Startup Story: The Journey of Speech-to-Note from Idea to $60K in Sales

👋 Hey, SK here!  Welcome to XTEN10X. I write about startups, product management , career growth and other stories based on real-world learnings.

In today’s fast-paced world, solopreneurs and side hustlers are finding innovative ways to turn their ideas into profitable ventures. 

One such inspiring story comes from India, where Speech-to-Note is revolutionizing how we capture ideas and notes through speech.

 Here’s how this startup went from concept to adoption, generating over $60,000 in lifetime sales while maintaining a sustainable growth model.

Fun fact: The founder used his own app, Speech-to-Note, to help me prepare this case study, which also led him to discover a major bug in the application.🙂

From Idea to Execution: How Speech-to-Note Was Born

Speech-to-Note is not just another note-taking app. 

The idea sprouted from the daily challenges of an agency owner who struggled with the time-consuming task of writing countless emails, social media posts, and contracts. 

Abhishek-The founder, a UX designer by passion, realized that speech recognition models and OpenAI could drastically reduce the time spent on writing.

By creating an internal proof-of-concept and receiving positive feedback from peers, he scaled up the project, conducted market research, and launched it as a public product. 

Thus, Speech-to-Note was born, offering users the ability to capture ideas, summarize meetings, and even create social media content — all with their voice.

Top Use Cases of Speech-to-Note

1. Brainstorming on the Go
   Got a brain full of ideas? Open Speech-to-Note and start speaking.

   It will turn your ideas into written words faster than you can type.

2. Post-Meeting Summaries
   After a long meeting, speaking out the key points can save valuable time.

   Speech-to-Note converts your verbal notes into neat transcripts, ready for follow-up.

3. Content Creation
   Convert those transcripts into engaging content, whether it’s for emails, social media posts, or even YouTube scripts. Speech-to-Note is the go-to tool for turning spoken words into shareable content.

Target Audience: Who’s Using Speech-to-Note?

Speech-to-Note serves three main user personas:

• Students: Those who prefer voice-based note-taking after classes. They can summarize lectures or brainstorm ideas for assignments with ease.

• Working Professionals: Particularly marketers, consultants, or strategists who need to jot down ideas quickly.

• Salespeople: Using the app to quickly record and summarize conversations with clients for follow-up strategies.

Building the Product: Tech Stack and Launch Strategy

The tech behind Speech-to-Note is as solid as the idea itself. 

Built using Next.js, Node.js, and hosted on AWS, with OpenAI for speech recognition, the app is ready for adoption and scaling.

To gain initial customers, Abhishek leveraged personal networks, particularly friends, freelancers, and agency owners. 

The breakthrough came through platforms like Peerlist and launching a lifetime deal on AppSumo, which led to significant paid customer growth.

The app was launched on Peerlist through their product spotlight, which helped attract initial customers and gather valuable feedback.

Later, by launching on AppSumo and offering a lifetime deal priced between $30 and $60, customer adoption increased significantly.

What Could Have Gone Better? Lessons from the Journey

From a previous product, Abhishek learned the importance of sustainability and customer readiness. 

Instead of relying on high-level validation, they focused on getting customers to pay from day one, validating the idea through real transactions. 

This approach ensured that Speech-to-Note attracted a serious customer base.

Abhishek emphasizes that startup founders and PMs should be committed to their ideas even if the execution is not resulting in immediate progress. 

Scaling for the Future

With an eye on sustainable growth, Speech-to-Note plans to expand through collaborations with influencers and community-building efforts. 

Organic growth remains a core focus, the team is also planning to start performance marketing (In performance marketing- rather than paying for marketing services monthly or annually, you only pay when you get the results you’re looking for).

To handle customer requests, the team has built a community in Telegram where they talk to customers about the feedback and direction on the roadmap. 

With $60,000 in lifetime sales and a steady Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) of $350, Speech-to-Note is on a steady upward trajectory.

In Summary: Turning Voice into Profit

Speech-to-Note is a shining example of how solopreneurs can transform their personal pain points into solutions that others are willing to pay for. 

With a clear use case, validated by early customers, and a focused strategy for scaling, the startup is well on its way to further success.

For anyone with an idea, this journey shows that solving your own problems could be the key to building something great.

That’s all for today, see you again!

Cheers,
SK