#156: Cliff Weitzman ⎼ Lessons From Building Speechify To 20+ Million Users
May 18, 2023
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Cliff Weitzman, founder of Speechify, shares his journey of overcoming dyslexia and building the #1 speech reader in the world. Topics include his delusional optimism, expanding comfort zone, fast speed listening, their deal with author Brandon Sanderson, personal growth through challenges, power of belief and visualization, retaining knowledge, building muscle and memory, valuing time and learning from others.
Speechify is a text-to-speech tool that allows users to listen to the internet by converting text into audio.
Cliff Weidman emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth.
Building genuine connections and persistently reaching out to influential individuals can lead to valuable relationships.
Cliff Weidman shares strategies for overcoming social anxiety, including making eye contact, smiling, and initiating conversations with strangers.
Deep dives
Overcoming Dyslexia and Building Speechify
The CEO of Speechify, Cliff Weidman, shares his personal journey of overcoming dyslexia and how it inspired him to create a text-to-speech tool called Speechify. He explains how Speechify allows users to listen to the internet by converting text to speech, including documents, PDFs, emails, and websites. Cliff emphasizes the benefits of using Speechify for people who struggle with reading, as it allows them to listen at a faster pace and improve comprehension and retention. He also discusses his passion for connecting with inspiring individuals and the importance of expressing gratitude.
Becoming an Optimistic Delusional
Cliff shares his perspective on being an optimistic delusional and the importance of maintaining a positive mindset. He recalls his early experiences as a child, where he believed that life should be about having fun and taking on challenges. He talks about embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and enjoying the process rather than focusing solely on the end result. Cliff also discusses the role of gratitude in his life and how expressing gratitude to others has strengthened his relationships.
Building Relationships through Persistence
Cliff talks about his approach to building relationships with influential individuals by consistently reaching out to them. He shares his experiences of emailing and messaging people until he receives a response, highlighting the importance of persistence and not being discouraged by initial lack of response. Cliff emphasizes the value of genuine connections and the power of expressing gratitude to others. He also discusses the role of traveling in his life, particularly in meeting new people and learning from their life stories.
Embracing Challenges and Practicing Gratitude
Cliff reflects on the role of challenges in his life, including overcoming social anxiety and developing skills in communication and social interaction. He shares his strategies for facing fear and pushing oneself out of comfort zones, such as making eye contact, smiling, and initiating conversations with strangers. Cliff emphasizes the importance of gratitude and expresses how gratitude not only benefits others but also brings personal happiness. He emphasizes the power of expressing gratitude and striving to become the best version of oneself.
Changing Values and Priorities
Through self-reflection and experience, Cliff has changed his values and priorities over time. He used to prioritize wealth and personal success, but now values creating value and making a positive impact. He also shifted his focus from wanting to be a billionaire to wanting to be the best father possible.
Importance of Speed and Flow
Cliff emphasizes the importance of speed and flow in his life. He believes in constantly striving and always being in a state of learning or creating value. He finds joy and fulfillment in being in a state of flow, where there is minimal friction between input and output. He continually adjusts his time and energy allocation to ensure he is prioritizing his core pillars, such as family, learning, exercise, music, and nutrition.
The Power of Self-Awareness
Cliff's self-awareness has been instrumental in his journey. He constantly takes inventory of his happiness and productivity, making adjustments when necessary. He actively tracks his time, analyzes his calendar, and measures his happiness multiple times a day. By understanding his strengths and weaknesses, he is able to make decisions that align with his values and maximize his productivity and satisfaction.
Shifting Beliefs and Embracing Unlearning
Cliff has undergone a significant shift in his beliefs and continues to embrace unlearning. He previously valued wealth and personal success, but now values creating value and making a positive impact. He also changed his perspective on leadership, realizing he prefers leading rather than managing people. Additionally, his belief in the importance of speed and the power of flow has influenced his approach to work and life.
Cliff grew up with dyslexia, graduated from Brown University in 2016 with a degree in Renewable Energy Engineering (physics, computer science, & engineering) and Economics
Founded Speechify - the #1 speech reader in the world, which translates any text on the internet into audio.
In this conversation, we dove into his delusional optimism, overcoming social anxiety, expanding his comfort zone and so much more.
