Abess Makki developed an early appreciation for infrastructure. When a student at Wayne State University, he started an organization to build water infrastructure in developing countries. Developing basic services is a welcome investment in many parts of the world. However, Abess believes infrastructure can be taken for granted in places like the United States, where there is a growing need for more investment and maintenance for water systems and other basic services.
He has drawn on this experience to develop a technology solution that delivers transparency and insights about water usage for consumers. Working with the city of Detroit, he built an app to bring water usage and billing information to residents. This led to “CityInsight”, an expanding set of app services for cities and their citizens.
Abess saw the importance of this information as consumers are not often aware of their water usage. The technology helped deliver much needed information at a time when city services are working to improve communication with customers. Detroit wanted to improve transparency and availability of water usage information for its utility customers. CityInsight started with a minimum viable product and has kept adding features. Using analytics and prediction tools, the app provides a forecast of what customers can expect and a budgeting system to manage a water bill.
To build on this product success, Abess needed to build awareness. He reached out to Vikesh Chandrashekar of EGI’s Innovation Services programs. Abess commented, “I wanted to work with a program that knew how to assist a technology company. We had unique and strategic needs that not many programs can address.” Working with EGI’s First Customer Program (FCP) helped CityInsight assess their strategic position, which allowed them better define their marketing and communication needs.
FCP provided customized help that allowed them to focus on strategic needs. They refined their understanding of customer pain points and positioned their solution in the market. The program also helped CityInsight find vendors for a public relations project. Following a disciplined process of talking with qualified service providers, Abess connected with a PR professional.
Through this process they were much better prepared for a successful communication project. The PR ultimately helped CityInsight gain their next customer. Sales gained traction and more potential customers learned about their product.
CityInsight has grown into a broad portal of services and is expanding across the country. The company has learned how to build technology products for citizens. Maintaining and preserving infrastructure will cost billions of dollars in the United States. Abess plans to take on these issues, and he sees government focused technology as an important part of the solution.