Did I do something wrong?
This was the question that troubled Alyssa Chua during her childhood, when a sense of loneliness led her to seek solace and guidance in books. By reading, Alyssa developed abilities, such as expressing thanks and demonstrating appreciation, which enabled her to build connections with people.
She quickly understood that there could be others who had comparable experiences and lacked the means to establish and develop connections with people, prompting her, along with co-founder Cayden Gwee, to initiateAmblea social application that originated as a Telegram bot in 2023. the platform facilitates anonymous matching of users depending on whether they are looking for friendly, romantic, or both kinds of relationships.
We discussed with the team about Amble's idea, how they developed it into a complete mobile application, and, most importantly, whether launching the startup was worthwhile to leave their full-time positions.
How it works
Starting with Amble is straightforward. Users start by filling out a profile and choosing the kinds of connections they are willing to have.
To enhance the experience beyond a standard dating app, the platform implements a points system. Users can accumulate "Aura" points by responding to "Daily Thoughts"—brief reflection questions like "What does success mean to you?" or "What are you most thankful for today?"
Their replies can subsequently be viewed by possible matches, encouraging more substantial discussions from the beginning. The Aura points accumulated are utilized to enable connections with other users.
Artificial intelligence enhances a significant portion of the user experience. It assesses individuals' willingness to engage in discussions and pairs them according to common values and objectives.
Initially, matches stay anonymous, reducing social pressure and promoting truthfulness. During conversations, the app also offers random prompts for both users to answer, allowing them to gain extra Aura points.
These questions can vary from straightforward topics, such as whether they have unique interests, to those that encourage more profound reflection. The AI modifies the difficulty of these questions according to the user's comfort, enabling them to gradually transition into more meaningful and in-depth discussions.
Over the course of three days, each match takes place, after which participants have the option to transfer the conversation to their permanent inbox.
More than just matchmaking
Just by looking at its design, it's evident that Amble is not a conventional dating app or a standard social media platform. Alyssa and Cayden emphasized that its purpose extends well beyond that.
According to Alyssa, most dating platformsFocus on quick swipes and instant gratification, causing users to remain in shallow interactions. In contrast, social media promotes well-crafted highlights instead of authentic expression.
After experimenting with several dating apps, Cayden mentioned that most platforms typically let users handle interactions on their own once they are matched with other people, and that some apps often push users to spend more money for better "quality" matches.
Nevertheless, this has placed a strong focus on appearance, with discussions frequently being shallow, leading to an increase in dating fatigue and reduced self-worth caused by overuse of social media. Indeed, in Singapore, almost60% of young people in Singapore said they experience loneliness, finding it difficult to create and sustain meaningful relationships.
Amble's secrecy changes this situation, allowing individuals to display more genuine aspects of their personality without the worry of being judged.
Nevertheless, certain features inside the app are exclusive to paid subscribers. For the sake of ongoing viability, Amble launched premium subscriptions for both its bot and app users, providing access to additional conversation functions and more chances to connect.
Nevertheless, Alyssa highlights that the fundamental experience is still free, with income from memberships currently used to offset operational expenses.
Quit their full-time positions to develop Amble
Since the bot's launch in 2023 and the app's soft-launch this April, Amble has attracted more than 13,000 users. As per the team, this achievement stems from a steady, continuous approach of developing new enhancements and functionalities over the years.
In order to keep pace with the platform's expansion, Alyssa and Cayden, who met via the local music scene, both quit their full-time positions in mid-2024 to dedicate themselves entirely to building Amble.
Alyssa first launched Amble as a personal endeavor while she was employed as a product manager, and Cayden, who is a software engineer, came on board later. As a team, they sought to build environments where individuals could establish genuine connections. The two mentioned that their bot is the pioneering one of its kind.
Nevertheless, similar to many companies, being the pioneer no longer ensures the greatest advantages, and having significant financial resources is crucial for its endurance and, hopefully, for expansion. Was it a prudent decision to abandon their secure jobs in pursuit of an endeavor with a high possibility of failure?
For Alyssa, it was all part of the strategy to gauge interest through the Telegram bot. Furthermore, a TikTok seriesshe developed contributed to enhancing furtherAmble's presence. Motivated by the widespread attention on the platform and messages from users who developed real friendships and relationships, the couple chose to take it further.
If I truly aimed to create a product that would function effectively and bring more of these stories into existence, I believe we reached a stage where we felt there was sufficient momentum. We decided it was time to take the plunge, which is why I chose to quit my job.
Cayden Gwee, one of the founders of Amble
They launched the business with assistance from grants provided by theNational Youth Counciland Startup SG, directing the majority of resources towards AI infrastructure and security.
Amble seeks to be the Duolingo of conversations and networking.
Due to these developments, Alyssa mentioned that Amble has enabled its users to establish relationships by enhancing interactions, especially via gamification, because of the app's Aura ecosystem.
Perhaps that's an easy target, but then you can observe how it subtly influences your discussions afterward. I believe that's where the true essence lies.
Moving ahead, Cayden mentioned that the team will focus on enhancing the security of their bot and application. Nevertheless, he also highlighted that introducing advanced functionalities, like AI-powered moderation and image validation, demands significant funding, and they will need to monitor their budget carefully.
Both co-founders have also aimed to expand in a more comprehensive and sustainable manner, and therefore are looking into referral systems and enhancing their premium packages for users.
Their ultimate aim is to evolve into the "Duolingo for conversations," transforming minor prompts into enduring communication abilities that users apply in real-life situations.
- Learn more about Amble here.
- Find out more tales we have composed about Singaporean enterpriseshere.
Featured Image Credit: Amble