Scott Rogowsky: From HQ Trivia Fame to New Ventures
Scott Rogowsky, a well-known comedian and personality, has always been one to make light of himself. A vivid example of this was when he wandered around New York City Comic Con with a “Wanted” poster of his own image, humorously inquiring from strangers, “Have you seen this man?” (Source).
The Face of HQ Trivia
Rogowsky was once a household name as the face of HQ Trivia, a popular mobile game show app that saw a quick rise and fall between 2017 and 2019. During its heyday, the live game show hosted by Rogowsky twice daily attracted over 2.4 million viewers and saw 20 million lifetime downloads.
Despite the app’s eventual demise due to unfortunate circumstances and a lack of a sustainable business model, Rogowsky’s charisma and quick wit earned him a dedicated fanbase, many of whom fondly refer to him as “Quiz Daddy”.
The Birth of Savvy
Now, Rogowsky is back, this time with his own app called Savvy. The app embodies many elements of HQ Trivia but introduces a new concept: players compete against Rogowsky himself in a word puzzle game. This daily live game show named TextSavvy is somewhat a blend of The New York Times’ Wordle and Connections.
Overcoming Challenges
However, Rogowsky’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. After leaving HQ Trivia in 2019 to host a daily MLB Network show, his new opportunity was cut short when the pandemic shut down baseball. Attempts to recreate an enterprise akin to HQ led to a series of false starts, pushing Rogowsky to consider retirement from show business and open a vintage store in California. Yet, his love for comedy and entertainment remained.
After a personal transformation and a seven-day mountain retreat dubbed “the Hoffman Process”, Rogowsky regained clarity and decided to return to the entertainment scene. His newfound perspective and belief in his comedic and entertaining capabilities led him to launch Savvy.
Savvy: A New Approach to Mobile Game Shows
Savvy takes a different approach to the live game show format, with Rogowsky not only asking questions but also answering them, adding an interactive layer to the game. Savvy focuses on word puzzles instead of trivia to circumvent the issues of fairness in the age of AI where answers can be easily searched.
Unlike HQ Trivia, Savvy’s prize pools are considerably smaller, with the highest payout being around $400. This is because Rogowsky and his co-founders are self-financing the company. While Rogowsky has entertained discussions with potential investors, he is wary of the pressures that often accompany venture backing.
The Future of Savvy
Currently in its “Season 0”, Savvy is working through technical issues before its official launch on March 1. Despite the low number of viewers compared to the HQ days, Rogowsky remains optimistic. After all, TechCrunch reports that when they first covered HQ, the app only had about 3,300 concurrent viewers. With time, Rogowsky believes that Savvy can replicate the success of HQ.
Rogowsky asserts, “We’re not going anywhere this time. There’s no one to fire me. There’s no drama, there’s no tension. There’s not going to be a documentary about Savvy the way there was about HQ” (Source).
