Dumbstruck. Send a message. Watch your friends react. The new and free (something us collegiettes like to hear) app is similar to the well-known app called ‘Snapchat’. Dumbstruck allows the user to take a photo or a video and send it to a friend. Once the friend opens their message the app begins to record video and audio of their reaction to the message. Users may send a new photo or video or use an existing photo from their photo album—something that Snapchat doesn’t do. Dumbstruck also allows for two lines of text rather than the one line that Snapchat uses.
Adding a reaction creates a message with a level of emotion added. Co-founder and CTO, Mike Tanski, tells us, “The idea of sending a funny photo or video to a friend, or posting something on social media really boils down to one main concept—you are trying to get a reaction. So we figured if there was a fast and easy way to capture those reactions people would really engage with the content. Turns out we were right!”
What we’ve been wondering is how the name ‘Dumbstruck’ came about? Tanski fills us in by telling us that after spending a lot of time coming up with many ideas for the name, Peter Allegretti, co-founder and CEO, really liked Dumbstruck. “No one else did. Everyone else wanted a name that related more to reactions and videos. Finally we put all of our suggestions in a hat and Dumbstruck was the name pulled out of the hat. So we went with it. Turns out it was a good idea. Everyone loves the name, it’s pretty catchy. It was Peter’s hat though—so I’m pretty convinced it was rigged.” Not exactly how we thought the name would have been chosen—by drawing out of a hat, but whatever works!
When I initially started using the app, I used it to make the typical funny faces to send to friends. I did not realize the potential of the app. Someone could send a photo or video of a newborn baby, an engagement, a wedding, an acceptance letter to college, or other exciting news. When we can’t be there in person to see reactions the emotional depth of the response is lost. If you were to perhaps send a photo of your engagement, would you rather see ‘Congrats!’ in your inbox, or a video of how excited someone is for you?
Co-founder and CEO Peter Allegretti reacts to our message!
Skype, Facetime, Snapchat, Wechat and many more mobile messaging apps are becoming an extremely popular way of connecting with others. Dumbstruck is aiming to do something different than their competitors by adding emotional ground that not many apps have covered thus far. “Mobile messaging is a huge platform right now because messaging apps are much more engaging than any other category of app out there. Dumbstruck strives to engage our users. There is a lot of potential for a unique app like ours to be to be big and we have lot of exciting plans to keep growing and improving. One of the most exciting things for me personally, is watching feedback from all our users and seeing them enjoy to a product I helped create. That, to me, is worth all the sleepless nights it took to get us here!” says Tanski.
Michael Tanski on the left, and Peter Allegrettie are the co-founders of Dumbstruck.
As of now, Dumbstruck is only available for download on the iPhone. Tanski says that they are aiming to have an Android version within the next few months. Now go on collegiettes, download Dumbstruck and see your friends’ reactions.
*Visit dumbstruck.me for more information.