A local Santa Monica startup has developed a unique software app that encourages the user to write a journal, of sorts, which then allows an artificial intelligence to “get to know you” and offer positive mental health advice.
Called Rosebud, it “provides personalized feedback and guidance as you write. It’s like having a conversation with a mentor who really gets you and keeps your best interest in mind.” According to the website, “as it gets to know you — your life, goals, challenges, relationships — it evolves beyond a journal and into an active partner in your personal growth.”
Co-founded by Chrys Bader and Sean Dadashi, they form half of a team of four based in a small office on Main Street.
“So you could be journaling one day and say something like ‘I’m having a tough day, I’m feeling a bit lost.’ And then the app might say, ‘Well, last week you mentioned this. Could it be related to that?’ And so it helps you kind of connect the dots across the board,” Bader says.
The app launched a year ago as a web-based platform only, but last week it became available for the first time on iOS and Android through the App Store and Google Play.
“We launched a year ago as a website and since then, we’ve had a lot of traction, over 100 million words written now and over 5000 ratings. People love the app, and a lot of people reported it being life changing. And honestly, it was kind of surprising to us just how impactful it has been,” Bader says.
There is a free trial of the Premium Service after which the service starts at $12.99 per month or $107.99 per year, which works out at $8.99 per month. Alternatively, there is a free service, but there are additional add ons that can be purchased, including the option to also incorporate a voice-based input should you feel more comfortable talking rather than writing.
“There’s a voice mode that you can speak to it. That will transcribe everything anyway and it’s pretty accurate. Then it can also speak back to you, so you can have it play back responses and if you really want to, you can get into a full back and forth dialog and completely hands off just talking,” says Bader.
Like any worthwhile creation, its conception comes through necessity. Bader explains that the pandemic offered a chance to reflect upon a few life choices. Following a retreat to Colorado he made efforts to get back to the gym, re-evaluate the work he was currently doing and even to start keeping a journal himself.
“My partner journals every day for like, six years without missing a day. Those always impressed me. So I said, ‘Okay, let me, let me try this. I’ve heard of this. It’s like meditation. They’re proven benefits and they’re scientifically proven.’ Let me give it a shot,” Bader says.
He wondered what would happen if an artificial intelligence had access to his journals and if it could make observations and point patterns over time. He and his colleagues built a prototype app in a little under a week and tested it to see if it resonated with people. And the rest is history.
Raised in Boston, MA, Bader (40) says he’s been programming since he was in early teens. After relocating Silicon Valley, he worked for a startup there that was eventually acquired by Google. Consequently, he moved over to the tech giant for a few years, but soon began to feel the need to get back to grass roots and build from scratch once again. That lasted for a couple of years and then he chose to leave Silicon Valley for good and he spent a few years traveling around the world, learning to make and produce music along the way. And that ultimately led him to Los Angeles.
Following two rounds of relatively modest investment, Bader says the mission now is distribution and awareness. “The level of impact it’s having on people is definitely remarkable,” he says, adding, “I think because it’s a more personal type of tool, it’s not the type of thing that is going to spread like a social network. So our mission now is just to build awareness, to continue to partner with therapists, coaches and organizations to deliver this as a solution for in-between care.”
He says that they work with a significant number of therapists who recommend Rosebud to their clients to use between sessions because they obviously can’t offer a professional service 24/7.
“They use this because they trust that it’s going to be able to guide them along and provide that service,” Bader says.
Rosebud can be found on both the App Store and Google Play along with more information and a lot of very positive testimonials at rosebud.app.
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