I built this app for my dad. Now it makes $18K/month

The Unexpected Success of Voici [0:00]

• Kurash built a dictation app, "Voici," which now generates $16,000 to $20,000 per month.
• The app was initially a fun tool for his father but gained traction through downloads without marketing.
• Voici operates in a crowded market with well-funded competitors, yet thrives by serving a specific customer base.

  "originally i just built it as a fun tool for my dad and then when i saw that people were downloading without any marketing i just picked it up as my side project and now it makes 16 to 20k per month"

Introducing Voici: Beyond Basic Dictation [1:19]

• Voici is a dictation app that uses OpenAI's Whisper API, available on computers and phones.
• It's designed for users who find traditional typing difficult or painful, such as older individuals or those with disabilities.
• The app offers a monthly plan for $49 and a lifetime deal for $260, with a 20% discount for users with disabilities.

  "but essentially allows you to use really really good dictation with openai's whisper api absolutely anywhere on your computer and also on your phone"

From Business Student to Coder [3:08]

• Kurash studied business in London after moving from Iran at 18.
• He initially explored no-code tools and built a community analytics app called "Meet Waves" which reached $5k MRR.
• He worked as a product manager in fintech for three years and learned to code from a book during COVID.

  "at the same time like i just started being interested in startups so i started playing around with no code tools back then because i'm from a non-technical background"

The Genesis of Voici: A Father's Typing Troubles [4:40]

• The idea for Voici stemmed from Kurash's father, a heavy computer user, struggling with typing.
• While sick and bedridden, Kurash was annoyed by his father's slow typing and discovered ChatGPT's dictation capabilities.
• He envisioned a tool that could provide dictation functionality everywhere.

  "i was so annoyed and i was just like i wish i could just give them this dictation absolutely everywhere and that's where the idea of voici came from"

Building Voici: From MVP to Multi-Platform [5:39]

• Voici was Kurash's first fully coded product, starting as a Chrome extension built in two weeks using ChatGPT prompts.
• He later developed an Electron app for Windows (taking three months) and a Mac app (one month).
• He also built Linux, iOS, and Android versions, noting the ease of using Cloud Opus for the Android app.

  "i got from like idea to mvp in two weeks and when i say mvp like truly mvp"

Marketing and Growth: SEO and YouTube Strategy [8:12]

• Initial growth came from free traffic on the Chrome Web Store and posting on Reddit.
• The primary growth engine for Voici is Search Engine Optimization (SEO), with over 200 blog posts and localized landing pages.
• A YouTube series, "AI for Seniors," has significantly boosted subscriber count from 1,000 to 12,000 in a month.

  "the true growth of voici is from seo like i've always been an seo guy love seo"

The "Painkiller" Customer and Market Strategy [10:08]

• Kurash identified that 20-30% of his users were seniors or had disabilities, who loved the product.
• He realized he couldn't compete with larger players like WhisperFlow but that they weren't targeting this specific demographic.
• He adopted the philosophy of selling "painkillers" (essential solutions) rather than "vitamins" (nice-to-haves), focusing on a market where his product is a necessity.

  "the customer that nobody else is building for and why that makes him successful and crazy enough how he does this all alongside his nine to five as a side project"

Advice for Aspiring Founders [13:56]

• Kurash advises aspiring founders to "turn off your brain" and just "do things."
• He stresses the importance of quantity in early-stage efforts, believing that more action leads to more learning and faster progress.
• He advocates for an "idiot in motion goes farther than a genius at rest" approach, prioritizing execution over overthinking.

  "turn off your brain it's really not that serious and just do things"

Key Takeaways from Voici's Success [15:17]

• There's significant opportunity in building simple tools for non-tech-savvy users who need solutions to specific problems.
• Talking to customers is crucial for identifying unmet needs and understanding product value.
• Even in saturated markets, a product that acts as a "painkiller" for a specific customer group can achieve success.

  "there's so much opportunity to build stuff that's really simple they just care that it solves a problem for them"