Most language app founders never left Silicon Valley. They optimize for engagement metrics from offices, never experiencing the isolation of standing in a foreign market, surrounded by conversations you can't join. I've traveled across thirteen countries—France, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Portugal, Canada, Czech Republic, and Germany—and everywhere I went, same problem: I couldn't speak. Couldn't connect. Felt like a permanent tourist locked outside real life. Now based in LATAM, I'm building Project Fluency—the platform I wish existed. Can't immerse yourself in real life quite yet? Immerse yourself here first.
Designed by natives. Built for real conversations.
More coming as we move from beta to scale
The messy, honest path that led to Project Fluency
I had 270+ day streaks. Completed entire course trees. Could translate sentences perfectly. But in a Mexico City taxi, a Rome trattoria, a Paris café, a Rio beach bar—I froze every time.
Traveled across thirteen countries trying to break through: Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Czech Republic, and Canada. Every country, same problem—I couldn't speak. Couldn't connect. Felt like a permanent outsider watching real life happen in languages I'd "studied" but never actually learned to use.
Traditional apps taught me languages in a vacuum—perfect grammar for exams, zero preparation for real conversations. The live teacher platforms that finally worked kept shutting down because their unit economics didn't make sense. That's when I realized: if platforms that work keep disappearing, someone needs to build one that's sustainable from day one.
AI that actually remembers your conversations and builds real relationships over time, not just pattern matching.
We celebrate authentic mistakes because that's how you actually learn to speak, not through perfect grammar drills.
Can't move abroad or book that trip yet? Start immersing yourself here first. Practice real conversations until you're ready to confidently navigate markets, cafés, and streets—then travel without fear.
Influenced and designed directly from the people and experiences in these countries—not Silicon Valley translators. Real cultural authenticity built in from day one.
What started with my Spanish frustration in Mexico City now spans 5 languages across 5 locations. Spanish Succession (Mexico City), Italian Succession (Rome/Milan), French Succession (Paris), Portuguese Succession (Rio), English Succession (Chicago). Each designed by native speakers who understand their culture, not Silicon Valley translators.
The same approach works everywhere: AI characters that prepare you for real humans. Characters that remember you. Drilling that targets your actual mistakes. Conversations that build confidence before you ever board a plane.
Can't immerse yourself in real life quite yet? Immerse yourself with Project Fluency first. Practice until a Mexico City taxi ride, a Rome restaurant, or a Paris café doesn't feel terrifying—then go live it for real.
Next languages: German, Japanese, Mandarin, Arabic. Same philosophy—designed by natives, tested by travelers, built to prepare you for actual conversations. Live classes with native teachers launching Q1 2026.
Three years at McKinsey taught me how businesses actually work—cash burn, unit economics, sustainable growth models. I watched Fortune 500 companies make billion-dollar mistakes because executives gave advice on markets they'd never lived in.
I didn't want to be the guy in a suit telling people how to learn Spanish from a San Francisco office. Most language app founders optimize for engagement metrics and fundraising decks. They've never failed to order coffee in a foreign country. They've never felt the frustration of 1,000 hours of practice that didn't translate to a single real conversation.
I'm building this while living in LATAM (Mexico City, Bogotá, Buenos Aires). Every awkward market negotiation across thirteen countries, every failed joke, every breakthrough conversation feeds directly back into the product. Not from user surveys—from personal failure and success.
I'm not claiming to live in all five cities where our languages are spoken. I'm based in LATAM where I experience Spanish immersion daily. But I've traveled extensively across Italy, France, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Czech Republic, and beyond—experiencing the same language barriers everywhere. That's why each language edition is designed by native speakers FROM those places, not by me trying to be an expert in every culture. I provide the founder's perspective on what learners need; they provide the cultural authenticity.
When the platform I was using shut down, I didn't just lose an app—I almost lost the teachers who finally got me conversational. So I brought them with me.
Yudy from Bogotá and Aldana from Buenos Aires now help design our AI characters, ensuring every conversation prepares you for real human interaction. They'll also teach live classes starting Q1 2026.
AI doesn't replace human connection—it prepares you for it. Practice with patient AI until you're ready for real teachers, then use those skills in the real world.
Bogotá, Colombia • Former Platform Teacher
Buenos Aires, Argentina • Creative Methods
And why that's better for you
Competitors like Praktika ($38M raised), Speak ($162M raised, $1B valuation), and others are playing a different game. They're optimizing for growth metrics and the next fundraising round. When you raise $162M, you need to show explosive growth to justify those valuations—which often means prioritizing user acquisition over sustainable unit economics.
My McKinsey background taught me to ask: what happens when the funding stops? What happens when investors want returns? History shows platforms that work often shut down (like Babbel Live did to me) when they can't achieve venture-scale exits. I'm building something that doesn't need $100M+ to survive.
While competitors burn millions on marketing from Silicon Valley offices, I'm living in LATAM, traveling constantly across 13 countries, and building Project Fluency with one question: "Will this prepare someone to actually speak?" Can't book that trip yet? Start immersing yourself here first. Practice real conversations with AI characters influenced by natives—then travel with confidence instead of fear.