get rid of bad guys, whether that’s the current iteration of bots or something new. We’re seeing the volume of bots decrease, but their sophistication and the impact they have is increasing.”
Essaid points to the weekend’s WannaCry cyber attack as evidence that there’s a long way to go in terms of consumer education. “If you stand still, you’re going to be attacked,” he says. “Like this weekend, people stood still. A free software update could have prevented it, but people still didn’t do it.”
That ongoing challenge means Tatoris and the Are You a Human crew won’t have long to bask in their success before getting back to work. In a smaller city in the middle of the country, one startup acquisition can go a long way toward seeding the local ecosystem, creating wealth and experienced entrepreneurs who in turn support more local startups on their path to market.
Tatoris says that while the transition to Distil is occupying most of his time, he plans to get more involved in mentoring area entrepreneurs, sharing some of what he has learned from Are You a Human’s experience.
“We’re Techstars Mobility mentors now, and I want to do more of those things,” he adds. “Second-generation companies are really important to a startup scene. I hope we see more of that. Tyler and I will be around and, hopefully, as helpful as possible.”
