Breef

Get personalized news summaries based on your interests and time. Read or listen to bite-sized updates daily. Smart, AI-powered, and perfect for your walk, drive, or morning routine.

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Inspiration

In an age of constant information overload, people struggle to stay informed in a way that’s efficient, relevant, and digestible. News apps are either too noisy or too narrow, while audio-first formats are long-winded or generic. We wanted to create a calm, focused space for curious people — something that fits into a busy lifestyle and turns their interests into personalized, time-boxed summaries they can read or listen to on the go.

What it does

The app is an AI-powered news summarization and narration platform that helps users:

  • Choose their interests (e.g., Tech, Politics, Finance, Sports, etc.).
  • Select how much time they have — 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes.
  • Receive a daily feed of AI-generated summaries sourced from trusted RSS feeds.
  • Listen to these summaries in natural, humanlike audio using ElevenLabs.
  • Access all content via a clean mobile-first interface.
  • Subscribe with a 3-day free trial via Stripe (web) or in-app purchases (iOS/Android).

It’s designed to turn passive scrolling into intentional, interest-driven learning.

How we built it

We used Bolt.new to quickly design the frontend and state management, while Supabase handles user auth and preferences. Here's the technical breakdown:

  • OpenAI API for summarizing news articles to fit custom time durations.
  • ElevenLabs API to convert those summaries into realistic voice audio.
  • RSS feed parser to ingest live content across categories.
  • Built trial + subscription flows using Stripe, Apple IAP, and Google Play Billing.
  • Admin dashboard allows monitoring feed health, summary performance, and user activity.

We optimized for lean, modular development with clarity across frontend, content logic, and audio.

Challenges we ran into

  • Balancing simplicity with personalization across multiple content types and time buckets.
  • Managing high-quality summarization and audio performance at scale.
  • Implementing mobile and web billing flows with a smooth trial-to-subscription UX.
  • Ensuring daily updates run reliably across various feeds and user preferences.

Accomplishments that we’re proud of

  • Built a working MVP with personalized AI summaries and audio narration in under a week.
  • Seamlessly integrated content ingestion, summarization, audio generation, and delivery.
  • Created a frictionless onboarding and trial flow across web and mobile.
  • Delivered a product that early users described as “like having a podcast, but just for me.”

What we learned

  • People prefer control over how much time they spend consuming news — not just topic control.
  • Text + audio hybrid formats cater to real-world routines like commuting or walking.
  • Summaries only work if they still feel human and intelligent, not robotic.
  • Delivering consistent quality requires a reliable content pipeline and editorial logic, even with AI.

What’s next

  • Add weekly digests, saved articles, and follow-up reading suggestions.
  • Introduce a social component — shareable summaries and collaborative playlists.
  • Expand language options and accents for audio playback.
  • Build a feed reputation system to prioritize high-signal sources.
  • Partner with creators, bloggers, and media houses to allow opt-in content inclusion.

Built With

  • bolt
  • openai
  • supabase
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