"Just as natural forces reshape landscapes over time, verticalization and unbundling are natural processes that have been observed whenever any business dominates a horizontal market — such as Craigslist, Linkedin, or G Suite. Profitable markets attract startups and adjacent competitors that carve out verticals or products that they can better serve." - JJ Oslund

Startups are going in hard on The “Verticalization” of Zoom and we explore voice-first opportunities in this white-hot space. Heck, we even give some (awesome?) ideas away.

How Does a New Yawker Tawk? To find out, @newyorknico hosted an #BestNYAccent Instagram contest that attracted smack-talking Gotham residents, and the press, in droves. As reported in the New York Times, the iconic accent is a character-defining source of pride and place. It also represents a unique form of expression and an opportunity to unite us in the celebration of what makes us all both different and the same. 

Amazon today (04/16/2020) announced a long-form speaking style for news and music content within third-party Alexa skills (i.e., voice apps). Starting this week in the U.S., developers can use the style, which is optimized for large amounts of textual information, to read aloud web pages, articles, podcasts, and storytelling portions of games.

Are we climbing out of the uncanny voice valley of personal assistants? Hear the new long-form Alexa style and decide for yourself. The ramifications go far beyond skills to the way we'll listen to the web in the near future. 

"We can connect with who we want and accomplish what we want. Spontaneous apps open the channel so our impulsive human nature can shine through." Josh Constine, TechCrunch

Clubhouse is a HouseParty-like topical audio chat app that's stirring up a lot of insider buzz. It highlights an emerging trend for spontaneous conversational interaction. Is this the next quarantine-fueled wave, or can voice take us even further. 

“This felt like the only way forward, in my panic and passion for not allowing the devastation of this moment to silence artistic voices.” Williamstown Theater Festival Artistic Director , Mandy Greenfield

In a bold, mother-of-invention move, an esteemed theater festival will be the first to host a whole season entirely and only on Audible. Will the pandemic enable voice-driven entertainment to push artistic mediums in new directions? 

Crisis Text Line is a a free Crisis Counselor service in the US that is gaining increased volume due to coronavirus concerns. It demonstrates how "voice" isn't just about technology, but the importance of being able to speak and have someone listen to you in earnest. 

This Axios interview with Crisis Text Line CEO Nancy Lublin brings up the importance of listening, especially during a pandemic. "Normally, 53% of our texters are under the age of 17. We're seeing that decrease. The service is now seeing more texters over age 25."

You can reach Crisis Text Line 24/7 by texting HOME to 74174.

Apps like Houseparty, exploding due to coronavirus isolation, and QuarantineChat, invented to combat distancing loneliness, are rapidly changing the norms of social behavior. How will drop-in behavior impact culture once we aren't all living separated lives? 

Will the use of voice assistants for mental well-being during the coronavirus pandemic result in a shift in everyday behavior after?

COVID-19 has made us hyper-aware of all the surfaces we touch in our everyday lives. Will this accelerate the implementation and adoption of voice-first interfaces? 

“We’ve spoken with many doctors who said there are patterns in speech that could be a sign of the virus, but we know we are maybe optimistic in that way. We know that this data we are getting is super critical and might help with other diseases as well.” - Voca.ai co-founder Alan Bekker

As reported by Voicebot.ai, a voice startup is has already recruited tens-of-thousands to contribute speech samples in the hopes of helping detect coronavirus. Is this a far-fetched effort or could it hold hope for humanity?