Memoirly

Memoirly is a story preservation platform that helps people capture and save meaningful life stories through video, audio, or text.

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How Memoirly Works

Memoirly is a story preservation platform that helps users share meaningful life stories through video, audio, or text.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Story Input:
    Users record directly on the platform (video or audio) or type their story. They can choose to follow guided prompts or speak freely with no guidance.

  2. Transcription & Review:
    All audio and video stories are automatically transcribed. The system reviews the transcript and, if needed, asks brief follow-up questions to clarify meaning or fill in missing details.

  3. Writing Style Selection:
    The user selects a preferred writing style from a dropdown menu.

  4. AI-Enhanced Story Creation:
    The AI processes the input and generates a clear, emotionally resonant written version of the story — while always preserving the original transcript.

  5. Editing & Review:
    Users can view and edit the AI-enhanced story directly in the interface. The original transcript is also accessible for reference.

  6. Image Options:
    Users can upload up to 10 personal photos to accompany their story.
    Additionally, Memoirly offers two AI-generated images:

    • One based on the story itself (in a style chosen by the user)
    • One that stylizes an uploaded photo (in a style chosen by the user)

  7. Export:
    The story can be saved and downloaded as a PDF.

Memoirly makes it simple for anyone to preserve stories in their own voice, in a way that feels thoughtful, personal, and lasting.

The Inspiration Behind Memoirly

More than a decade ago, I created a global interview project called Love Is… I traveled the world asking over 600 people from more than 75 countries how they define love, which form of love they value most, and why. It became the most powerful experience of my life. Each conversation was meaningful, honest, and often unexpectedly deep. I spoke with people as young as three and as old as 95, hearing stories of joy, heartbreak, growth, and connection.

One of the most fascinating outcomes was that the act of being interviewed created meaning. For some, it was the first time anyone had asked them questions that personal. For others, it became a way to reflect, to heal, or to leave something behind.

But the project was also difficult. I did it entirely alone, without funding. While I loved the conversations, editing and sharing the videos afterward was overwhelming. Still, I began with one that was especially important to me—a childhood friend who was very ill. I finished her video before she passed, and she was able to watch it. Afterward, her best friend told me it was the most meaningful gift she could have received: her life, in her own words.

Recently, another interviewee passed away unexpectedly. I edited her video and gave it to her mother and husband. They expressed such gratitude and told me it helped them through their grief. They watched it again and again. That experience reminded me of the power these conversations can hold—not just in the moment, but as something lasting for loved ones.

And so, I asked myself: How can I make this process more accessible?

Memoirly is my answer to that question. It takes everything I learned through hundreds of conversations and makes it easier, faster, and more accessible for anyone to create something lasting. You no longer need a filmmaker. You can start today, in your own voice, at your own pace.

Memoirly is about preserving voices and stories. Sometimes we lose people too soon. Sometimes we forget the details that mattered most. This platform allows us to hold onto those memories and honor the wisdom we often forget to capture. Everyone deserves to be remembered—not just for what they did, but for how they saw the world.

What We Learned

We learned that it is possible to build a meaningful proof of concept in a single weekend with Bolt.new.

How We Built Memoirly

  • Weekend 1: Researched user needs, designed core flows, and used 10M Bolt credits to build the first version with integrations to Supabase, OpenAI, and Stripe.
  • Weekend 2: Connected GitHub for version control, passed the code to a senior engineer for review, fixed bugs, and began testing ElevenLabs for voice interviews and Tavus for interactive video.
  • Weekend 3: Polished features, created support pages (About, FAQ, etc.), and explored further integrations.

Challenges We Faced

Some bug fixes were difficult to resolve using Bolt prompts alone, so we shifted into direct code editing. Due to time constraints, we did not yet complete support for uploading existing audio or video files—but this is on our immediate roadmap.

Accomplishments That We're Proud Of

  • We built a fully functioning story preservation platform over the course of three weekends.
  • We integrated key technologies including Supabase, OpenAI, Stripe, and GitHub.
  • This project was inspired by Love Is... and we were able to make it into a scalable, accessible platform that allows anyone to preserve meaningful life stories in their own voice.

What's Next for Memoirly

We’re continuing to improve accessibility and story flexibility. Next steps include:

  • Enabling users to upload existing audio or video files.
  • Adding a date field for each story so users can view and organize memories chronologically.
  • Partnering with memory care centers and retirement communities to offer Memoirly as a white-labeled tool.
  • Launching a gifting option that allows families to preserve stories as birthday or milestone presents.

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