Mason Alumni launch Performster.com in Ashburn VA

Original Article published June 5, 2007 in The Loudoun Times-Mirror

Article by Anne Keisman, Business Editor, Loudoun Times-Mirror

A British woman in her kitchen is attempting to juggle three bean bags, with little success. She chatters apologetically as she tosses them clumsily in the air, and then drops them. In the middle of her performance, the video stops short as jungle music overtakes the audio. Stamped over her face are the words: "Luckily, you decide the winner." Such is the tantalizing preview of Performster.com, an online talent show created by two recent George Mason University graduates, who are attempting to create the next online sensation for the 15- to 30-year-old set.

The light bulb goes off.

After working full-time jobs, Reza Pourrabi and Brian Patterson, both 23, meet after hours, huddled over laptops and cell phones in the basement of Patterson's Ashburn town house, or at the nearby Chik-fil-A or Panera Bread - anywhere that has wireless Internet. It all began in November 2006, when Pourrabi e-mailed Patterson an article about the recent resurgence of dot-com companies, now that investors have begun to recover from the Internet bust in 2000. Pourrabi's e-mail also contained a challenge for his friend. "He said, 'Let's think of something,'" Patterson said. Both entrepreneurial to the core, Pourrabi and Patterson had been too young to get in on the first dot-com boom. This time, they wanted to be in on what they think will be the next wave of innovative dot-coms, and take part in a more mature Internet industry. The breakthrough came when Pourrabi broke his ankle. Forced to rest at his home in Fairfax, the idea hit while he was watching TV. "He called and said, 'I've got it. Let's meet,' " Patterson said. Now, Performster.com is less than a month away from its July 4th launch date.

YouTube meets American Idol

An online talent show, Performster will allow competitors to upload their performances in a variety of contests, and connect with other performers, fans and talent agencies. Regular viewers can vote for the best, and comment on the performances. Their concept is new, but it is based on two entertainment models that their target audience, ages 15-30, will find familiar: YouTube and American Idol. Like YouTube, users will be able to upload their own videos to the site. And like American Idol, people across the country (eventually, they hope, the world) can vote for their favorite performances. But unlike American Idol, Performster will be geared to a broader spectrum of talent than just aspiring pop stars singing Top 40 songs. Jugglers, rappers, magicians and other performers will find specialized contests just for them. "It's kind of like the variety shows you see in high school, where anyone who has a talent can perform," Pourrabi said. Except the talent pool isn't limited to the few thousand in a high school. Eventually, they want to market the site worldwide, in all languages, so millions of people can compete against each other. A juggler from India, for example, may eventually meet his match in a guy from New Jersey -- for the ultimate juggling showdown. "It's amazing what kind of niche markets there are out there. We've found so many organizations. We found the World Association of Jugglers," Pourrabi said. He added, "Everywhere we go, people love this idea."

Marketing and tech know-how

At GMU, Patterson had studied information technology; Pourrabi, marketing and business. Their skills, they said, complement each other, and in college they had worked well together on projects. Patterson, originally from Virginia Beach, has a full-time job with the student loan company, Sally Mae in Reston. Pourrabi, originally from Arlington, works for an Internet marketing company in Dulles. But their true passion is in the development of Performster. The pair is focused now on what techies call the "user experience" - crafting the Web site so that it is easy to use and fun. They have hired programmers to write the code and create the site. Simultaneously, they are developing potential revenue streams: text, banner or video ads on the site. Although advertising is necessary, Patterson said he wants to be very careful it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the site. "The user experience is key. If it is not a positive experience, they are not going to come back." Ultimately, the contests will be sponsored by a product, much the way some of the reality TV contest shows are "brought to you" by Coke, Clairol or some other product. At first the site will use "affiliate advertising," a model of advertising that only pays the host site if a user clicks on the ad. Part of their marketing plan includes "blingPoints" - a way to reward loyal users of their site. Viewers will get points for watching videos, commenting, voting, inviting friends, uploading videos, and other activities. Then they can cash in the blingPoints for gifts. In March, Patterson and Pourrabi started a blog to document the process of developing the site - and to create buzz within the tech world. They appear on video clips to explain how Performster will work, and have put together short commercials like the previously mentioned bad juggler clip. They are also now searching for investors. They are using seed money now: their own funds with the help of some relatives. Some early meetings with potential investors gave them encouragement, but no money - telling the pair they needed to see more of a developed product before they could commit to funding it. Patterson and Pourrabi track the industry and network with experts through blogs and social networking sites like MySpace. Patterson recently read a blog post about the site stumbleupon.com, which was sold to eBay for $75 million. Someday, he hopes there will be a similar story written about Performster.

Internet magicians?

Patterson is newly married, and though he admits to spending 10-11 hours a day on his computer, he makes sure he takes time out to spend time with his wife. On Memorial Day Weekend, he took a break: "No Internet connection all weekend. It was different," he said, adding quickly, "But it was good. It was relaxing." Patterson has special insight in one niche market Performster will aim to attract: magicians. When he was 12, he joined a magic club, when his dad, a Marine, was stationed in Hawaii. Patterson was a natural. He started doing magic at birthday parties and restaurants. It quickly turned into a larger-scale stage/illusion show, performing for groups such as the families of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and the Japanese Tourism Bureau in Hawaii. "I'd say my favorite magic trick is anything that happens in the spectators' hands," he said in a recent e-mail. "Whether it appears, disappears or multiplies, if it happens in their hands, it is much more magical." Both Patterson and Pourrabi wait to see what kind of magic their site will create in the public's hands on July 4.

Contact the reporter at akeisman@timespapers.com

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