About Blurble
Key Metrics
61% of Adults reporting loneliness.
512+ Waitlist signups pre-launch
1.45% Landing page conversion rate
30MWhisper users at peak (proof of demand)
The Problem
We're more connected than ever, yet lonelier than ever before
Social media promised to bring us together. Instead, it created a performance stage where authenticity dies. People curate highlight reels while their real struggles go unspoken.
The result? A loneliness epidemic affecting mental health, physical well-being, and quality of life across generations with Gen Z and Millennials hit hardest.
Existing solutions either lack true anonymity (Facebook confession pages), have failed due to privacy scandals (Whisper), or aren't designed for vulnerable sharing (Reddit, Twitter).
"Loneliness thrives in silence. The cure isn't more followers‚ one real conversation with someone who's actually listening."
Core insight driving Blurble's design
Discovery & Research
Understanding the landscape
I conducted extensive research across Reddit communities (r/confessions: 616K members, r/TrueOffMyChest: 1M members), analyzed the rise and fall of Whisper (30M MAU at peak), studied academic literature on anonymous confession, and interviewed potential users about their unmet needs.
Key Findings
Anonymity is Non-Negotiable
Users will only share vulnerable thoughts when completely certain their identity is protected. Even perceived anonymity breaches destroy trust.
Over Broadcast
Posting to a feed creates anxiety. What people crave is one person who actually listens‚not an audience that scrolls past.
The Wait Matters
Empty waiting rooms create anxiety. The moments before connection are an opportunity to help users surface what's really on their mind.
Mental Health Impact
Research shows anonymous confession reduces rumination and improves emotional well-being. Real therapeutic value exists here.
Target: Gen Z & Millennials
Ages 18-34 are most active on anonymous platforms, with a predominantly female user base seeking safe, supportive spaces.
Safety Must Be Core
Whisper's downfall teaches us that privacy and moderation aren't features‚ they're the foundation everything else builds on.
The Solution
A different kind of social app
I stripped away everything that doesn't serve the core mission: helping lonely people feel less alone through real human connection. No feeds. No followers. No likes. Just two strangers, matched anonymously, having a conversation that matters.
Core Features
Anonymous 1:1 Matching
Users enter a waiting room and are paired with another person who's ready to talk. Pseudonyms like "Quiet River" and "Gentle Storm" replace usernames. Both people chose to be here‚ that's the foundation of connection.
AI Companion (Pre-Chat)
While waiting for a match, an AI companion holds space. "Hey. I'm here. What's on your mind tonight?" It helps users articulate feelings before they meet their person‚ making the conversation more meaningful.
Warm Handoff
When a match is found, AI creates a warm introduction. Each user sees a brief, privacy-preserving note about the other: "They're feeling anxious tonight and hoping to talk about work stress." Common ground, instantly.
Emotional Check-ins
"How are you feeling right now?" before and after each conversation. Private data that builds a personal Journey Tracker‚ showing users their emotional patterns over time.
Kind Notes
After a conversation ends, users can leave an anonymous note for the other person: "Thanks for listening" or "You're not alone." Small gestures that reinforce the magic of human connection.
Mutual Reconnect
If both users want to talk again, they can schedule a reconnect. If only one says yes, the other never knows‚ preserving dignity and preventing awkwardness.
User Experience
The complete journey
Every step is intentional. From the moment someone arrives to the reflection after they leave, the experience is designed to feel human, not transactional.
Step 1: Landing & Invite
Mission statement: "Loneliness thrives in silence." Single CTA: "Start talking." Invite-only access creates safety and intentionality from the first moment.
Invite codes expire after 7 days and can only be used once‚ building a community of people who genuinely want to be here.
Step 2: Onboarding
3-4 gentle questions: "What brings you here tonight?" System generates a pseudonym. User accepts community guidelines.
Answers inform the AI intro later‚ creating richer connections between strangers.
Step 3: Pre-Chat Check-in
"How are you feeling right now?" Quick emotional snapshot before entering the waiting room.
This becomes the "before" in their before/after journey‚ tracked privately over time.
Step 4: Waiting Room + AI
User waits while AI companion holds space. "Hey. While you wait, I'm here. What's on your mind tonight?"
Example conversation:
AI Companion: Hey. While you wait, I'm here. I'm an AI, but I'm listening. What's on your mind tonight?
User: Just feeling really overwhelmed with work lately...
AI Companion: That sounds heavy. Work stress has a way of bleeding into everything. Want to tell me more?
If wait exceeds 2 minutes, AI offers notification opt-in so user can leave and return when someone arrives.
Step 5: Match & AI Intro
Two users matched. AI generates personalized intros based on onboarding/check-in data, creating instant common ground.
"You're about to meet someone. They're feeling anxious tonight and mentioned wanting to talk about work stress." Then: "I'll leave you two. Take care of each other."
Step 6: 1:1 Conversation
Real-time anonymous chat. Typing indicators. After 5-10 minutes, a subtle private AI check-in: "How's it going? (Only you can see this)"
When one person is ready to leave, the other sees "They're wrapping up..." with 30 seconds for final messages. No abrupt cutoffs.
Step 7: Kind Note + Post Check-in
Option to leave anonymous note. AI returns: "They've headed out. How are you feeling?" Post-chat emotional check-in captured.
If both users want to reconnect, they can schedule it. If only one does, no one ever knows‚ dignity preserved.
My Process
Building in public, learning in real-time
1. Research & Validation
Analyzed Reddit communities, studied Whisper's rise and fall, reviewed academic research on anonymous confession. Identified the gap: no one is doing 1:1 matching with AI support.
2. Product Strategy Pivot
Originally designed a gamified confession feed (streaks, points, leaderboards). Realized that approach missed the point. Stripped everything back to the core: one person, one conversation, real connection.
3. Technical Architecture
Designed 20 modular build prompts covering auth, matching, real-time chat, AI integration, and safety systems. Each prompt is a complete, buildable unit with database schemas, happy paths, and edge cases.
4. Development
Building with Next.js (web) and SwiftUI (iOS), Supabase for auth/database/realtime, and OpenRouter for AI. Atomic matching function prevents race conditions. Invite-only system ensures community quality.
5. Growth & Community
Launched landing page with email waitlist. Built Twitter presence through #buildinpublic. 512+ signups with 1.45% conversion rate‚ all organic.
Technology
Modern stack for rapid iteration
Chose technologies that prioritize developer productivity, real-time capabilities, and excellent user experience across web and native iOS.
Frontend
Next.js 14, SwiftUI, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
Backend
Supabase Realtime, Supabase Auth
Database
Supabase, PostgreSQL
AI
OpenRouter
Infrastructure
Vercel, APNs (Push)
Impact & Results
Reflections
What I learned building Blurble
01: Simplicity requires courage
My first instinct was to add gamification‚streaks, points, leaderboards. Research told me that's what works. But when I sat with the core problem (loneliness), I realized those features distract from the goal. The courage to remove features is harder than adding them.
02: AI should hold space, not replace humans
The AI companion isn't a chatbot trying to solve your problems. It holds space while you wait‚helping you articulate what's on your mind so the human conversation that follows is more meaningful. AI as warm-up, not substitute.
03: Every transition deserves attention
The moments between‚ waiting for a match, transitioning from AI to human, ending a conversation‚ are where anxiety lives. I designed explicit care for each: AI keeps you company, warm intros create common ground, graceful closes give you time to say goodbye.
04: Modular specs are a superpower
Writing 20 detailed build prompts‚each with database schemas, happy paths, and edge cases‚felt slow. But now any developer (or AI coding assistant) can pick up exactly where I left off. Documentation is a multiplier.