Rick Richter

by Rick Richter, CEO

4/8/2011

Wow!  What a week at Ruckus.  We landed and announced a really terrific deal with our friends at Hasbro.  We received final builds (versions) on two new terrific apps due out in the next couple of weeks.  We had a really satisfying call with APPLE, and then with another interested investor.  We sat in the offices of one of the most respected CEO’s in children’s media, and he treated us like we actually knew something he didn’t know.  The office is humming.  People seem happy and they are working hard.

The thing about start up companies is that if you aren’t very careful, you can start to believe your own hype.  I ran across a posting from a very smart person, Fred Wilson from Union Square Partners, and the advice in his blog was – “focus on solving real problems for real people – do that and you’ll have a business”.  

I think everyone here at Ruckus understands we are trying to build a community where the quality of what we make, what we stand for and who we are counts inside and out.  We’re trying to build a company that we would all want to work at and that parents might want to be a part of in some way.

As a CEO of a start-up company, I’m pretty used to worrying all night, often arriving and leaving when the parking lot is empty.  The long walk to the car as the day is getting dark is my time when I take stock.  Did we make money today?  Well, maybe not so much.  Did our staff appear to be having fun and were they engaged?  Mostly yes.  Did we do something that we can be proud of, and that matters?  Certainly.  Did some little kid, somewhere, go to sleep in their parent’s arms with a Ruckus story in their heads?

I sure hope so.

by Holly Rosen Fink, Ruckus Media Staff Marketing Consultant

03/24/2011

We are thrilled to be teaming up with the gang at Moms With Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families, on a brand new app found in iTunes.  To help parents make the best choices for their kids, they've created a catalog of great children's and family-friendly apps, and Ruckus Media is included as one of the featured developers.  Over 600 developers apps have carefully cataloged and categorized their apps by educational value and appropriate age group. The result is a comprehensive catalog of apps, representing the most innovative educational app developers, that simplifies the app discovery process.

Every month, you'll also find a list of the top kid's apps that our CEO, Rick Richter, recommends.  We call it the "Ruckus 5."  Who better to hear from on the best kid's apps on the market than an expert like Rick?  Look for his lists to go live soon.  To keep up with his monthly selections, so you can make better choices for your own children, download the app by Moms with Apps today.

by Holly Fink, Ruckus Media Staff Marketing Specialist

01/12/2011

Last night we gathered with our friends, both new and old, on Twitter for a lively discussion about two of our favorite topics: Apps and Literacy.  Based on the amount of people who came, we aren’t the only ones who care passionately that apps and literacy go hand in hand.   Everyone at the party agreed that it’s the story that rules and that story apps are very good for teaching literacy skills and that schools are slowly but surely bringing them into the classrooms. 

Here are some highlights of the night's conversation:

Q1: Do you think that apps can improve reading skills and increase reading comprehension? 

@FunAppsForKids I might start by suggesting that in general, story apps, book apps, reading, writing apps- are simply good for literacy!

@PaulWHankins App could work as in-road to differentiation. Good readers interact with print in way technology has not imagined.

@katmeis  My son's middle school is looking into engaging kids in reading through social reading apps.

@SavvyMomNYC  An interactive tool helps a young reader focus and creates an enjoyable fun experience.

Q2: What questions should be asked when figuring out whether one app or another is the best possible selection for that child sitting on your lap?

@iPodsibilities  Can they record themselves reading and play back to improve fluency?

@theiPhonemom ability to integrate other skills in the app - counting, colors, etc. through interactivity and games.

@aaallain I think age, reading level, and interest are important.

@harmonicmama  I always like to find out if it's dynamic enough to hold their attention.

@SavvyMomNYC Is it quality literature? Age appropriate? Is it leveled for a struggling reader.

@PaulWHankins  Can the app connect the reader to further works of interest?

Q3: Are there specific ways to integrate ebook apps in the learning environment to create meaningful educational experiences?  

@SavvyMomNYC  iPads could support center small group learning while the teacher works with other students.

@iPodsibilities  Combine w/ older mentor 2 model good reading, play Pass the iPad 4 roundtable reading, independent reading centers.

@SavvyMomNYC iPads could support center learning in small groups while the teacher works with other students.

@aaallain I still have parent-child interaction using apps! It just provides a different venue for learning.

@eBookNoir phonics, early readers vocab, variety of ways.

Q4: Do you think animated story apps can benefit reluctant readers?

@soulfliesfree  yes i think the illustrations are a great incentive to read and uses another part of your brain.

@theiPhonemom Curious to see! My toddler is growing up w/apps. Shall see how her vocab develops compared to my older kids.

@VectoringMomma Definitely, gives them characters and stories in a cool way!

@iPodsibilities  Coolness factor is important 2 note in world of SpEd- it isn't only the young ones that r learning 2 read.

@cwilson82985 Apps def increase vocabulary. It helped my son.

@StrollerBallet Animation = engagement! Of course we must acknowledge that aspect!

@aallain  As much as I promote technology, I do believe in a balance between hands-on on tech-driven education.

@lovelimes  I think they can benefit reluctant readers by making reading fun and interesting.

Q5 Have you ever used a read and record feature on an app? How was the experience?

@katmeis Just thinking I might use record function so that when I travel I can still read to my daughter. Cool!

@iPodsibilities Love to hear how families are recording stories to share with loved ones when they can't be there.

@cwilson82985  We recorded my brother reading a story. He is leaving for Afghanistan.

@HeiddiZ We used to have this same discussion in undergrad about using calculators in math.

@PaulWHankins Concern--reluctant readers might become passive patrons. Books become Digital Domino's (delivery only).

@lovelimes I love it for that option. I also love that you can have Grandma (or someone else) record the story!

Q6: Do you support apps used as a tool to aid special education students? Bilingual students?

@iPodsibilities  Apps can be crucial tools for students with disabilities! Providing adaptive tech in an acceptable way.

@aaallain Yes! Apps are a great way to engage learners and provide an alternative learning environment.

@Arianah_00  I think it would be a great tool for bilingual students...or to learn another language.

@katmeis Many spec. ed students can't hold pencils. Drawing apps=amazing tools. I'd love to see this merged w/ a reading app.

@PaulWHankins Not only a tool, but as an element of their Individualized Education Plan.  If it helps, employ the tool.

@CarrieWChildren Yes! My 6mo DD has #downsyndrome and I've read raving reviews about apps for them!

Stay tuned for another Ruckus Media Twitter Party in February. The topic will be "Apps and Autism".

by Rick Richter, CEO

1/1/2011

Today is a typical New Year’s Day here in Southern Connecticut. The snow is melting on the ground and it is strangely balmy and quiet. In this “Type A” community, it isn’t so often that we all kick back and relax. I think I like it.

Like a lot folks, I guess I’m also taking stock of last year, making a few resolutions (to eat more healthfully!) and rallying myself for the upcoming year. It promises to be a big one for our family and for Ruckus.

A little more than six months ago (hard to believe actually), I sat in a borrowed office with a loose idea of a plan. And I’m talking loose.  A month later, my friend and business partner, Jim Young, left his job to join “Ruckus”.  The sparkle in his eye when we discussed the idea helped to give me the confidence to put together a business plan and ask my friends and family to help us get going. Our friends and family helped in whatever way they could, often investing their hard earned savings and ofering important advice.

Soon after that, we advertised for interns to help us to continue to form the idea, and to our surprised over 500 college students applied for our 5 jobs. This amazing team designed our web site and put together our marketing plan. In August, we sent them all back to school although several will be returning this summer - my beautiful daughter among them.

Over the summer, my friends in the creative community offered to jump in and contribute projects, (including the important Rabbit Ears library) and several agents in the publishing community offered their support.

In September, two of my greatest and oldest friends  - Carolyn and Ellen - joined the company, giving up prospects for more lucrative jobs. Led by our publicist, Deborah Sloan, we officially launched with amazing press coverage including the Wall Street Journal. Two marketers and social media experts joined our staff – Holly and Allyson – and they have provided invaluable direction and effort.  A consummate southern gentleman, Will, joined our staff and brought his characteristic cheer and pragmatism to the office.  Towards the end of the year, my friends Bill and Jason joined, providing financial and creative guidance.

A lot of things surprised me this year. I was surprised by the dedication of our growing team. It hasn’t always been easy – our apps sometimes arrived late and there were times when we got a bit ahead of ourselves. Along with the praise, we took criticism from reviewers (helpful I might add). The competition got intense. Jim and I bickered from time to time over strategy, again constructive and necessary.  Quite frankly, we are all learning on the job. And we still are.

Our goal is to create a library of highly satisfying, entertaining and educational children’s apps and to make each app better than the last. In the first part of this year, we’ll make several announcements that will catapult the profile of Ruckus in the creative world. Again, we will do it with the help of our friends.

Let me invite you in 2011 to join us as a friend (if you are not already).  Help us spread the word. Tell us what you think about our apps so we might get better at what we do.

For those of you who have helped along the way, I don’t even know how to begin to thank you. The words are beyond what I can type here.

Wishing you a wonderful, healthy, happy and prosperous New Year,

by Holly Fink, Ruckus Media Staff Marketing Specialist

12/9/2010

Welcome to our new weekly feature where you can sample our new, forthcoming and sometimes tried-and-true bestselling apps with first-come, first-served samples (each week we’ll be offering between 25 – 50 freebie download codes).  It’s simple:  

- If you have an Apple mobile device and want to receive a complimentary copy of our weekly featured app title, simply agree to write a brief review right here at our blog. Tell us what you loved about the app (or not) and why (or why not).

 - Just click on the "Order your reviewer's copy now" section of each post and send an email with your name; we’ll send you a download code -- and off you go.  Then we'll eagerly await your review.

-  Please post your review directly on this site: just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of the title's post. (If you’re a blogger or have an e-newsletter, feel free to post your review there too!)  We can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

OUR FIRST OFFERING:

A PRESENT FOR MILO by Mike Austin

Ages 2-5

FOR iPAD ONLY!

Story: With over 80 tap-able objects that initiate more than 125 animations just right for active young fingers and minds, this interactive exciting cat-chases-mouse story is ideal for pre-readers and young readers alike.  With simple vocabulary and sound-out words, A PRESENT FOR MILO provides a fun, engaging read-to or read-aloud experience at a terrific value ($1.99). 

Who’s knocking on the mouse hole? When mouse peeks out, he sees M lo…and off they go!  Down the hall…through the kitchen…up the stairs…across the piano…around and around and around and around—Milo and mouse turn the house upside down as they scamper, pounce, jump, and bounce through every room. It’s a  spirited chase right up to the exuberant surprise ending! 

• Perfect for pre-readers and young readers—all animations, narration, and sound effects are activated by a simple finger swipe or tap.

• Includes read-along text (that repeats when tapped) and comical narration by the author.

• Each screen draws the reader into the story, opening with slapstick chase animations that repeat (and sometimes change) when you touch the main characters.

• Users get to join the fun in Milo’s topsy-turvy world: touch objects in every room to see over 125 animations—dozens of hidden surprises on every screen!

• Hours of fun with a thoroughly engaging story, animations, tap-able surprises and silly sound effects—a perfect digital storybook.

Story behind the story:  “We’re especially proud of A PRESENT FOR MILO because the design is intuitive, anticipating where the young child will want to interact with the story,” says Rick Richter, CEO, Ruckus Mobile Media. “It’s the perfect combination of a high quality story, told just right for 2-5 year old set, that fully engages the child on mom’s or dad’s lap as well as the independent reader. And it’s this synthesis that caught the attention of a top children’s book publisher and led to our first app-to-children’s book deal.” Based on the storyboards and app design, literary agent Rubin Pfeffer sold a 3-book deal for MILO and creator Mike Austin to Blue Apple Books.  If that’s not proof of the right-on quality of this app, what is?

ORDER YOUR REVIEWER’S COPY NOW. 

by Holly Fink, Ruckus Media Staff Marketing Specialist

12/03/2010

Here we are, one week post-Thanksgiving, but still giving thanks:  in fact, big thanks to all of you who spread the word about and downloaded our “freemium” offer of both The Night Before Christmas and The Velveteen Rabbit, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.  We’re thrilled that tens of thousands of you were able to sample these apps.  Our Twitter feed was buzzing.  Here are a few examples of the great tweets:

In Rabbit Ears news, The Steadfast Tin Soldier is now available in the iTunes store.  Narrated

by Jeremy Irons, illustrated by David Jorgensen and with music by Mark Isham, this is the adventures of the tin soldier and Hans Christian Andersen’s original—and personal favorite—story.  Other Rabbit Ears classic stories coming down the pipeline this month include Goldilocks and the Three Bears narrated by Meg Ryan, The Three Little Bears narrated by Holly Hunter, Thumbelina narrated by Kelly McGillis and Paul Bunyan narrated by Jonathan Winters.

On another note, our CEO, Rick Richter, is joining a panel on Children’s Publishing in the Digital Age next week, as part of the Digital Book World Conference. He'll be talking about the growing market for apps, as well as new opportunities in the children’s publishing space with his peers, Susan Katz from Harper Collins and Kate Wilson of Nosy Crow. Get the details here and tune in.  It will be webcast live on Tuesday, December 7th at 1pm EST/10am PST.

As we gear up for the holidays, we are getting ready for the release of our two first original apps, A Present for Milo, set to launch on December 8th, and Andrew Answers which will follow shortly after. Both are tap interactive and are great tools for encouraging literacy with our pre-reader audience.  We will be revealing screen shots and more information in the next few days as we prepare for the app's  launch. 

For our Twitter friends, a special Friday treat: take a peek at our tweets under the hashtag #appfriday. We’ll be giving away 10 free apps from our ever-growing library.

So, on we go! Have a wonderful weekend.
 

by Holly Fink, Ruckus Media Staff Marketing Specialist

10/29/2010

This week was jam packed with activity here at Ruckus.  

We got some favorable reviews and mentions over at Ain't Yo Mamas Blog, Ma Vie Et Mon Joie, Sensible Cents, Moms with Apps and Cool Mom Picks.  Moms with Apps said that "if book apps can work together with parents to enliven a family dinner conversation, or blaze a trail to the local library, well, then we’re on to something."  Cool Mom Picks said that "one of the very, very best things about the apps is that they can grow with your kids with three different settings: kids can listen to the story and watch the animation; they can read it themselves; or they can record their own voices reading the story, then play it back."

We were also featured in Wired Magazine's Geek Dad column in which Rick is quoted several times, and we were named "one of the new, big kids on the block."

Rick and Jim were guests on Blog Talk Radio's show "I Love Authors," and Rick was on another Blog Talk Radio show called "Time Out Mom".  Both were hosted by Melissa Lierman and were lively discussions about what we're doing and how we envision the future of kid's apps and Ruckus.  To learn more about our philosophy and plan, listen to both!

Freelance writer Gale Pryor and Jill Smokler of ScaryMommy.com joined our blog as contributors, and we launched their weekly columns.

Lastly,we wrapped up a successful week-long Twitter contest with Lucy's and Willette Designs.  We had over 150 entries and a great deal of buzz on our feed.  Stay tuned to hear about other exciting promotions and giveaways on our blog, Facebook and Twitter.

9/14/2010

What Ruckus Stands For
Words from Rick Richter, Founder and CEO

Our official launch last week has sent such a positive vibe through the office and throughout the industry. Kudos have come from friends around the world, and as much as I would like to take a deep breath and relax, we’ve got a long way to go to earn the trust of parents and to exceed the expectations of our talented authors, illustrators, actors, musicians and all those who have poured their heart and soul into their work with us. This company has been built around exceptional people with exceptional ideas so I’m calm, or at least as calm as an entrepreneur ever gets in the first days of a company. But starting a company is sort of the business version of the Olympics – even for fairly experienced business people like my partner Jim Young and myself. It takes immense dedication, long hours, true patience and bravery.

I came up with the idea for Ruckus when I looked around in restaurants and in doctor’s offices and saw moms and dads handing their iPhones to their children. It looked to me like this new medium was here to stay, and I wondered how to combine it with my years in book publishing and all of my talented friends in the industry. Creating digital, interactive storybook apps parents can trust seemed like a natural solution and voila! Ruckus Media Group was born. But it wasn’t until I had affirmation from parents themselves (Jim being one of them) that I had the nerve to start the ball rolling. The company is already blessed with many friends, and I’ve been astounded by those in my past who stood up to be counted with me. It feels so good.

Since early summer, Jim and I have looked to employ people that are smart, mission driven, and want to be involved with work that matters.  Our employees are students, moms, and entrepreneurs. On our first official day, I spoke to the staff to tell everyone what I thought Ruckus should stand for. We believe in mutual respect; we believe in trusting people to do their jobs as they trust us to do ours. We believe in working hard but in giving our employees their own span of control. Our employees often work remotely – from home with a baby in their lap, or their dorms, or on their living room couches, because I believe, in this digital age, people can be productive in that environment.

I also strongly believe in a work/life balance and even (this will surprise you) in turning the computer off for a time each week – a sort of digital Sabbath. Play the harmonica, talk a walk in the woods, visit with your mother. Unplug. When you plug back in, you’ll have lived in the world and appreciate what we do even more. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve created 14 full and part time jobs here in CT, and I hope with your help we can create many more.

As we launch our apps and grow our organization, the customer will always be our boss.  We need your feedback -- be it positive or negative.  I want to know what you like, what you don’t like, what we can do better. We see Ruckus as a community of parents and caregivers that doesn’t end at our door.  We will listen.  We will respond. If you like what you see, and would like to volunteer to be part of our Digital Focus Groups and test the beta versions of our apps, please contact Allyson Kane on our staff at Allyson@ruckusmediagroup.com.

Thanks for your help in making a Ruckus.

With warm regards,

Rick Richter

By Holly Fink, Ruckus Media Group Marketing Specialist

9/14/2010

What do Meryl Streep, John Cleese, the first ever National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka, best-selling author Andrew Clements, and publishing executives Rick Richter and Jim Young have in common?  They’re working together to bring classics to the digital age.

In the coming weeks, Ruckus Media Group is inviting a whole new generation of readers to fall in love with the stories we ourselves loved as kids with high-definition apps for the iPhone, iTouch and iPad, as well as the planned launch of Android later this year.

Publishing veterans Richter and Young founded Ruckus on the core value of producing wholesome, family-oriented entertainment that spurs imaginations and enriches minds.  And they created a strong team to build the company from the ground up (above, you can see some of them working out of our temporary space in Norwalk, Connecticut).

We started out by lining up renowned literary talent including Jon Scieszka, best-selling author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales; Rosemary Wells, author of countless books for young children including the popular Max & Ruby series; Andrew Clements, author of the 2.5 million copy bestseller Frindle; Patricia MacLachlan, Newbery award-winning author of the now-classic Sarah, Plain and Tall and so many others.

We've also rounded up an impressive list of Hollywood personalities as narrators -- among them Robin Williams, Denzel Washington, Danny Glover, John Hurt, Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan, Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close -- to bring classic stories to life on digital apps.

Of course, music also plays a key role, as it does in most things these days.  The first five releases alone feature songs by respected musical artists B.B. King, Ry Cooder, Elvis Costello and George Winston. 

To stay up on our current apps, be sure to check out our blog.  We'll also let you know what's in development, share industry trends, guest posts and more. 

So are you ready to raise a Ruckus?! Bookmark us! Follow us on Twitter, YouTube and/or Flickr.  Become a fan on Facebook!