Introduction

Welcome to another insightful episode of the Founder Spotlight Podcast. This time, we had the pleasure of hosting Gian Berselli, the founder of Papaya, a groundbreaking startup aiming to bring clarity and connection to the fragmented music industry. Gian is on a mission to empower artists, small businesses, and professionals by leveraging cutting-edge technology like AI and big data.

Why does Gian’s story matter? The music industry thrives on relationships, yet it has long suffered from opacity, inefficiencies, and outdated systems. Papaya aims to change that. With Gian’s rich experience as a musician and entrepreneur, he brings a unique perspective to solving these systemic challenges. Let’s explore his incredible journey and vision.

Origin Story

From Personal Struggles to a Global Mission

The story of Papaya is deeply personal for Gian. “This is a multi-generational problem,” he shared. Growing up, he witnessed his father’s passion for music turn into disillusionment due to the challenges of navigating the music industry. Watching his father’s journey ignited a spark in Gian—a desire to tackle these issues head-on.

Gian’s own journey began as a musician, but he didn’t stop there. His pursuit of understanding the industry's challenges led him to:

• Earn a master’s degree in music in the United States.
• Launch a company in Beijing focused on film scoring.
• Build an independent record label in Berkeley, California.

After over 25 years as a musician and a decade as a professional in the industry, he decided to tackle the root problems by leveraging technology. And thus, Papaya was born.

Challenges & Breakthroughs

The Fragmentation of the Music Industry

While working in the industry, Gian noticed two primary challenges:

• A lack of curated opportunities and reliable connections for artists.
• A shortage of actionable insights for service providers to ensure ROI on their investments.

Gian shared, “A lot of artists don’t know who to connect with, when to connect, or what professionals to approach. On the other hand, independent record labels and venues struggle to find quality artists—not just in sound but also with a clear ROI.”

“The base of the music industry pyramid is fragmented and disorganized. With Papaya, we’re creating a transparent professional platform to fix that.” – Gian Berselli

Breaking Through with Technology

Papaya uses AI, big data, and sentiment analysis to predict successful matches between artists and professionals, offering:

• Curated matchmaking, ensuring meaningful connections.
• Insights into past, present, and future metrics to measure the success of collaborations.
• Verified reviews and work histories for added transparency.

Product & Market Insights

How Papaya Stands Out

Unlike other platforms that focus solely on streaming or exposure, Papaya zeroes in on connecting small businesses, local professionals, and independent artists who often lack access to resources. Gian described Papaya as a game-changer for this underserved segment of the industry, stating:

“While others focus on the top of the pyramid, we’re working on empowering the bottom—the independent artists, small businesses, and local professionals driving the music economy.”

The Role of Partnerships

To amplify its impact, Papaya is forging strategic partnerships with businesses and artists. For instance:

• Businesses gain access to qualified leads and verified artists.
• Artists benefit from tools and services that are 100% free.

This collaborative approach allows Papaya to maximize value while navigating the constraints of being pre-funding.

Leadership & Company Culture

A Focus on Collaboration

Gian has built Papaya with a culture of collaboration and a mission-driven ethos. His focus is on delivering real value, especially to artists who are often the most financially challenged in the ecosystem. “We prioritize the artist's side because we’re not planning to charge them for using the platform,” Gian explained.

Balancing Vision and Resources

As a pre-funding startup, Papaya must strategically balance its ambitions with the resources at hand. Gian and his team focus on building features that deliver maximum impact while fostering partnerships to extend their reach without stretching resources thin.

Lessons & Advice

Practical Tips for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Gian shared an invaluable piece of advice for founders tackling big challenges:

“Your most limited resource in the beginning is not money; it’s time. Focus and prioritize. Understand your target audience before building anything.” – Gian Berselli

He emphasized the importance of starting small and staying focused on delivering value to one specific segment before scaling to broader markets.

Future Vision

The Next Five Years

Looking ahead, Gian envisions Papaya transforming the music industry and eventually expanding into other creator economy verticals, such as:

• Filmmaking
• Gaming
• Photography
• Writing

“The goal is to democratize access and make information equally available, enabling independent professionals and businesses to shine,” Gian explained. He sees Papaya becoming the operating system for the entire creator economy.

Conclusion

Inspired by Gian’s mission? You can support Papaya by signing up and sharing it with your network—whether you’re an artist, small business, or simply passionate about music. “Every sign-up counts,” Gian emphasized. Visit Papaya today and become part of the movement reshaping the music industry.