I love these guys. Started using VoiceGem in beta a few weeks ago and can't stop. I am now using this with my family, who often try to reach me with no luck. The benefits are obvious - you don't have to respond to voice calls. There's an expectation on the sender's end that you will respond, eventually, but you can be in control of your time. Unlike a regular voicemail, this also allows you not to talk to the other party in real time, thus delivering your message to them, but on your time. Seriously, just try it, you'll fall in love with the app.
How is this different from other apps like blip.me (besides for the obvious web vs mobile platform)? A year ago a bunch of friends and myself installed and began to use blip, but the novelty quickly wore off. Can't remember the last time I used it.
We see two main differences to existing voice applications. First, VoiceGem is meant to be usable by anyone (without having to install an iPhone application, for example). This is the kind of service you can use with your parents, non-tech friends, or customers.
Secondly, and maybe even more importantly, we try to enable longer, richer conversations. Whereas blip.me/Voxer focus on walkie-talkie applications (and do a great job!), the messages we get and send are often 5+ minutes long.
I do think it is important to have a platform that is easy to access, and I'm sure you guys are working hard at that.
Is there any data that validates the notion that people will be leaving 5+ minute long messages for each other? I honestly can't remember the last time I left a voicemail for a friend/family, but that is purely anecdotal.
For example, being far from family and friends, I love putting on my earphones, laying down and listening to my friends' messages.
The nice thing is that I can listen to these messages anytime my hands are busy but my brain isn't. Running, driving, biking, cooking are all more fun with a story from an old-friend in the background.
Thanks! Yes, our data shows a surprising amount of longer messages. As for voicemail, same here. Arda addressed this in a comment above: it's just not used for asynchronous communication.
The onboarding process on the iphone app is probably the best I've seen on any app. This is good stuff.
Edit: But it breaks my heart to think that they will give it away for free to grow fast and then do all sorts of backflips in search of a business model. The business model is straightforward here. This product is useful. It has emotional value. Just charge good money for it and focus on making it bloody brilliant.
Reminds me of Heytell. The threading of messages is a massive improvement, but still too difficult to find an old message judging only by time. Would be great to have a rudimentary speech-to-text
Speaking is faster than typing but reading is faster than listening. This is why I prefer leaving messages to writing emails and reading emails to listening to messages.
I'd love it if VoiceGem grew into a service that allows me to either listen to or read a message, depending on the context (in the car vs. in the office, high vs. low emotional value). Right now the best solution is to use Google Voice to transcribe voice mail and speech recognition to quickly type out an email, but it's not ideal.
Great feedback, thank you! I certainly see your point, and I think it really depends on the use case. VoiceGem wasn't intended as a text replacement, but more for personal messages with emotional value, hence listening to them.
However, the use case you describe has come up several times now, so it's something we are aware of.
Isn't this just voicemail? There are even services that let you leave a voicemail directly without actually calling the person. How is this different/better than that?
The thing is no one seems to like voicemail, including us. You're trying to reach someone, and end up having to leave a voicemail. The listener usually just listens to see if she needs to call you back or not. It's all out of necessity.
VoiceGem is for times you have a story to tell, but you don't need the other person on the line right that moment. You can send or reply to one whenever you want. I have received many great jokes or stories from folks in my VoiceGem inbox over the last couple days. That hasn't happened with voicemail before.
Voicemail is owned and run by phone companies, and thus harder to extend and digitize. It was only recently that visual voicemail became possible, and only because Apple demanded it. I can see the benefits of pulling this out of their grasp, especially in the case that was mentioned (intercontinental communication).
That said, isn't there already a very popular app that does this?
Yes, there are already apps that let you send shorter voice messages, but you have to have your friends install it first. VoiceGem lets you send as long a message as you want to anyone. They can also listen and reply without signing up, or installing anything.
Interesting. Could Apple replace voicemail with their own system? Eventually they might even be able to merge the phone app into the messages app. Phone calls over wifi, new voicemail etc.
I wonder if this the idea that got them into YC or a pivot they made during the cycle. It's kind of disconcerting that this is in YC when there were probably better people/ideas that didn't even get an interview.
