Alek Gir

Hey Product Hunt Launched StreamVox on MS Store 10 days ago thinking "Microsoft has 1 billion Windows users, this will be easy!"Narrator: It was not easy.What I builtWindows app for real-time translation with live subtitles. Works with Zoom, YouTube, gaming, phone calls - basically any audio. Built it solo because international meetings without subtitles suck.10 days later:- 180 store page views- 82 downloads (45% conversion - actually good!)- 65 active users- $0 revenueWhere users came from:- ~140 views: Me posting links on Reddit/Twitter/Facebook- ~20 views: Product Hunt (thanks!)- ~10-20 views: Organic MS Store searchI searched for my own app. "Translation app" - buried under Microsoft Translator and Google Translate. "AI subtitles" - nowhere to be found.The algorithm loves established publishers. Makes sense for quality control, but creates chicken-and-egg: no visibility without reviews, no reviews without users, no users without visibility.Plot twist: payments don't workUsers want to upgrade to Pro. They click the button. They get "Page not found."Everything shows "Complete" in Partner Center. Sandbox testing works. But live payments? Broken.My account is 3 weeks old. I think Microsoft locks IAP for new accounts (anti-fraud?) but there's zero documentation. Forum posts suggest waiting 30-45 days.So I have 5-10 users ready to pay and literally can't take their money. Cool cool cool.What I learned:MS Store is great for distributing your app once people know about it. Auto-updates, trusted platform, easy installation.But discovery? You're completely on your own. I'm spending 70% of my time marketing now. Reddit comments, demo videos, engaging communities. The other 30% is building features.Also pivoting messaging: originally "accessibility tool" (noble but hard to reach). Now "watch anime without waiting for subs" because that's who's actually using it. Easier audience to reach.Next moves:- Integrating Paddle this week (5% vs MS Store's 15%)- Selling Pro directly via streamvox.pro- Keeping MS Store as free tier delivery- Focusing on gaming/anime communities on RedditQuestions:1. Is MS Store discovery this hard for everyone or am I missing something?2. Solo founders - you also spending 60-70% time on marketing?3. Desktop apps - platform or DTC? What worked for you?Building in public, learning in public, sometimes faceplanting in public. Links: https://www.producthunt.com/prod... | https://streamvox.pro

Hey Product Hunt Launched StreamVox on MS Store 10 days ago thinking "Microsoft has 1 billion Windows users, this will be easy!"Narrator: It was not easy.What I builtWindows app for real-time translation with live subtitles. Works with Zoom, YouTube, gaming, phone calls - basically any audio. Built it solo because international meetings without subtitles suck.10 days later:- 180 store page views- 82 downloads (45% conversion - actually good!)- 65 active users- $0 revenueWhere users came from:- ~140 views: Me posting links on Reddit/Twitter/Facebook- ~20 views: Product Hunt (thanks!)- ~10-20 views: Organic MS Store searchI searched for my own app. "Translation app" - buried under Microsoft Translator and Google Translate. "AI subtitles" - nowhere to be found.The algorithm loves established publishers. Makes sense for quality control, but creates chicken-and-egg: no visibility without reviews, no reviews without users, no users without visibility.Plot twist: payments don't workUsers want to upgrade to Pro. They click the button. They get "Page not found."Everything shows "Complete" in Partner Center. Sandbox testing works. But live payments? Broken.My account is 3 weeks old. I think Microsoft locks IAP for new accounts (anti-fraud?) but there's zero documentation. Forum posts suggest waiting 30-45 days.So I have 5-10 users ready to pay and literally can't take their money. Cool cool cool.What I learned:MS Store is great for distributing your app once people know about it. Auto-updates, trusted platform, easy installation.But discovery? You're completely on your own. I'm spending 70% of my time marketing now. Reddit comments, demo videos, engaging communities. The other 30% is building features.Also pivoting messaging: originally "accessibility tool" (noble but hard to reach). Now "watch anime without waiting for subs" because that's who's actually using it. Easier audience to reach.Next moves:- Integrating Paddle this week (5% vs MS Store's 15%)- Selling Pro directly via streamvox.pro- Keeping MS Store as free tier delivery- Focusing on gaming/anime communities on RedditQuestions:1. Is MS Store discovery this hard for everyone or am I missing something?2. Solo founders - you also spending 60-70% time on marketing?3. Desktop apps - platform or DTC? What worked for you?Building in public, learning in public, sometimes faceplanting in public. Links: https://www.producthunt.com/prod... | https://streamvox.pro

StreamVox turns any spoken language into live subtitles and instantly translates them with AI. Perfect for international calls on Zoom, Teams, and WhatsApp via Phone Link, as well as online courses, videos, and webinars. Features include live subtitles with AI translation, an overlay window that stays on top, teleprompter mode with adjustable transparency, and support for 10+ languages. No more language barriers - understand anyone, anywhere.