Why did you create Lifey?
Long story short, I felt inspired to create this resource a few years ago.
When did Lifey start?
I felt inspired to create video resources as a Freshman in college in 2006. I began publishing publicly under the name “Lifey” at the beginning of 2015. I started working on the Lifey app with my friend Chris in 2017. I started coding the current version of the Lifey app in 2018.
How has Lifey evolved?
In 2012, I started the Prepare to Serve YouTube Channel where I interviewed about 1,000 returned missionaries about their experiences. After a couple years I created more YouTube channels, interviewing people about their health conditions and creating free video biographies. Then I felt inspired to create a platform that would make it easier to search for video interview-like information. As much as I loved creating video interview playlists on YouTube, I thought there must be a better way to collect, organize and search video information.
Why is the app called “Lifey”?
The videos on the Lifey app are short (60 seconds max) video selfies about life. People open up and share their life story to create free resources that will benefit others. Life + Selfie = Lifey. Life + Story = Lifey.
What are your hopes for the Lifey app?
I hope the Lifey app will help people make better decisions by empowering them to learn more easily from the experiences of others. I also hope the Lifey app will help people be more civil and kind to each other, seeking to listen and learn, rather than debate and argue.
Are videos on the Lifey app public?
Yes, every approved video on the Lifey app is made public. I think making every video public is essential for the Lifey app to achieve its purpose of helping people live better lives. The idea is that everyone can open up and contribute their experiences and everyone can learn from everyone elses ideas and experiences. Its an effort
to build a shared community resource, kind of like a video version of Wikipedia.
What topics will Lifey collect videos about next?
After launching mission forums, I hope to launch tens of thousands of more video forums- one for each city, college, health condition, career, religion, etc. Feel free to suggest a forum topic on the “Videos” tab.
How does the Lifey app make money?
Currently the Lifey app brings in no income. As the app grows, it will be necessary to find ways to make the app financially sustainable.
Is the Lifey app available in other languages?
Not yet. I hope to scale the Lifey app into every language possible, once the app is more polished and scalable.
How can we help Lifey?
You can help by recording your experiences and insights. If you are interested in helping crowdsource videos about a given topic, please email me at alexbalinski@gmail.com.