From Inbox Overload to Newsletter Podcast Perfection

FROM INBOX OVERLOAD TO NEWSLETTER PODCAST PERFECTION

Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in email newsletters? Well, fear no more! This great article from GeekWire explains how a former Alexa engineer has solved the newsletter problem by using AI to turn content into daily podcasts.

Pierson Marks, who previously worked on Alexa voice services at Amazon, left his position to pursue his passion for voice technology and information management by launching a startup called Jellypod.

Based in Seattle, Marks, a UCLA computer science graduate, created Jellypod as an AI-powered service designed to convert daily newsletters into personalized podcasts. Overwhelmed by the volume of content in his inbox, Marks wanted a way to efficiently summarize and present key information from these newsletters in a concise podcast format.

Jellypod, which launched in December and is available on iOS, uses advanced AI models to extract and summarize important details from newsletters, eliminating duplicate topics to create a natural-sounding podcast. The app offers a free version that generates a 6-minute podcast and a premium version with additional features such as longer podcasts, more newsletters, and export options. Users can also set up podcast release schedules and choose from six different voices.

Since its launch, Jellypod has attracted over 1,000 users, with 10% opting for the premium version.

Marks emphasizes that Jellypod does not redistribute original newsletter content but summarizes it in audio form, similar to how Blinkist summarizes books. He believes that Jellypod helps users engage more deeply with the newsletters they already subscribe to and addresses a broader issue of consuming quality, long-form content in an age dominated by brief, less authoritative sources.