Hello Product Hunt! 👋

I soft-launched Kippy, an AI language speaking app, some time ago. But back then, the technology wasn't quite good enough for what I had in mind.

Here's the problem. If you're not the type of person who gets hooked on streaks, points and badges, most language apps get boring pretty quickly.

So... I started experimenting with a different approach.

What if, instead of just having a friendly AI tutor, you could also talk to personalities who have their own opinions, moods and interests? Who care less about you and more about themselves. You know, like pretty much everyone else you talk to. ;-)

That's how Kippy, Tippy and Yappy came about.

They remember things about you, but they also forget. They might tease you, disagree with you or comfort you when you're having a bad day. And they definitely don't end EVERY response with a question ???. (Looking at you, my favourite AI assistants 👀)

So what's changed since the earlier version?

Quite a lot, actually. Conversations are now much faster and more natural. Kippy supports bilingual conversations, so you can switch to your native language when you're stuck. The characters have memory, and intermediate learners can get detailed speech reports to understand where they can improve.

Approaching 400,000 downloads, and the new version is already showing conversations lasting over 30% longer on average. That's probably the most encouraging number for me. People are spending more time actually speaking!

Oh, and the Pocket thingy?

I've noticed quite a few people using Kippy with their kids, often by handing them their phones. And if you have kids, you know what happens next...

So I'm working on Pocket Kippy, a standalone device for conversations without having to surrender your phone.

The idea is to give parents access to conversation transcripts and optional analysis for potentially harmful content. There'll be a kids' mode too, which of course won't include Yappy. For obvious reasons. ;-)

Pocket Kippy is still in the works and will have its own launch later. Consider this a little sneak peek.

I'd love for early adopters to help shape into into the product they wish they'd had years ago.

I'll be here reading your comments and feedback. You can also reach me directly on LinkedIn or X/Twitter (/olesansky).

Thanks for stopping by! 🙌