"Eliot Cowan, 11, charges clients between $300 and $400 to have their product tested by groups of children he assembles through his company, AppLab, which he founded in 2011. The son of a venture capitalist, Eliot uses the proceeds to buy equipment for his school.

 

Smule Inc. retained Eliot's services in 2012 after being introduced by his father,David Cowan, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, a firm that has invested in Smule. 'I love watching him grow as he's making these relationships with CEOs,' says Mr. Cowan of his son.

 

Smule, which makes music-creating apps, contacted Eliot again in February, seeking help in testing the redesign of an app. Ben Hersh, a Smule product designer, met with Eliot and four others. At the beginning of the session, he says Eliot offered to bring in other students for an additional fee. 'Eliot did a very good job trying to upsell us but I didn't think I could handle a room with any more kids,' says Mr. Hersh, 25.

 

For Walt Disney Co., Eliot and friends tested 'Where's My Perry?' a mobile game featuring Agent P, a turquoise platypus who wears a fedora. They found the game lacking edge. 'We got them to add Doofenshmirtz from 'Phineas and Ferb,'" a Disney Channel show, says Eliot, "because he's an evil genius and every game should have an evil genius.'"

 

 

 

 

 

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