Project Kleros · The Category Map · Day one
The Founder’s Brief
Before the map gets drawn, the territory speaks. Six short chapters. Your answers become the launch plan, so honest and rough beats polished every time.
How it works: everything saves on this device as you type, so leave and come back whenever. Any question can be answered with a WhatsApp voice note instead; just write “sent as voice note” in the box. Where something is sensitive, a band or “discuss in person” is always fine.
Chapter A
The Machine
How a play becomes a record. This is the chapter everything else is built on, so it comes first.
A01In your own words, how does Kleros actually know a specific song got played in a venue or set?
DecisiveVoice note welcome
No need to be technical. A two-minute voice note works perfectly here. Just walk me through what happens from the moment a track plays to the moment it lands in Kleros.
capture_modeWhich of these is closest to how the capture works? (This tailors a few follow-up questions.)
Decisive
A03When Kleros records one play, what does that single record hold?
Decisive
For example: the track name, an ID number, the time, the place, the device, and how sure the system is it got it right. Tell me which of these you capture, and anything else.
A04Has Kleros captured any real plays yet, outside of a test on your own device?
Decisive
A venue, a DJ, a single night. Roughly how many plays in total so far? A rough number is fine.
A05What is the single best piece of proof you could put in front of an artist today to show Kleros works?
DecisiveVoice note welcome
A screenshot, a report, a short clip, a spreadsheet. A two-minute voice note describing it also works. Point me at the one thing you are proudest of.
A06On launch day in December, what can a person actually open and do with Kleros?
Decisive
Walk me through it per audience: an artist, a DJ or venue, a collecting society. What do they see, and what do they get?
A07How does a captured play get matched to the right artist or rights holder?
Decisive
For example an ISRC (the unique code stamped on a released track), or matching by song and artist name. What do you rely on?
A08If a collecting society auditor challenged one of your play records and said 'prove this really happened', what would you show them?
Decisive
Societies only accept data they can check. Tell me what evidence sits behind a single play. Rough answer or 'show me in person' is fine.
A09Which outside services or tools does Kleros depend on to work?
Decisive
For example a music recognition service (like ACRCloud or Shazam-style tech), a hardware supplier, or a platform whose rules you rely on. Name any, even if you are not sure of the details.
A10How much of Kleros is fully built and working today, versus designed on paper, versus still an idea?
Being honest here helps me aim the launch. A rough split like 'capture built, dashboard designed, disputes still an idea' is perfect.
A11Out of your three audiences, artists, societies, and DJs or venues, who do you most want to win first?
There is no wrong answer. Tell me who matters most for launch and why.
A12What happens when a played track has no clean match, like an unreleased edit, a remix, or a track that was never registered anywhere?
This is common in amapiano and DJ sets. Tell me what Kleros does with it today.
A13Is there any platform or supplier rule that could switch Kleros off if it changed?
For example an app store policy, a DJ software maker's terms, or a data provider's licence. Anything you depend on that you do not control.
A14Where does the app get published, and what is its current status there?
Apple App Store, Google Play, a web app, or nothing public yet. Live, in review, or not submitted.
A15You mentioned capture runs through a phone or tablet app. Whose device is it on during a set, the DJ's, the venue's, or the crowd's?
A phone or tablet app
Tell me who has to open it and keep it running for a play to be caught.
A16Does the app need to be open and listening the whole time, and what happens if it is closed, the phone locks, or the signal drops?
A phone or tablet app
Real venues are noisy and phones go to sleep. Tell me how it copes.
A17You mentioned a device installed in the venue. What is it, who pays for it, and who fits it?
Hardware installed in the venue
A small box, a meter, a mic. Roughly what it costs, and who owns it once it is on the wall.
A18How many of these devices exist right now, and how many are actually running in venues today?
Hardware installed in the venue
Built and sitting on your desk is one number, live in a venue is another. Rough figures are fine.
A19You said Kleros plugs into DJ gear or software. Which exact ones, and does the maker know and allow it?
It plugs into DJ software or DJ gear
For example Serato, Rekordbox, Pioneer CDJs, Traktor. Tell me which you have working, and whether you have permission.
A20Most local DJs lean on controllers and laptops rather than high-end CDJs. Does your capture work on the cheaper gear they actually use?
It plugs into DJ software or DJ gear
This is central to whether Kleros fits the SA scene. Tell me honestly what gear you have tested on.
A21You mentioned recognising the music itself from the sound or a recording. Does Kleros do that matching in-house, or does an outside service do it?
Audio fingerprinting of sound or recordings
Fingerprinting means turning a snippet of audio into a code and matching it to a track. Tell me who does that step.
A22What size library does the matching check against, and does it include local SA catalogue like amapiano and gqom, not just international releases?
Audio fingerprinting of sound or recordings
A match is only as good as the library behind it. Tell me what it can and cannot recognise today.
A23Roughly how often does Kleros correctly identify a track that plays, out of ten?
A measured number is gold, but an honest estimate is fine. 'About seven in ten in a quiet room, fewer in a loud club' tells me plenty. Rough answer or 'show me in person' is fine.
A24In what conditions have you actually tested it, and what makes it fail?
Club noise, pitch-shifted amapiano sets, back-to-back mixing, vinyl, controllers versus CDJs. Tell me where it holds up and where it drops. A rough answer is completely fine.
A25Who built the working parts of Kleros, and who keeps them running if something breaks the week of launch?
You, a co-builder, a freelancer, a tool. No judgement, I just need to know who to lean on. Rough answer or 'let's talk in person' is fine.
A26If usage suddenly jumped ten times on launch week, what do you think would strain or break first?
Your best guess is enough. The capture, the matching, the dashboard, the running costs. A rough answer is fine.
Chapter B
The Room
Who you know and what the scene needs. Your strongest suit; enjoy this one.
B01Let's start with the fun part: who are you closest to right now that could open a door for Kleros? Just talk me through the people who come to mind first, no order needed.
Voice note welcome
A warm brain-dump. Names, or 'prefer to say in person'. This one is perfect as a voice note, just speak it out loud as the names come to you.
B02Walk me through the five collecting societies one at a time: SAMRO, SAMPRA, CAPASSO, IMPRA and RiSA. For each, do you have a contact, how warm is it, and who is the person?
DecisiveVoice note welcome
For each: name and role (or 'prefer in person'), and warmth on a simple scale (cold intro needed / know them / friendly / they owe me). A voice note is ideal here, just go down the list. SAMPRA is the one most tied to venues.
B03Have you already spoken to anyone at any of these societies about Kleros, even loosely? If so, what was said, and was anything promised or hinted at?
Even a 'we should talk' over drinks counts. Note anything you are quietly worried a society might do (block you, copy you, go slow).
B04Do you happen to know whose recognition technology SAMRO uses to track what gets played on broadcast? Even a guess or a name you half-remember helps.
This is genuinely unknown to us and would be gold. A supplier name, a vendor, a person who would know. Fine to say 'no idea' or 'I can find out'.
B05Which named DJs could you actually phone today and they would pick up?
Decisive
The real list, not the aspirational one. Names or 'prefer in person'. Amapiano, gqom, house, controller-and-laptop players especially.
B06Of those DJs, who would let us capture their sets first, and why them?
Think about who trusts you most, who is curious about tech, who wants credit for what they play. The 'why' matters as much as the who.
B07If one DJ publicly backed this, whose name would move the whole scene?
Decisive
The single person whose 'I'm in' makes everyone else lean in. One name is fine.
B08In your honest view, what would a DJ be scared of if we captured their sets?
Voice note welcome
Be blunt. Being policed for unreleased edits and dubplates, sets getting copied, tax people seeing gig income, looking uncool. A voice note suits this, just say what you really think they'd whisper about it.
B09Which venues or venue owners can you personally reach?
Decisive
Clubs, bars, festivals, the informal amapiano spots too. Names of venues or the people who run them, or 'prefer in person'.
B10What would a venue owner need to hear to say yes? What is the real hook for them?
Decisive
Your honest read: crowd and play data they can use? founding-member status and bragging rights? a way to feel safe about licensing? cash? Rank them if you can.
B11Has any venue already agreed to anything, even verbally?
Decisive
A nod, a 'sure, bring it', a handshake. Say what exactly was agreed and with whom, and how solid you think it is.
B12Which artists do you know personally, especially in amapiano and gqom?
The ones who would take your call. Names or 'prefer in person'.
B13Who is the angriest, most public voice about artists not getting paid right now?
The person already tweeting or ranting about royalties and unpaid plays. They may become your loudest ally or your loudest critic.
B14Who could front this movement credibly without making it about themselves?
Respected, trusted, generous with credit, not an ego that would swallow the story. One or two names.
B15On the hardware and platform side, do you have any Pioneer or AlphaTheta dealer or brand contacts in SA, and anyone at Beatport or the distributors?
CDJ dealers, brand reps, Beatport people, distributor contacts. These are the players closest to the tech threats (KUVO, Track ID). Names or 'prefer in person'.
B16Who do you know on the professional side: music lawyers, and journalists who cover the money in SA music?
A lawyer who gets rights and royalties, a writer who covers who is and isn't getting paid. Both are useful for credibility and for the December story.
B17Which Bloo Money and film-economy relationships carry over into music for you?
People from the film and creative side who also touch music, or who would vouch for you into it. This is your unfair advantage, so be generous here.
B18Are there accelerator mentors or network people who would genuinely help with this specifically?
Not everyone in your network, just the few who know music, rights, or SA startups well enough to be useful. Names or roles.
B19In one sentence each: what gets a venue to say yes, and what gets a DJ to say yes?
Your gut, boiled right down. Two short sentences. Example shape: 'A venue says yes when...' / 'A DJ says yes when...'.
B20What are you willing to offer the founding cohort to get them in early?
Money, equity or a share in the story, exclusive data, status as a founding name, first access. Say what you would and would not put on the table.
B21Who do you explicitly NOT want involved, and why?
Voice note welcome
People, cliques, or organisations who would poison it, slow it, or try to own it. Be candid, this saves us pain later. A voice note works well if it's easier to just say it out loud.
B22Is anyone in the scene already quietly excited about Kleros and nudging you forward?
Anyone who has heard the idea and wants in early. Momentum you already have that we should build on.
B23The big one: if you could only have one society, one DJ and one venue in the founding story, who are they?
Decisive
Three names, the ones you would fight to keep. 'Prefer in person' is fine, but pick them in your head either way.
Chapter C
The Money
Who pays, what it costs, and what December has to prove. Bands are fine everywhere.
C01When Kleros first takes money in December, whose card gets charged: the artist, a rights society, the venue, or the DJ?
Decisive
Pick the one you are actually building the launch around, e.g. 'artists on a monthly plan' or 'one society paying for data'. If it is more than one, rank them.
C02For each type of payer you would consider, what price feels right in your head, even as a rough guess?
Decisive
e.g. 'artists R49 a month', 'a society R X per venue per year', 'venues R Y for a compliance report'. Guesses are fine, this is the hypothesis, not a promise.
C03Of those payers, which single one is December meant to prove can and will pay?
Decisive
December is a test. Name the one 'yes' that would make you say the model works, e.g. 'if three venues pay, we are on'.
C04Has anyone already said they would pay, or told you what they would pay, for this?
Any signal counts: a verbal 'I'd buy that', a letter of intent, a waitlist, an artist or venue nodding along. If none yet, just say so.
C05Roughly what does it cost you to log one play, once the tech is running?
Think per-play cost: server, hardware, any human check. A ballpark like 'cents' or 'we have not worked it out yet' is fine.
C06What do you think it costs to sign up one venue, one DJ, or one artist?
Time and money to win one of each, e.g. 'a venue takes three meetings', 'a DJ costs nothing, they refer each other'. Rough is fine.
C07What have you set aside in your mind for the launch spend itself?
Decisive
A band is fine, e.g. 'R20k to R50k', 'under R10k', or 'discuss in person'. This sets the size of the plan, not what you must spend.
C08If I left that budget alone and did not touch it, where would you spend it first?
e.g. 'a launch event', 'paying DJs to use it', 'a video', 'ads'. Tells me your instinct for what moves the needle.
C09What can you get for free or on a favour, rather than paying for it?
In-kind help you can lean on, e.g. 'a designer friend', 'a videographer who owes me', 'DJs who will play it for the cause', 'venue space'.
C10Where is the wall between Bloo Money and Kleros, in money, people, and brand?
Is any Bloo cash, staff time, or Bloo's name being used for Kleros? e.g. 'Bloo pays my salary, nothing else crosses' or 'we share one designer'.
C11How is Kleros paid for between now and December?
Decisive
A band is fine, or 'discuss in person'. e.g. 'own pocket', 'a grant', 'angels', 'Bloo cashflow', 'a round in progress'. No amounts needed.
C12And how is it funded for the six months after launch?
Same as above, a band or 'discuss in person' is fine. e.g. 'same pocket', 'the raise we are closing', 'launch revenue is meant to carry it'.
C13If nothing new came in, how many months could Kleros keep going?
A band is fine, e.g. '3 to 6 months', 'over a year', or 'discuss in person'. This tells me how hard the launch has to work.
C14Is a raise planned on the back of this launch, and if so, roughly when?
e.g. 'yes, a seed round early next year', 'no, we want revenue first', or 'discuss in person'. Shapes what the launch needs to prove to investors.
Chapter D
The House
The people, the papers and who owns what. Boring until it is the only thing that matters.
D01When you say 'we' about Kleros, who is that, and what does each person do? Feel free to send this as a voice note if it is easier.
DecisiveVoice note welcome
Roles matter more than names, e.g. 'me on strategy, a technical co-founder, an adviser from the music world'. Names optional.
D02How is ownership and decision-making split between those people?
Rough is fine, e.g. 'me majority, co-founder a chunk, adviser a small slice', or 'nothing signed yet'. A band or 'discuss in person' works.
D03Who has the final yes on spending money for the launch?
Decisive
e.g. 'just me', 'me and my co-founder together', 'the board signs off over R X'. Tells me who I actually need in the room.
D04Who could stop the launch or say 'not yet', even if you wanted to go?
e.g. 'no one but me', 'an investor', 'a partner we depend on for data'. Helps me spot where a launch could get blocked late.
D05Where is Kleros registered as a company, and is it separate from Bloo?
Decisive
e.g. 'a South African Pty Ltd, separate from Bloo', 'not registered yet', 'sits under Bloo for now'.
D06Who owns the actual tech, especially if anyone outside the team built any of it?
Decisive
e.g. 'we own it fully', 'a dev agency built it, ownership is being transferred', 'a freelancer, nothing signed'. Flag anything unsigned.
D07Have you checked the name and domain, given there is a well-known 'Kleros' in the crypto and legal-dispute world (kleros.io)?
Just tell me what you know, e.g. 'yes, we have the domain', 'no, first I am hearing of the clash', 'we plan to rename before launch'.
D08When a play is logged, who owns that record: the DJ, the venue, or Kleros?
Decisive
e.g. 'Kleros owns it', 'the artist owns their plays', 'we have not decided'. This sits at the centre of the whole product, so honesty helps.
D09What exactly does a venue or DJ agree to when they let Kleros log what is played?
e.g. 'they tick a consent box', 'nothing formal yet', 'the venue signs, the DJ does not'. Even 'we have not designed this' is useful.
D10In one honest sentence, where are you with POPIA, South Africa's personal-data protection law?
No polish needed, e.g. 'not looked at it yet', 'we have a basic privacy policy', 'a lawyer is on it'. Honest beats impressive here.
D11Does the tech store any actual recording of the copyrighted song, or only a fingerprint or metadata?
e.g. 'only a digital fingerprint, no audio kept', 'we store short clips', 'not sure how our builder did it'. Storing audio carries copyright risk.
D12Have you taken any legal advice on this yet, and on what exactly?
e.g. 'a lawyer looked at the data side', 'nothing formal', 'a friend who is a lawyer gave an opinion'. Tells me where the gaps are.
D13Are there any agreements, NDAs, or promises in the industry that could limit how or when you launch?
e.g. 'an NDA with a society', 'a soft deal with a venue group', 'nothing binding yet', or 'discuss in person'. Better I know now than at launch.
Chapter E
The Clock
What December really is, what stays hidden, and what cannot move.
E01When you picture December, what is it actually? A public launch, first venues live, a demo day, an investor milestone, a cultural moment, or a mix?
Decisive
e.g. 'a report drop plus five venues logging plays' or 'a stage moment, not a product live yet'. Tell me what a stranger would see happen that month.
E02What has been promised for December, to whom, and by when? Investors, an accelerator, partners, yourself?
Decisive
e.g. 'told my accelerator cohort I'd show traction by demo day' or 'nothing formal, it's a line I set myself'. Be honest about what is a real commitment versus an ambition.
E03If December slipped to February, what actually happens? Honestly.
Voice note welcome
e.g. 'nothing breaks, I lose momentum' versus 'I lose a funding conversation' versus 'a competitor gets there first'. A voice note works perfectly here if it's tangled.
E04What is the one number or moment that would make you say December was a win?
Decisive
e.g. '10 venues signed', 'the report gets quoted by SAMRO', 'a full room nodding'. Pick one, not a list.
E05And what would quietly make you call it a failure, even if it looked fine from outside?
e.g. 'venues sign but never log a single play', 'lots of applause, no follow-up meetings'. The private version, not the press-release version.
E06What should the day after launch look like for you and for Kleros?
e.g. 'inbox full of venues asking to join', 'a waiting list', 'three journalists chasing the story'. Describe the morning after.
E07Why did you choose stealth? Tipping off competitors, a board or investor call, product not ready, or just your style?
DecisiveVoice note welcome
e.g. 'I don't want anyone copying the logging mechanism yet' or 'it's a taste thing, I like a quiet build'. A voice note works perfectly here.
E08By December, what can become public and what must still stay hidden? The name, the mechanism, the team, the pilot venues?
Decisive
e.g. 'name and mission yes, how the logging works no, team names never'. Go item by item if that's easier.
E09Besides you, who has to approve public messaging before it goes out?
e.g. 'a co-founder', 'an investor with a say', 'nobody, it's my call'. Include anyone with an informal veto too.
E10Is a loud 'we are the category' launch even something you want, or should December be a dial turned partway?
e.g. 'go loud, I want to own the conversation' versus 'a confident whisper, let the report do the talking'. Where's your comfort line?
E11Which dates between now and December cannot move? Festivals, demo days, personal ones.
e.g. 'the accelerator demo day is fixed', 'a festival I want to piggyback', 'I'm away for two weeks in November'. List the hard ones.
E12Have you already booked or committed anything for December? Event space, videographer, PR, anything.
e.g. 'held a venue', 'a videographer on standby', 'nothing yet'. Include soft holds and verbal promises.
E13Which competitors do you watch most closely, and is there anything you know about their South African plans that research wouldn't surface?
e.g. 'a global player rumoured to be entering SA', 'a local team I met at an event'. The inside knowledge, not the public stuff.
E14Is December a Johannesburg story, a national one, or bigger? Where does the launch physically live?
e.g. 'Joburg only, that is where my venues are', 'Joburg plus Cape Town', 'online-first, city-agnostic'.
Chapter F
The Voice
Your story, your brand, your hours. The launch will sound like you; help me hear it.
F01Tell me the founding story. Why Kleros, and the moment it became real for you. Tell it like you'd tell it on stage.
DecisiveVoice note welcome
The artist who never got paid, the gig you watched, the number that made you angry. Don't polish it. A voice note works perfectly here, just talk.
F02Why the name Kleros? Do you know of kleros.io, the blockchain arbitration project, and how do you sit with that overlap? Were other names in the running?
e.g. 'it means allotment in Greek, chosen by lot', 'yes I know the other one, doesn't worry me', or 'I considered X and Y'. Say how much the clash bothers you, if at all.
F03Beyond the Figma site, what visual identity exists? Who made it, how attached are you, and would you evolve it before December?
e.g. 'logo and colours only', 'a friend designed it', 'I love it, hands off' versus 'happy to rework it if it helps'. Be honest about attachment.
F04Do you want to be the public face of this category, given Bloo is your main business? Where's the tension for you?
Decisive
e.g. 'yes, this is my mission' versus 'I'll front it but I can't be full-time on it' versus 'I'd rather build a movement than be a personality'. Say it straight.
F05Between September and December, how many hours a week can you genuinely give the launch? Not the ideal, the real number.
Decisive
e.g. '5 hours some weeks, 15 others', 'Bloo takes most of my week'. Factor in Bloo, travel and life honestly.
F06If not you, who else could carry the public voice for Kleros?
e.g. 'a co-founder', 'a respected artist as the face', 'nobody yet'. Names or roles both fine.
F07If nothing was holding you back, what would you post about Kleros on your own LinkedIn tomorrow?
Voice note welcome
e.g. 'the stat that started it all', 'a raw take on artists not getting paid', 'a teaser of the report'. A voice note works perfectly here, say it out loud as if recording it.
F08Your newsletter: what is it about, who reads it, and can we use it for the Kleros story?
e.g. 'weekly, mostly founders and music people, 800 subscribers', 'it's Bloo-focused, would need a new angle'. Tell me the audience overlap.
F09What content is already in hand? Footage, photography, testimonials, decks, anything we could pull from.
e.g. 'interview clips with DJs', 'photos from a venue visit', 'a pitch deck', 'nothing usable yet'. List what exists, even rough.
F10How far do your WhatsApp and community groups reach into the music scene? DJs, venues, promoters, artists.
e.g. 'in three DJ groups', 'I can reach 20 venue owners directly', 'weak on the artist side'. Where you're strong and where you're thin.
F11Everything you've tried to test Kleros so far, interviews, surveys, pilots, landing pages, and what each one showed you.
Decisive
e.g. '15 DJ interviews, most said royalties are a mess', 'a landing page that got 40 signups', 'a pilot that stalled'. Walk me through each and the result.
F12What is the single strongest piece of evidence that anyone actually wants this?
Decisive
e.g. 'a venue asked to pay before we'd built anything', 'an artist cried in an interview', 'a promoter offered to intro me to ten venues'. One thing, the one that convinced you.
F13And the most discouraging thing anyone has said about Kleros? What did you make of it?
Voice note welcome
e.g. 'a label exec said venues will never cooperate', 'someone called it unenforceable'. Say what they said and whether they were right. A voice note works perfectly here.
F14In one sentence: what must be true for an artist in Soweto two years after launch for Kleros to have mattered?
e.g. 'she can see every venue that played her track and get paid for it'. One line, the one you'd want on a wall.
F15Has anything come in through the site or the info@ inbox since it went up? Curiosity, press, competitors sniffing?
e.g. 'two artists asked to join', 'a society person emailed', 'nothing at all'. Silence is useful data too.
F16Last one. Is there anything, on any of this, that you would rather talk through in person than write down?
Money, the tech, people, politics. Totally fine to say 'yes, these three things, in person'. I only need to know it exists so I plan around it.
That is the territory. Hit send and it comes straight to me, and the map starts from your words, not my guesses. If you did the fast pass, the full brief stays open here whenever you have a quiet hour; every extra answer sharpens the readout.
Received. I will confirm on WhatsApp within the hour.