Sean Herman (Kinzoo): Kid tech without big tech

Jason and Charlie sit down with Sean Herman, founder and CEO of Kinzoo, to unpack how the team builds kid-safe social products that prioritize connection, creativity, and skill-building. Sean covers Kinzoo Messenger growth to roughly 300K monthly engaged users, marketing to both kids and grandparents, SEO-led parent education, and why streaks and like counts are hard nos. The conversation digs into friend vs global leaderboards, diversified monetization across subscriptions, marketplace purchases, and opt-in brand Paths with movie studios, plus retention levers, parental approval flows, and staying mission-driven while scaling.LinksSean HermanKinzooThat Digital Dad (Sean's Substack)

Tim Fung is Founder and CEO of Airtasker, a unique marketplace where customers post tasks, and users complete them.In this episode, Tim discusses the early stages of Airtasker's journey, touches on the founding story, key inflection points on their trajectory to over 2.5M tasks completed and some of the challenges the platform faces today including strategies the team are using to inceltivize increased booking frequency, increase retention and create network effects.LinksTim FungAirtaskerPowered By Trophy - the gamification layer for consumer apps.

Rut Galar is a Senior Product Manager at Monkey Tabs, a company focused on building simple mobile apps for positive thinking and personal growth.In this episode, Rut discusses the growth and development of Vocabulary, an app to help people improve their vocabulary every day, which has seen a significant increase in users from 150k to 600k MAUs in 3 years.The discussion covers various strategies employed to enhance user engagement, including gamification, user retention techniques, and the importance of feedback mechanisms.Rut shares insights on experimentation and A/B testing, as well as future plans for incorporating leaderboards and social features into the app. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding user behavior and the challenges of gathering meaningful feedback.LinksRut GalarMonkey TapsPowered By Trophy - the gamification layer for consumer apps.

SummaryIn this conversation, Ji Woong Jang discusses Teuida, a language learning app that emphasizes interactive speaking practice with native speakers. The app transitioned to a subscription model, significantly improving user retention and revenue. Ji Woong highlights the importance of community engagement, gamification strategies like streaks, and the introduction of missions for real-life practice. He also shares insights on marketing strategies, the balance between organic growth and paid advertising, and the future potential of AI in language learning, while maintaining a focus on cultural understanding as a key component of effective communication.LinksTeuidaJi Woong JangPresented By TrophyShip gamification features that power growth with Trophy.

In this conversation, Marcus Gners, Chief Growth Officer and Co-Founder of Lifesum, discusses the evolution of the brand and its mission to help users improve their health through better nutrition. He emphasizes the importance of user experience, personalization, and the role of AI in enhancing the platform's functionality. The discussion also covers marketing strategies, partnerships, and the connection between nutrition and mental health, highlighting Lifesum's commitment to delivering value to its users.LinksLifesumMarcus GnersPresented by TrophyTrophy is a toolkit for building gamified product experiences like achievements, streaks and leaderboards in days not months.

SummaryIn this conversation, Steve Hoyek discusses the journey of Journable, an AI calorie tracker app, focusing on user acquisition, retention strategies, and the importance of gamification. He shares insights on monetization, pricing models, and the challenges of bootstrapping a business in a competitive market. The discussion highlights the significance of user experience and the role of AI in personalizing the app for users' needs.LinksSteve HoyekJournablePresented by TrophyTrophy is a pre-built toolkit for building gamification features like achievements, streaks, points and leaderboards in web and mobile apps.

SummaryIn this conversation, Punit Jajodia, co-founder and CEO of Programiz, shares the journey of the edtech platform from its inception to its current state.He discusses the challenges faced in monetization, the impact of AI on coding education, and the importance of building a community around learning.Punit emphasizes the need for gamification strategies that reduce loneliness and enhance user engagement. He also outlines future plans for Programiz, focusing on empowering users to become builders in a rapidly changing tech landscape.LinksProgramizPunit JajodiaTrophyThe Levels Podcast is brought to you by Trophy - add gamification features to your app in days not months, increase retention and customer lifetime value.

SummaryIn this conversation, Barak Glanz, co-founder and CMO of Coddy, shares insights into the rapid growth of his coding education platform, which achieved one million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) within a year.He discusses the importance of influencer marketing, the challenges of user retention versus monetization, and the development of a mobile app.Barak also emphasizes the significance of hiring the right team and the complexities of managing a B2C product that impacts users' daily lives.LinksCoddyBarak GlanzPowered By TrophyThe Levels Podcast is powered by Trophy - add gamification features to your app in days not months, increase retention and LTV.

In this episode of the Levels Podcast, Jason and Charlie speak with Sanjam Kohli, co-founder and CEO of Chefadora, a cooking platform that leverages AI to provide personalized cooking recommendations.They discuss the founding story of Chefadora, its growth trajectory, and the unique features that set it apart from other cooking sites.Sanjam shares insights on engaging creators, retaining users, and the future plans for the platform, including multilingual capabilities and community events.Add gamification to your app in days not months: https://trophy.so

In this episode, Guillermo Martinez, COO and co-founder of Buen Provecho, discusses the journey of his startup, which connects stores with surplus food to consumers in Latin America. He shares insights on the challenges of international expansion, the importance of community engagement, and strategies for balancing supply and demand. The conversation also delves into marketing tactics, user acquisition, and the potential for gamification in enhancing user experience.Presented by Trophy: Build gamification features that retain users.