Hey Rover, be more human
Our alpha testers have been blunt—Rover still "sounds like AI." When they say that, they usually mean two things: the content feels superficial, and the style feels artificial. So, we have to make our audio briefs good. And even when they're good, they can't sound like a machine.
The men of Rover
The team got together over the break in San Francisco. Over rice bowls and ginger sodas, there was a lot to share and plan and we're all very excited about the upcoming weeks.
Curious spaces
I mourn the end of that pre-smartphone world. Getting reliable information was harder, but the journey to find it taught us everything.
Why Humans Want AI to Make the Call
I'm old enough to remember a time when professional tennis players spent much of the match complaining about
Building the Rover Brand (philosophical take)
One image held strong throughout our exploration: a campfire... There's no shouting over each other. No scramble for attention. No performance. Just shared focus and a gentle exchange. Everyone leaves with something they didn't arrive with.
Rover is made of exits
My wife works a corporate job, so as the parent with the more flexible schedule, I'm the primary driver for my daughter's activities.
Why the "Audio Brief"?
Text is precise but flat. Video monopolizes your eyes. Audio occupies a unique space — ambient yet intimate. It fits into real life: walking, commuting, transitions between meetings.
Introducing Rover's Daily Rundown
One pattern we're seeing: many of you love requesting briefs when you're curious about something specific. But you've also told us you want a way to lean back and let Rover introduce you to interesting topics you might not have thought to ask about.
You Make Friends by Asking Questions
So one of the things that I’ve really loved in working on Rover these past few months is how it inverts that dynamic, and what it means for social interactions.
The AI Art That Speaks for Itself
I think we miss the deeper issue, which is this: Almost everyone is using AI to do the same thing they did before, just faster/cheaper/easier.
Hello, World!
First off, and to avoid any confusion, we are not the pet sitter marketplace. (Yes, I know. I'm disappointed too.) Instead, Rover is an audio-first, AI-driven social content platform. What does that mean?
