Behind the Scenes: A Founder's Journey in Building Vooz
In a recent Unscripted SaaS interview, Vooz founder Jeremy Cohen sat down with podcast host & SEO consultant Jeremy Rivera to discuss the origins, challenges, and future vision of our anonymous video chatting platform. Here's an inside look at how Vooz came to be and where we're headed.
Listen to the episode here:
The Birth of an Idea
The concept for Vooz emerged from a simple observation: while anonymous video chatting platforms were growing steadily year after year, they remained relatively unknown to the general public. Cohen, drawing from his background as a product manager in tech, saw an opportunity to build something revolutionary in the space.
"We wanted to build an anonymous video chatting and text chatting platform that is fully moderated and has a ton of different entertainment value built into the platform," Cohen explained. This vision went beyond just connecting random users – it aimed to create a safer, more engaging experience.
Building the Team
One of the most fascinating aspects of Vooz's story is how the team came together. As a bootstrapped startup, Cohen took an unconventional approach to building his founding team. Rather than pursuing traditional hiring channels, he turned to Reddit to find passionate developers who would join as co-founders.
"It's really hard to find people that go to their day job and then have that motivation to work on something after hours," Cohen shared. After interviewing 15-20 developers, he found his perfect matches – a backend and frontend developer who shared his vision and joined as co-founders with equity stakes in the company.
Innovation in Safety and Entertainment
What sets Vooz apart is its commitment to both safety and entertainment. The team developed their own AI-powered moderation system using open-source models, creating a sophisticated tool that helps maintain a family-friendly environment. This proprietary technology takes snapshots during video chats and uses multiple AI models to detect inappropriate content in real-time.
The platform also introduces unique features like screen sharing for watching YouTube videos together and plans for implementing interactive games. "We want to bring entertainment value besides just anonymous video chatting and anonymous text chatting to this type of platform," Cohen explained.
Growth Strategy and Future Plans
After launching about a month and a half ago, Vooz has already attracted 15,000 unique users. The team has identified search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising as their primary growth channels, with social media influencer partnerships serving as supplementary marketing strategies.
While currently bootstrapped, Cohen remains open to investment opportunities to accelerate growth. "A platform like this is highly monetized," he noted, highlighting the various revenue opportunities they plan to explore.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Cohen's message to other entrepreneurs is refreshingly straightforward: just start somewhere. "If you have an idea, start with the design, the layout, where you want the idea to look like," he advised. "You'll have a lot easier time picking up talent on your way, as opposed to just coming to people with an idea in your head."
This philosophy of taking action has served Vooz well, with the team maintaining a "launch fast, iterate faster" mentality. Rather than seeking perfection, they focus on getting features out quickly and improving based on real-world usage.
Looking Ahead
As Vooz continues to grow and evolve, the team remains committed to their vision of creating a safe, entertaining platform for anonymous connections. With innovative features in development and a strong foundation in place, Vooz is positioned to make its mark in the anonymous chat platform space.