBA records for the fastest road to 50 wins and longest home winning streak. Curry holds the records for the most 3-pointers in a season and the most consecutive games with a 3-pointer.
Slyce has raised $900,000 so far and employs five people in the Bay Area, according to GeekWire. About 10 athletes use the platform, including Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett and Kent Bazemore, an Atlanta Hawks small forward.
Choudhury heard about Slyce through posts on Curry’s Twitter and Instagram, and has participated in three Q&A sessions over the past month. After participants join the platform, they get a notification about 20 minutes before a Q&A starts, prompting them to submit their questions. Curry then types responses to certain questions, creating a dialogue that resembles an online message board.
It’s a good idea, Choudhury said, because it helps filter out the negativity that has become so prevalent on social media. Slyce members join the platform because they are fans and want to hear what Curry has to say, so it creates a more positive atmosphere.
During last week’s Q&A, Curry gave fans an extra surprise. When a fan asked him to sing his favorite song, he recorded a clip of himself singing Justin Bieber’s “What do you mean?”
That was a new revelation even for super-fan Choudhury. But, she said, “I wasn’t surprised, because one of his favorite movies is “A Walk to Remember.”
Marisa Kendall covers startups and venture capital. Contact her at 408-920-5009 or mkendall@mercurynews.com. Follow her at twitter.com/marisakendall.
