BigApps: Advice from Previous Winner Abby Suckle
Making progress on your BigApps submission? The deadline for NYC BigApps 3.0 is January 25th! For inspiration, we checked in with previous BigApps winners for words of wisdom for this year’s competitors. Read on for insights from Abby Suckle, President of CultureNOW, whose Museum Without Walls app took Honorable Mention last year. The app allows users to experience public art and architecture in Downtown Manhattan using location maps, self-guided tours, and podcasts.
Abby displays CultureNOW’s map of Manhattan after accepting award from Mayor Bloomberg.
What advice would you give new BigApps applicants?
Have big goals. It’s not enough to just make another transit app. Instead teams need to focus on exploring NYC’s rich, diverse facets to create really interesting, useful apps.
How has your app, company, or career evolved since winning BigApps?
CultureNOW has worked closely with the City and other cultural/academic partners to greatly expand our app content. We’ve also become an increasingly national platform for cultural guide information in many cities throughout the US. Additionally, we’ve released an Android version of our app.
What are your future goals for your app, company, or self?
CultureNOW plans to continue to improve our app and grow our user base. As a non-profit with a strong mission, we are always looking for ideas on how to take our app to a new level.
What are the most important aspects of winning BigApps for you?
BigApps was a coming of age for CultureNOW and a great way to meet people. But, we’re still waiting on BMW to give us a car!
