Thera Voice
AI coach that calls YOU
About a year ago I built a flashcard learning/memory website for my girlfriend who was studying for the GRE test. Her request was simple, make a website where she could add cards with front and back side and then practice and quiz herself.
I knew there were hundreds of apps like that but all of them either looked bad, didn't work on mobile screen sizes or had crazy payment options or ads blocking the flashcards. So I built a simple website called Kitsune (Japanese for clever fox) and called it a day.
She used it daily and created 20 sets of 100 card sets, used it daily and was my loyal single active user. Took the test, got 169/170 (An amazing score!) and that was that. Apart from recommending it to a few friends and other students it joined my shelf of old projects.
Well recently I got bored with my latest project and decided to fix it up and add a way for people to share their sets by making them public for others to practice on.
This is where I hit the first issue. Not only did I use a tech stack I no longer prefer, I also did a crap job with auth. So for 48 hours last weekend I locked my self in the room and rewrote all of the auth migrating to Clerk, updating schema, adding features, and adding a real domain. I upgraded to react 19, nextjs 15, and added a new font. Seeing my old code and my past decisions was tough, but I realized something.
Even though the code was bad, the product was a simple mvp, and everything was outdated, I am so glad I had this as a starting point. I was able to move quickly and keep the UI/UX functional staying true to my goal of a simple product.
Now the project has been brought back to life and I will market it to students to aid them with tests. The joy of working on this project already left me satisfied and I hope this motivates you to make more side projects, start working on a random idea and see where it takes you. You never know where the project will end and that is the simple joy of being an inventor.
Please share to any desperate students: joinkitsune.com
Keep building and ship away!
Ever notice how a call takes over your entire phone screen? That forced pause sparked an idea. As a founding engineer drowning in ignored wellness apps, I realized: maybe interruption was the feature, not the bug. So I built something different.
The "Aha" Moment
I realized something had to change when I found myself downloading and deleting yet another wellness app. The pattern was always the same: initial excitement, followed by the app gathering dust because it didn't fit into my actual life. That's when I decided to build TheraVoice – a voice coach that works with your lifestyle, not against it.
Launch Strategy: Embracing Imperfection
One of the biggest lessons I've learned? Launch before you think you're ready. I initially fell into the perfectionism trap, but then adopted a different approach:
Released early with a free trial
Used the product myself daily
Got friends to be brutal beta testers
Focused on engagement over monetization initially
Here's what I've learned: The feedback and learning you get from real users are worth way more than that initial $5 subscription. My goal was to hit 100 active users before turning on monetization – this gives you a solid base to learn from and iterate on.
Marketing: Learning to Walk in the Mud
Marketing has been my biggest challenge (fellow technical founders, I see you nodding). Here's what I've tried:
Posted on X, Product Hunt, and Reddit
Created content for Instagram and TikTok
Made my first awkward marketing videos (pro tip: after your fifth post, you stop caring so much about perfection!)
Currently, I'm focusing on SEO and content strategy. One interesting challenge I've encountered is that TheraVoice is creating a new category – it's not quite a traditional wellness app, not quite a standard voice assistant. I'm working on bridging this gap by relating it to existing solutions while highlighting what makes it unique.
What's Working
The most rewarding part? Seeing real impact. TheraVoice has helped users:
Maintain consistent exercise routines
Be more mindful about nutrition
Stay accountable for running goals
Keep wellness conversations going daily
Key Takeaways for Fellow Founders
Launch early, launch often. Perfect is the enemy of done.
Free users in the beginning are worth their weight in gold for feedback.
When marketing feels uncomfortable, that usually means you're doing something right.
Build for a problem you personally understand. Your frustration is your compass.
What's Next
I'm focusing on SEO and content strategy to reach more busy professionals who need a different approach to wellness. If you're interested in following along or trying it out, check out TheraVoice [link].
Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences, especially from other founders who've navigated the technical-to-marketing transition!
As builders, we all know the grind. Long hours, endless to-dos, and that sinking feeling when you realize you haven’t moved from your desk in hours. Wellness often takes a back seat.
That’s why I built Thera Voice, a power-up for the busy, ambitious individual who wants to care for their health without breaking their flow.
Here’s the hook: Thera Voice calls you. Imagine this—you’re wrapping up a late work session, about to doom-scroll. Then, your phone rings. It’s Thera Voice, reminding you of your goals, helping you reframe your day, and nudging you toward small, actionable wins:
• Go for a quick run.
• Stretch it out.
• Reflect on one thing you did well today.
It’s not another app to check. It’s a voice that checks on you.
For me, this solved a huge personal pain point. Apps and trackers were easy to ignore, but a simple phone call brought me back to the present. It felt human, proactive, and surprisingly motivating.
Now, I’m testing this with early users and iterating fast. What’s next? Integrating smarter, AI-powered sms conversations tailored to each user’s wellness goals.
Would love to hear your thoughts:
• Does this sound like something you’d use?
• How would you imagine integrating a wellness tool like this into your day?
Let’s talk building, scaling, and caring for ourselves while chasing big dreams.
1 Comment
Alex that's amazing!
Forcing UI and UX, and updating on the latest trend, is challenging!
I have a question! How without a website and Twitter you are generating profit brother!