We Launched The Beta Version Of Our Cloud-Based Search Engine On Product Hunt

Sami Abuzarifa

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Published: May 13th, 2023

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Sami Abuzarifa

Founder, Klu Technologies Oy

Founders

Employees

Klu Technologies Oy

klu.so

from Helsinki, Finland

started December 2022

Founders

Employees

Discover what tools Sami recommends to grow your business!

platform

Amazon

MailChimp

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GoDaddy

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Trustpilot

social media

Twitter

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Stripe

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Figma

Discover what books Sami recommends to grow your business!

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Hello! My name is Sami, and I'm one of the co-founders and the CEO of Klu.so. Our primary mission is to revolutionize how people search and access information across their cloud-based applications.

Our flagship product, Klu, is an intelligent search tool that seamlessly integrates with various cloud-based apps, enabling users to instantly find anything they're looking for. Our customers include professionals and teams across various industries who rely on multiple cloud-based services to manage their work and data.

Since our public beta launch, we've been experiencing rapid growth.

We had a groundbreaking experience on April 18th, 2023, when we launched Product Hunt. The response was overwhelming, with an incredible number of upvotes and comments, propelling us to the 3rd position. We initially gained around 1000 users, but our numbers have continued to grow steadily since then. In addition, we have successfully converted many of our users into annual and monthly paying customers. This launch has truly been a game-changer for us.

To check it out, you can follow this link.

We built something we truly believe will change how we access internal information. Just as you have used Google for any information online, now you can use Klu to find any internal information (from your Gmail, google drive, notion, slack, etc), like searching for your boarding number for the next flight, when the next company party is, or the order number from your last order on AliExpress (I asked Klu this a few days ago).

It's your personal Google but made for internal search.

Our goal is also to transform how teams work and interact with internal data, making Klu incredibly useful. We use so much data daily (fun fact: this is how Klu started). We also create too many sheets and documents and send too many messages.

Then we ask around to share a file someone made a few days ago or search for it ourselves for too long. So with Klu, teams can add and share anything they're working on and integrate all the apps they're using in one workspace. They can find information with a search bar, or if they don't like to scan files themselves, they can ask Klu AI a question and get an answer in seconds.

What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?

My journey as an entrepreneur has been quite a wild ride. I never imagined I would start a business, let alone a tech startup. In 2015, I was a professional athlete with savings and a passion for video games. This passion led me to create my own game, and with the help of a programmer friend, Xhai Studios was born.

Although we faced numerous challenges, we persisted and eventually pivoted to building digital products for clients. Our hard work paid off when we were acquired in 2019.

That acquisition led to the inception of my second startup, Tira. As I struggled to manage various productivity apps, including Slack, Trello, and Notion, the idea for Tira came to me. Despite several pivots and the tough competition from established players, we eventually made Tira open source.

Know what problem you're solving and who your target audience is. Once you have that, start.

This experience brought us to our current endeavor, Klu. After being accepted into a Swedish VC program called Antler, we embarked on the journey to build Klu. Our inspiration came from our own struggles with locating files, accessing documents, and finding designs across multiple platforms like Google Drive, Notion, Slack, and Figma.

Our CTO, Wildan, proposed the idea of a search engine that could scan all our apps and locate any needed data using simple title or keyword searches.

In just two weeks, we developed a working prototype and quickly gained validation from ten companies who eagerly purchased our product, even paying for a full year upfront. Despite some initial challenges with integrations and UI/UX, we've received overwhelmingly positive feedback during our private beta. Fueled by our team's dedication, we swiftly implemented the necessary enhancements and proceeded to launch our public beta.

Take us through the process of building the first version of your product.

Building the first version of Klu was an exhilarating and challenging process. When we realized that our team was constantly struggling to find and organize files across various platforms like Google Drive, Notion, Slack, and Figma, our CTO, Wildan, proposed this idea.

Within just two weeks, we developed a rough, working prototype that allowed us to easily integrate apps and search through them. For the tech stack, we used: - Postgres for the database, Typesense for indexes, Hasura for GraphQL, Next.js for frontend, Vercel for deployment, GitHub Action for CI/CD, AWS for task runner, Figma for design, Bugsnag for error reporting.

Our primary goal at this stage was to validate the idea and gauge interest from potential customers. We reached out to ten companies and were ecstatic when they agreed to purchase our product, even paying for a full year upfront. With ten paying customers onboard, we started our private beta and eventually decided on the name, Klu.so.

As we received feedback during our private beta, we realized that we needed to make some significant improvements before launching our public beta. Users found that our initial integrations were insufficient, and the UI/UX was far from perfect. Despite these shortcomings, our customers continued to love and use Klu.

Our team, driven by passion and commitment, worked tirelessly to integrate more apps and enhance the user interface within two weeks. Finally, we launched our public beta, making Klu available to a waiting list of over 400 eager users. Now, Klu offers a seamless and efficient way to search and organize digital information across various platforms, making the lives of our users easier and more productive.

We are thrilled to announce that Klu will be powered by AI. This will allow users to find information from integrated apps and answer questions based on the content within those apps. We are incredibly excited for teams to experience improved communication and workflow.

Describe the process of launching the business.

From the beginning, we were open about what we were building, sharing our journey on Twitter, where we received immense support. This welcoming community was eager to try Klu, and within the initial days, we gained over 250+ users just from our Twitter presence.

Link to tweet when we pushed our public beta.

Engaging with your target audience and creating supporters before having an actual product is a powerful approach.

Our business was financially backed by Antler VC, who invested in the company in January, providing us with the necessary resources to develop and launch our product. One of the biggest lessons we learned throughout the process of starting and launching Klu was not to wait for the product to be perfect.

We had the core concept of Klu in place, but we realized that feedback from real users was the only way to refine our product and make it exceptional. By launching our beta version and actively seeking user feedback, we made the necessary improvements and shaped Klu into a powerful and user-friendly tool.

Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?

Throughout our journey with Klu, we learned valuable lessons that shaped our growth strategy and contributed to our success. One of the most important aspects of our approach was embracing community support.

We were open about our journey from the beginning and actively engaged with our target audience on social media platforms like Twitter. This helped us gain valuable feedback and build a community of supporters who were instrumental in spreading the word about our product.

Another key lesson we learned was the importance of prioritizing user feedback. We recognized that it was essential not to wait for our product to be perfect before launching. Instead, we introduced a beta version of Klu and continuously iterated based on user input. This approach allowed us to refine our product and make it more valuable to our target audience, resulting in a better and more user-friendly tool.

Lastly, we understood that focusing on customer retention was crucial for our long-term success. To achieve this, we made a concerted effort to engage with our existing customers and provide them with reasons to come back. We offered incentives, updates, and exclusive content through email newsletters and social media posts, building strong relationships with our customers.

This approach helped us increase loyalty and drive repeat business, ensuring the continued growth of Klu.

How are you doing today and what does the future look like?

The future looks promising for Klu. We have successfully completed our public beta phase, and we're excited to introduce billing starting on the 18th of April. With the support of our initial sales and beta users, we've been able to refine our product and get it ready for a wider audience.

One of the most significant developments for Klu is the integration of AI into our search engine. This not only enables users to find information from integrated apps but also allows them to ask questions and receive answers based on the content within those apps. This feature is a game-changer for teams, allowing them to experience even better communication and workflow across various platforms.

In terms of growth, we plan to expand our user base by targeting new audiences and regions. This will involve continuously improving our marketing efforts and exploring various distribution channels. Our operations continue to evolve as we scale up and adapt to the needs of our growing user base.

Our short-term goals include a successful official launch on Product Hunt on the 18th of April and the introduction of our AI-powered search capabilities. In the long term, we aim to become a leading player in the search engine market, providing seamless search experiences for individuals and teams across various platforms.

We are committed to innovation and excellence and are excited about what the future holds for Klu and our users.

Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?

Throughout my journey as a founder, I've come to realize that the mistakes I made while building previous startups were, in fact, the most significant lessons that have led me to where I am today. These experiences taught me the importance of the right timing, the right team, and the right community.

One of the key takeaways from my past experiences was understanding that building a product on top of a strong community is essential for success. Engaging with your target audience and creating supporters even before having an actual product is a powerful approach.

Our goal with Klu is to have people become our marketing force and an integral part of the product development process. As we can see with Klu today, this strategy is working well. Our users have become our most significant marketing assets and crucial contributors to our product development.

By learning from past mistakes and embracing community-driven development, we've managed to create a strong foundation for Klu fueled by our users' passion and engagement.

What platform/tools do you use for your business?

At the core of our business, we rely on a few essential tools that help us streamline our operations, improve productivity, and ensure better team collaboration. Of course, our primary tool is Klu.so, which allows us to manage all our data and keep everything organized across various platforms.

This has greatly contributed to our efficiency and overall team performance. In addition to Klu.so, we use Mailchimp to handle our email marketing campaigns, making it easier to reach out to our customers and keep them engaged. As for social media, Twitter and LinkedIn are our main platforms, enabling us to connect with our target audience, share updates, and create a strong community around our brand.

By keeping our toolset simple and focused on the essentials, we can concentrate on what matters most: building a great product and providing the best possible experience for our users.

What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?

Some of the most influential books and podcasts that have inspired me and my business journey include "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries, "StartUp Podcast" by Gimlet, and Y Combinator's videos and podcasts. These resources offer invaluable insights and lessons for entrepreneurs looking to build and scale their startups successfully.

Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?

As an entrepreneur, having a clear vision and mission for your business is important. Know what problem you're solving and who your target audience is. Once you have that, start.

Don't get bogged down in the details, or try to make everything perfect before launching. Launch a beta version and continuously iterate based on feedback from your target audience. This will help refine your product and make it more valuable to your customers.

Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?

We are always on the lookout for talented individuals to join our team at Klu as we continue to grow and build our product. We would love to hear from you if you have a passion for innovation and want to work in a dynamic and exciting environment.

Where can we go to learn more?

If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!