Louis is the founder of AudioPen, an AI SaaS that listens to you take voice notes and rewrites them in clear wording that’s easy to read.
Hey Louis, Tell us more about what you are working on
AudioPen is the easiest way to go from messy thoughts to clear text.
Imagine a friend who listens to you talk, and then rephrases your thoughts in clear, structured language that’s easy to read and ready to share.
Now, imagine that friend in your pocket.
That’s AudioPen.
Tell us More about your background, and how you came up with the idea of AudioPen.
I built AudioPen (almost) by accident. I was just playing around, learning how to use OpenAI’s APIs. In the process, I built a barebones version of AudioPen as a tiny tool on my personal website. It was one among 3 other tiny tools I’d built that week. The idea was simple – a voice recorder that listened to what you said, and then transcribed and summarized it in words that were easy to read and ready to share. To my surprise (and luck), people seemed to really like AudioPen. So I decided to build it as a standalone tool. And I’ve been working to improve it ever since.
How did you get your first customers for AudioPen?
I host a bi-monthly event called Half Day Build where enthusiastic product builders from around the globe try to go from idea to revenue in under 12 hours. I built the first full version of AudioPen during one such event. I live-tweeted the whole thing and got my first customers from there. It was a set of early beta testers who liked the product enough to pay for it.
What Marketing Channels are working for you now?
Currently, word of mouth is my biggest marketing channel. I think it will stay that way at least for a couple of months more, until the product is more mature. Then, I will experiment with newer channels.
How is your business doing now?
About 20,000 users, with over 1,500 paying customers.
What has been your biggest achievement in business thus far?
Getting the first 100 paying customers was an experience I will never forget. Having a set of people who trusted me with their wallets so early on is something I hope I never take for granted.
What advice would you give to new entrepreneurs?
I’m not ‘successful’ yet (what even is success?), but I love what I do. My only advice would be to keep playing games you enjoy and keep trying to find ways to make those games sustainable (i.e. income generating) in the long run. You will likely fail multiple times, but life is random. Eventually, you will succeed. The best way to succeed is to keep trying. The easiest way to keep trying is to genuinely like what you do.
What tools & resources do you recommend for entrepreneurs?
None. Tools and resources are context dependent. Just keep experimenting till you find what works for you.
Lastly, Where can we learn more about you?
I’m super active on Twitter @louispereira. You can also check out my personal website louispereira.xyz
