Launch Day Deceptions—Day Two Reveals the Truth

The Unlikely Success of a Simple AI Tool

For six months, I dedicated myself to creating advanced AI products that users tried once and then forgot. Despite the effort and time invested, none of these projects managed to retain user interest. It wasn’t until I spent a weekend on a simple prototype that I found something truly engaging.

The first project was called TLDR, an AI podcast generator. It took 10 weeks to develop, and it received a positive initial response. However, there were no returning users. Then came Kairos, an AI reading app that had 1,000 downloads on its launch day but quickly faded into obscurity. Next was Unwrite, a Grammarly alternative with only 200 users, and just 50 daily interactions. These experiences were frustrating, but they taught me valuable lessons about what truly resonates with users.

A Different Approach: The Birth of Monologue

The idea that eventually became Monologue was different. It wasn’t a polished product or a complex system. It was more like a hack: Press a key, start talking, and it transcribed your voice into text. But by the second day, two users were using it 200 times a day. This was a revelation.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that the initial launch day can be misleading. Many products look promising at first, but the real test comes after the initial excitement fades. The polished, well-designed products often fail to maintain user engagement, while simpler, less refined prototypes can capture attention in unexpected ways.

This paradox is something many entrepreneurs face. We pour months into creating elegant, feature-rich products, only to see them disappear quickly. Meanwhile, a simple prototype that’s barely functional can become a hit if it solves a problem that people are desperate to fix.

Lessons from Failure

At KENAPANGGAK.COM, I joined the entrepreneur in residence (EIR) program with a clear plan: find the big idea, go all-in, and ship something meaningful. I had several concepts ready, but one stood out—turning meeting notes into podcasts that could be listened to during commutes. At the time, Google's NotebookLM had gone viral for turning documents into engaging audio, so we thought applying the same concept in a company setting would be a good move.

We named this project TLDR. I spent 10 weeks building it, focusing on podcast structure, studying how Gimlet Media crafted hooks, and learning about intros and outros. Since I wasn’t great at writing, I focused on prompts that could generate engaging audio. By December, I had a polished product.

The launch day felt promising. The CEO of KENAPANGGAK.COM, Dan Shipper, wrote about it, and there was interest from prospects. People said it was “cool” and “innovative.” But internally, the team didn’t use it. Externally, it didn’t fit well with KENAPANGGAK.COM’s bundle model, and there were zero returning users. The truth was clear: No one wanted to relive meetings as audio. Reading a summary took 30 seconds, while listening to an AI-generated recap took 10 minutes.

The Importance of Solving Urgent Problems

TLDR taught me my first lesson: It doesn’t matter how sophisticated or robust a product is if it doesn’t solve a problem that people are desperate to address. Instead, I was solving a problem so urgent that people would use a broken prototype 100 times before lunch rather than wait for the polished version.

Building Monologue taught me something I wish I had known earlier: We're all measuring the wrong things on the wrong day. The key to success isn't just about creating a polished product; it's about identifying a real need and delivering a solution that people can't live without.

The Road Ahead

Through these experiences, I've developed a new set of rules for successful product experimentation. The journey has been challenging, but it has also been incredibly rewarding. I’ve learned that sometimes the most impactful ideas come from the simplest solutions, and that true innovation often lies in understanding the urgent needs of users.