An Inside Look at Building an Email Client in 3 Months - Ep. 44 with Kieran Klaassen, Brandon Gell
Jan 15, 2025
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Kieran Klaassen, GM of Cora, an innovative AI-powered email client, discusses his rapid development journey that transformed email management in just three months. Brandon Gell, Head of Studio at Every, shares insights from their collaboration. They reveal how they built an MVP in one day, the challenges faced in user onboarding, and the impact of AI on communication. The future of Cora is bright with nearly 10,000 people waiting to join, showcasing the evolving landscape of technology in improving daily workflows.
Cora's innovative email management reduces inbox clutter by archiving 90% of unnecessary emails, streamlining user communication efficiency.
The development of Cora showcases rapid prototyping capabilities enabled by familiar technology, allowing Kieran to create a functional MVP in just one day.
Prompt engineering remains essential for AI-driven applications like Cora, ensuring accurate communication of complex user needs and design aesthetics to the technology.
Deep dives
Revolutionizing Email Management
Quora aims to transform the overwhelming experience of managing emails by significantly reducing inbox clutter. It achieves this by archiving up to 90% of emails users typically don't need to respond to, summarizing them twice daily. This streamlined approach alleviates the dread associated with opening an inbox filled with unread messages, allowing users to focus on more important communications. By providing a quick summary of relevant emails, Quora encourages a more efficient and pleasant email experience, suggesting that the platform could fulfill a demand not met by existing major email services.
The Innovative Development Process
The development of Quora exemplifies the accelerated capabilities now available to engineers, enabling rapid prototyping and iteration. Kieran, the General Manager, highlights how he utilized a walking brainstorming technique to formulate ideas for the app, resulting in a functional version within just a day. This speed is attributed to prior familiarity with the technology and a clear understanding of the problems they sought to solve. As a result, Quora's team could adapt their approach quickly, moving from traditional email assistance to a more innovative solution, driven by users' needs.
The Importance of Prompt Engineering
Prompt engineering remains a critical aspect of developing AI-driven applications like Quora, despite claims of its declining relevance. The ability to detail what an app should do, including functional aesthetics such as button styles and layouts, continues to be necessary for effective communication with AI models. The developers emphasize that prompt engineering is not just a passing phase; it is integral to conveying specific visions and requirements to the technology. This careful articulation ensures that the AI can be directed accurately, leading to more successful outcomes.
Building with a Strong Perspective
A core philosophy in developing Quora is the importance of having a strong creative vision, akin to storytelling in music. The design and functionality of the app intertwine aesthetic considerations with user experience, resulting in a unique product distinct from competitors. There is a recognition that successful products thrive on creative perspectives that resonate with certain user groups, rather than attempting to satisfy everyone. This highlights a shift in how products like Quora are viewed, not merely as tools but as experiences that elicit emotions and preferences driven by the team’s outlook.
Navigating Product Development Challenges
The journey of launching Quora reflects the inherent challenges of product development, particularly when addressing varying user needs and feedback. The team acknowledges a bias toward their creation, making it essential to engage with real users to uncover genuine pain points. As they onboard users from the waitlist, the feedback reveals vital insights into whether the app's approach effectively solves real-world email problems. This constant iteration and adaptation to user experiences are crucial for the product's evolution and its ability to resonate with a broader audience beyond initial expectations.
Building an email client used to take many years and millions of dollars.
But Every’s Kieran Klaassen built Cora—a totally new way to manage your inbox with AI—in just 3 months. He even shipped the original MVP of the product in a single day—something that just wasn’t possible before the current state of generative AI.
Now, there are almost 10,000 people on the waitlist for Cora, and we’re onboarding new users every single day.
Every’s head of Studio Brandon Gell and I worked closely with Kieran as he built Cora, and to kick off my podcast, AI and I, in 2025, I invited both of them on the show to talk about it. We go behind the scenes, getting into:
How Kieran built the product with Cursor, o1, and o1 Pro
What we’re learning as we onboard new users every day
The future of Cora and of Every as a multi-modal media company
This is a must watch for anyone curious about our approach to building with AI at Every.
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