Palabruno: From Founder Idea to Launch
Palabruno went from founder idea to launched Spanish-reading product across android, iOS, and web.
Project overview
Palabruno: From Founder Idea to Launch overview
A short overview of the problem, solution, and result.
Starting Point
Palabruno began as a strong founder idea: make Spanish reading feel lower-friction by letting learners tap a word, get translation, grammar, and pronunciation help, and stay inside the reading flow.What Shipped
Mobile Spanish reader for iOS and AndroidWhy It Mattered
Palabruno moved from founder idea to launch: the iOS app went live on the App Store, the Android app went live on Google Play, and the public web product was ready for real users.
Summary
Palabruno is a Spanish reading product for learners and teachers. The engagement took a non-technical founder’s idea from concept to launch across iOS, Android, and web.
The work included product scoping, AI reading features, teacher workflows, Stripe and RevenueCat billing, App Store and Google Play launch work, and founder handoff.
Context
Palabruno began as a strong founder idea: make Spanish reading feel lower-friction by letting learners tap a word, get translation, grammar, and pronunciation help, and stay inside the reading flow.
The harder question was not whether the app could be built. It was what the first commercial version should include, who it should serve first, and how a non-technical founder could own it after launch.
A student reader alone was useful, but teachers were the clearer first buyer. A tutor could turn lesson material into level-appropriate readings, send them to students, and bring those students into the app.
The founder needed a first version that could support Spanish learners on mobile while giving teachers a clear reason to adopt and pay for the product.
Approach
Could a useful prototype become a commercial product teachers and learners could actually try?
Palabruno started with a strong product instinct: make Spanish reading less brittle by keeping translation, grammar, and pronunciation help inside the reading flow.
The sharper question was who would pay first. Teachers had a repeated need: create readings, share them with students, and bring those students into the mobile app.
Split the MVP into two connected surfaces instead of one overstuffed app.
I narrowed the product into a mobile reader for students and a web workspace for teachers. That let each audience get the workflow it needed without forcing every feature into the same interface.
The mobile product stayed focused on reading, saved texts, translation support, and Premium upgrades. The teacher workspace handled class management, custom readings, sharing, and paid teacher accounts.
Solution
The shipped product connected three surfaces: the mobile reader, the teacher web workspace, and the public launch site.
On mobile, learners can read Spanish content, tap words for support, save useful readings, and upgrade to Premium through the app stores.
On web, teachers can create custom readings from lesson notes, manage students and groups, share material, track recent shares, and buy the Teacher plan through Stripe.
The Work
Treat payments, store review, positioning, and handoff as part of the MVP.
I carried the launch work beyond the interface: Supabase, RevenueCat, Stripe, App Store Connect, Google Play, legal pages, store assets, screenshots, release docs, public-site copy, and founder handoff.
That mattered because a non-technical founder does not just need code. He needs the product to be coherent enough to sell, trustworthy enough to launch, and documented enough to own after the engagement.
A launched first version with a clear first buyer.
The product can now take payments through the right channels: Premium through Apple and Google via RevenueCat, and Teacher through Stripe on the web.
The founder ended the engagement with a working cross-platform product, teacher dashboard, shared backend, launch documentation, store assets, and a clearer first market to test with real Spanish teachers.
Impact
Palabruno launched with the real product and business surface needed to test demand: iOS, Android, teacher web workflows, AI-assisted reading, working payments, store readiness, and a handoff the founder could own.
First buyer
Teacher became the clearest first buyer.
The web workspace gives tutors a reason to pay: class management, student groups, custom readings, and shareable material for lessons.
Payment readiness
The MVP can charge through the right channels.
Premium uses Apple and Google subscriptions through RevenueCat. Teacher payments happen on the web, where tutors and small classes naturally buy.
Launch surface
The product shipped with the surrounding trust layer.
The launch included the public site, pricing, legal pages, store screenshots, app listings, and release documentation.
Founder handoff
The founder left with a product he could test in market.
The engagement ended with a working mobile app, teacher dashboard, shared backend, launch docs, store assets, and a clearer first segment to learn from.
Visuals
Screens from the teacher workspace show the core product surfaces: create a reading, manage students, organize groups, and share material.
Teachers can choose a topic, level, and length, then turn class material into Spanish reading practice.
The roster keeps student names, invite status, and next actions close to the reading workflow.
Teachers can organize students by lesson group and share readings with the right class faster.
Recent shares make it easier to track assigned readings across email, links, and WhatsApp.
Tech Stack
Have a workflow ready to become software?
I design and build internal tools, automations, dashboards, integrations, and AI-assisted workflows around the people who need to use them.