I realized I didn't truly know my Dad: The story behind Tell Me Your Story

I talk to my dad pretty often. If you looked at our facetime logs, you’d think we were incredibly close.

But a few months ago, I had a realization. I thought about what we actually talked about, and I realized it was the same things over and over again…

"How was work?" "What’s the plan for the weekend?" "How is the weather over there?"

Our relationship existed entirely on the surface, and I realized that although I knew him as "Dad", I didn't actually know him as a man.

I didn’t know what he enjoyed besides spending time with us (and that’s only sometimes), I could barely think of what to get him other than trinkets he could put on his shelf in the study. I didn’t know the moment he felt most proud of in his career, or the moments where he was scared. I knew his birthday and a surface level of what he likes, but I didn't know his story.

And then the fear hit me: One day, I may not be able to ask.

The Problem with "The Interview"

We tried to sit down and carve out time to "interview" him. But it was awkward.

You can't just sit your parents down and say, "Tell me about your life." It’s too big and you get nowhere. You end up both feeling like you're in a police interrogation, or often hear the same stories over and over.

I needed a way to break the library down into chapters.

Why I Built Tell Me Your Story

I built this app because I needed it for myself. I needed a tool that would do the heavy lifting for me.

Tell Me Your Story is a relationship builder. Instead of demanding a life story all at once, the app sends simple, weekly prompts.

• "Who was your best friend in elementary school?"

• "What was the first thing you bought with your own money?"

• "Tell me about a time you took a risk."

These small prompts changed everything. We were no longer talking about the same 3 things on repeat, and we started talking about how he met mom, his memories of his own parents, the places he grew up in, his first home and much more.

Saving the Library

I created this app for my family, but I’m releasing it for yours.

Whether you use Tell Me Your Story to record your parents, your grandparents, or even yourself for your future children, the goal is the same: Don’t let the stories fade away.

We are building a permanent archive of the voices and memories that define who we are. I hope this app helps you connect with your parents the way it helped me connect with mine.

Capture the story. One question at a time.

Jack Founder, Tell Me Your Story