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What if you could capture insights from a podcast as easily as you take notes during a meeting? That’s the question that sparked the creation of Snipd, an AI-native podcast app built to change how we learn from audio.
In the latest episode of Build to Succeed, Very Good Ventures founder and CEO David DeRemer sits down with Snipd co-founders Kevin Smith and Mikel Corcuera to explore their startup journey—from personal frustration to a globally used product built with Flutter and powered by AI.
Solving a Real Problem with AI
The idea behind Snipd came from a very real user experience: riding a bike to work while listening to a podcast, hearing something brilliant, and promptly forgetting it by the time you stop pedaling.
Snipd makes that moment frictionless. With a simple triple tap of your headphones, Snipd saves the clip and uses AI to summarize the insight. Users can revisit those “snips” at any time, complete with context, titles, and transcripts.
“Podcasts are one of the largest knowledge libraries in the world—and AI will fundamentally change how we can interact with spoken audio,” says Kevin. And we agree.
This vision of AI-native interaction—using AI as the foundation of a product experience, rather than merely layering it on top of existing features—underscores Snipd’s unique approach.
Built with Flutter, Designed for Speed
In addition to their AI-first thinking, the Snipd team made a pivotal technical choice early on: building their mobile app with Flutter. That decision allowed them to move fast, maintain a lean team, and create a beautifully consistent experience across iOS and Android.
“Flutter lets you create polished experiences that are so much harder in other apps—and I think developers have more joy using Flutter to create them,” explains Mikel.
He shares how Flutter enabled rapid iteration, real-time UI adjustments, and even eliminated the need for a full-time designer, while still delivering a sleek, high-performing app that users love.
Building Real Products in the AI Era
This episode isn’t just a story about another AI tool—it’s a masterclass in building something that matters, using tools and methods that make modern product development faster, smarter, and more joyful.
Kevin and Mikel reflect on the evolution of Snipd—from a TestFlight prototype to a full-fledged app serving thousands of users. They open up about the early technical hurdles of building with open-source AI models before ChatGPT even existed, and how they made scrappy but strategic decisions to ship fast and learn faster.
They also share the team’s unique workflow, their approach to feedback loops, and why embracing imperfection was key to making progress. It's an honest, insightful look at building modern products in an era where the tech is still catching up to the vision.
A must-listen
Snipd’s journey speaks to engineers, designers, product thinkers, and startup founders alike. It’s about solving a clear problem, using the right tools for the job, and keeping users at the center of everything.
We love sparking conversations like this—sharing diverse stories, lessons learned, and real-world insights.
And there’s a bonus for our listeners: Snipd’s co-founders are offering 1 month free of Snipd Premium, unlocking powerful AI features to help you get more out of every episode. Enjoy!
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