34 pointsby rioppondalis20 hours ago10 comments
  • ugh12310 hours ago
    It's unclear on first impression of the landing page what your unique value prop is.

    You say this: " Voiczy transforms language learning into an exciting adventure." and then you ask me to click a free trial button.

    I think that deserves some kind of visual, either screenshots, illustrations, or demo video right next to that blurb.

    Your Demo button shows a video play button, but when I click it i'm greeted with a 2-step settings process after which i'm presented with another "Start Demo" button, followed by your own pop up to "Give Microphone Access" which I click and then it pops up a system dialog for access.

    Thats a 6-step funnel just to see what this is actually about.

    • rioppondalis8 hours ago
      Thank you so much for your valuable feedback. You're absolutely right, and I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us.

      I’ll work on addressing your points soon. Just a quick question: while adding a video is straightforward, for the actual "try demo," we need to gather the user’s native and target languages, as well as request microphone access later to provide an accurate demo.

      In this case, what would you suggest? Should we demo a common language pair, like English to Spanish? Or should we avoid showing games that require microphone access in the demo to simplify the process?

      • ugh1237 hours ago
        Detect the appropriate language per region and start the demo but provide a pointer immediately within the demo to change it if necessary.

        If you do a video on the landing page, have it play automatically (could be a high res playable gif).

        If mic access is not needed for all the games (wait, there's games and there are multiple of them?) then sure, default to a non-mic game if it still provides value. I've only looked above the fold, but it seems like a complex product offering. Below the fold, its very wordy and still not explaining much how it works. The 'Milestones' part is taking too much space. Kick it out to an About page or something. Probably the same with your 'Story'.

        Good luck!

    • rioppondalis8 hours ago
      Update: I removed microphone access need. Moved the voice game to one of the last games, this way hopefully less people will have a problem with it.

      Thanks again for your good suggestions

  • wantsanagent11 hours ago
    Just say "No" to "Free" trials that require a credit card on file.
    • preinheimer11 hours ago
      I run a product that has a free tier. There's one person with ~30 accounts, each with their own unique email address (gmail).

      Credit cards are a decent tool to stem the tide of people making lots of free accounts.

      • wantsanagent9 hours ago
        Fine, then charge $1 and don't auto-convert to a subscription. That practice is what is offensive.

        Or if it's just a few users don't ruin the free trial for everyone based on the actions of some bad apples. Spend some time on IP based screens etc.

  • mtalantikite10 hours ago
    Congrats on shipping! I'm curious to know if kids in this demographic (2-6) see any extra benefits to something structured like this versus just watching cartoons in their target language? I've met plenty of people that have told me something like "Oh, I learned English from just watching Scooby Doo as a kid". They then went on to study English more formally in school when they were older, but they really claim they just learned from passively watching hours of cartoons on their own as a 3-6 year old, since that's what they had in their country of origin.
    • rioppondalis8 hours ago
      Cartoons can also be beneficial. We've discussed various techniques with two experienced speech therapists, each with their own beliefs shaped by years of working with children facing language disorders or expat families encouraging their kids to speak.

      One specialist advised limiting cartoons to a maximum of 20 minutes per day, while the other suggested cartoons could be quite effective. I believe expert opinions should vary depending on the case.

      In general, I think Voiczy can have a greater impact than simply watching cartoons. When playing a game, children are more engaged, focusing on learning words to advance through the levels. This can motivate them to pay closer attention. While cartoons can help with listening and understanding concepts, they may not be the best option for developing speaking skills, as they don't offer much practice.

  • meowster8 hours ago
    Attempted to try the demo, it requested microphone access which I denied, then the page was stuck. The only option to move forward was tapping on the chat icon, and then it wanted my email address and I wrote "no thank you" which it seemed to accept but not process.

    It looks like your app only wants people to do things a certain way, and if the user doesn't, then too bad?

    • 8 hours ago
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    • rioppondalis8 hours ago
      Apologies for this. I realize now that microphone access might be unnecessary for the demo. The issue is that we have a game requiring microphone use, where kids practice saying words aloud to help with memorization and pronunciation. For children, this is a crucial step in overcoming any shyness about speaking the language.

      I’ll work on addressing this by making microphone access optional or removing that specific game from the demo entirely.

      Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. I really appreciate it!

  • davidzweig12 hours ago
    Tried the demo, looks similar to the Rosetta Stone method. Very nice execution. We also make a language app.
    • rioppondalis8 hours ago
      Thank you! I appreciate your comment. What language app are you working on?

      Do you have any feedback or suggestions for us? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can succeed in this market. Any advice is welcome! :)

  • rahimnathwani12 hours ago
    My 8yo son uses Duolingo every day, to study Spanish. Is voiczy likely to be more effective or efficient?
    • rioppondalis8 hours ago
      I can’t say with 100% certainty that Voiczy is more valuable than Duolingo. Duolingo has years of experience and likely offers unique content—they're a large company with many resources.

      However, Voiczy was born out of necessity. We tried Duolingo and other apps, but they didn’t suit our son’s needs. Every child has a different learning style. I encourage you to give Voiczy a try. We offer a 7-day free trial, and I’d be happy to extend it for you if needed. You can see if your son finds it helpful and let me know your thoughts & feedback.

      What sets Voiczy apart is that we use the child’s native language to bridge the gap with the new words they're learning. This makes the process feel less pressured and more engaging and faster to grasp. That’s what we observed with both our son and beta testers.

    • bradarner11 hours ago
      While I can't vouch for voiczy, Duolingo is in the business of user retention and engagement in order to meet investor demands...language learning is the hook.

      Duolingo is notably POOR at real language acquisition.

      • wadadadad10 hours ago
        Will you please provide some additional context here as to why and how Duolingo is poor at language acquisition? What software is better at language acquisition?
      • jimbokun10 hours ago
        Are there other apps that are more effective?
      • rahimnathwani11 hours ago
        Yeah I get that. I don't think my son is ready for something effortful like LingQ. So, even if Duolingo is only a tenth as effective per unit of time spent, it's better than nothing.
        • rioppondalis8 hours ago
          With Voiczy, we recommend limiting sessions to 15-20 minutes per day. We plan to add more games in the future to make learning even more enjoyable. Given that children (and even adults) have short attention spans these days, consistent daily practice can make a significant difference over time. After a month or two, you’ll likely notice great progress!

          We’ve seen excellent improvement with our son using Voiczy daily. Of course, we know we’re not perfect. We're just a small parent-run company. It’s just me, my partner, and our son, who happens to be our main tester! :)

  • ryanb_020 hours ago
    How does it work for adults?
    • rioppondalis17 hours ago
      It should work fine. But the focus (particularly the UI and games) are designed for kids. But still, adults can benefit from it as well.
  • blueeon20 hours ago
    any unique features?
    • rioppondalis17 hours ago
      Yes, the unique aspect is the method we call the "linking language technique." Using a voice-immersive approach, children first hear the word or its introduction in their native language, followed by the same word in the target language. As they progress through different games, they gradually hear more of the target language. This technique is especially effective for kids aged 2-6, as it engages them more deeply and helps them understand the learning process. We've seen remarkable benefits from this method with our own son.
  • pvg20 hours ago
    You could edit the title to start with 'Show HN:' instead of 'Launch:' so it shows up in the feedbacky places of the site, more info here https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html
    • rioppondalis17 hours ago
      Thank you! I'm new here. Then can I repost the same? Or should I submit again?
      • pvg17 hours ago
        You could have edited the title a bit after you posted but I think you're past the edit window now. You can just email hn@ycombinator.com with a link to your current post and they'll sort it out for you.
  • 20 hours ago
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