It’s hard to write this post but it’s necessary. My startup is at a crossroads and in need of a pivot. We have about 6 months cash flow left. Our initial idea was an audio only messaging platform for the elderly. We’ve done well to build a beautiful product, but with all startups, the challenges lies in the distribution. Were currently sitting on a few thousand monthly users in some foreign markets, notably India, but I have found it difficult to break into the American market. The largest setback in that market came when Clubhouse (the old live podcasting app) pivoted and basically cloned our app. That one hurt. The UI was a little too similar. But, copying is a part of start up life, and I won’t deny that our inspiration came from audio apps before us. So let’s get on with it.
With 6 months cash flow left, I’ve decided to start writing more about our efforts. This is both a way for me to process what is going on – it has been extremely stressful building a remote company, where I feel isolated day after day – and a way to share what I have learned and will learn over the next couple months.
Consider this a countdown of sorts. If at the end of this 6 months we have nothing to show for it, then at least I will have these posts as a reflection on what has so far been a wild and difficult journey.
Let me finish by saying why I believed in starting a voice based messaging company. I strongly believe that text based chat apps and messaging services are locking out baby boomers from communicating with their families. I think there are some serious problems with how humans communicate now, which include the frequency, the length, and the perception of the message. People don’t hear each others voices, and it’s isolating us and increasing loneliness. It’s so easy to misinterpret the words on the page and assign them meaning where there wasn’t any. We are a storytelling and oral society. Voices are the first things many of us understand, and the first way we connect to others. Voice gives people personality. I built Boomering to give people their voices back.
Thanks for following,
Jon