Ukrainian internet entrepreneur Alexey Mas has left his position as head of the innovation laboratory at Kyivstar to launch a new venture called «Craft Social Networks». The project, announced after his final day at the company on July 31, 2019, aims to provide businesses and communities with the ability to build their own tailored social networks, moving away from the centralized model of existing major platforms.
Mas describes the initiative as a return to a distributed internet in the form of social networks. He argues that current large platforms have become overly centralized, leaving companies and communities with limited control over their own communication and audience engagement tools. «Craft Social Networks» is designed to fill a niche between Facebook and Telegram, offering a middle ground where groups can operate without being fully subject to the rules and algorithms of a dominant platform.
The project envisions creating individual social networks built to specific requirements for each client. Each network can be adapted to a particular audience, theme, and usage scenario. According to Mas, the product is intended for companies that need not only to broadcast information to users but also to foster sustainable interaction within their community. This approach contrasts with Facebook, where groups depend on platform policies, and Telegram, which lacks advanced community structure and gamification features.
In the initial phase, the project team plans to gather technical requirements, build a team, attract investors, and develop several prototypes. From these, a primary product version will be selected. The team is also considering launching a mobile web version and developing applications for Android and iOS. Mas is seeking early customers to test the model of individualized social networks, and several potential clients have already expressed interest.
The financial model for the project involves attracting a title investor and a syndicate of small investors. Members of the syndicate can enter the project with modest sums and receive a stake proportional to their investment. Mas believes this approach will help gather not only capital but also a community of people interested in developing a new model for social networks.
Alexey Mas is a well-known figure in the Ukrainian internet business. He has been involved in several online projects, including Mail.ua, Infostore.org, and «Дерево друзей» (Tree of Friends), and was a co-founder of the iForum conference. For the past three years, he worked at Kyivstar on innovative initiatives. Mas views the new project as an independent business with global potential, aiming to create a tool that allows companies and communities to launch their own social networks without being fully dependent on large centralized platforms.
The launch of «Craft Social Networks» comes at a time when concerns about data privacy, algorithmic control, and platform dependency are growing among businesses and online communities. By offering a customizable alternative, Mas hopes to empower organizations to build their own digital ecosystems, fostering more direct and meaningful engagement with their audiences. The project is still in its early stages, but its vision of a more decentralized social web could resonate with those seeking greater autonomy in the digital space.
