Project
PlayTell is an iPad app that connects families who live apart with ebooks and games. For grandparents that live far away or traveling parents of young kids PlayTell makes it easy to have a fun, engaging conversation with young kids between three and six years old. I co-founded the startup at Founder Labs and was backed by Index Ventures and other angel investors it launched at Launch.edu, Jason Calacanis premier startup event.
Problem
Distance is the biggest barrier for families seeing one-another, grandparents and grandchildren live increasingly further apart. A study conducted by AARP found that over half of grandparents have at least one grandchild who lives more than 200 miles away, and about a third live more than 50 miles from their closest grandchild. Grandparents love spending money on their grandkids, spending an average $2,562 annually, totaling $179 billion per year in the USA.
Target Market
The paying customers of PlayTell are grandparents with parents being the users who share the app with the grandparents and grandchildren.
Solution
PlayTell is an iPad app that combines real-time video chat with interactive e-books and games that allow grandparents and kids to create stories and experiences together even when they are far apart.
Outcome
PlayTell had a loyal customer base of beta testers who used the app regularly. We found that the sweet spot for kids ages three to six years old. Any younger and they could not operate the app and any older and the content had to be significantly more advanced as they were beginning to play Minecraft and other advanced gaming experiences. The company ultimately shut down, but not before illustrating an opportunity gap that would be filled with future experiences such as Facebook Portal.
