This was the CRAZIEST week of my life as a Startup CEO to date, and I wanted to share it with all of you to give you some behind the scenes as to how the magic is made at Speechify.

0:00 - Leaving London
1:10 - Stranger finds my phone
3:02 - Working out at Gold’s Gym
3:50 - How Speechify thinks about branding
4:45 - A look at my schedule
5:48 - Driving through the night
8:20 - My day in Santa Barbara
9:51 - Heading back to London


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Hi, I'm Cliff Weitzman.

I am dyslexic.

‍Reading a sentence takes me the same amount of energy and brain power as most people take when solving a four digit long division math equation in their head.

I was diagnosed in 3rd grade. It was the best day of my life. Before that, I would pretend to read in elementary school. I’d sit with the book open in front of me and pass my finger under the words so that people (my parents, teachers, friends, siblings) wouldn’t think I was dumb, or lazy. Reading circles were terrifying. One by one kids would read. And it would get closer to me. My hands would start to sweat. So I timed it just right. And right before it was my turn… I’d go hide in the bathroom. I did this every time.

The worst part was my dad. He was my hero. The person I dreamed that one day I would grow up to be. Everybody loved him. I LOVED him. I wanted him to be proud of me. “Cliff, why are you so lazy? Don’t you want to learn how to read?” “I DO! CAN’T YOU SEE HOW HARD I’M TRYING?!” I bursted back at him, tears streaming down my face. “No, I don’t. I spend 2 hours trying to teach you how to read every day. I bought every program. Stop fidgeting and pay attention, for once.” “PAY ATTENTION?! I’m always paying attention.” “You’re not. You don’t care. Even your sister can read and she is 6.” “Because I TAUGHT HER! I didn’t want her to go through this too.

One day, likely during the 1000th time she searched, or in one of the 100 books she read on the topic she learned about “Dyslexia” she thought that maybe I had that. She got me tested. Turns out that is exactly what I had. That, and ADD.

When I learned I was Dyslexic, I took the deepest sigh you’ve ever heard a 9 year old give. “Finally!” I thought, “I’m not broken, I’m not dumb, and I am definitely NOT LAZY!” “Great,” I thought, “now we know what the problem is called, let’s fix it!” My Dad found the actual audiobook for Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, narrated by Jim Dale. He got it for me.

I listen to it 22 times in a row. Those first three pages I would fall asleep on in the library? I have them memorized. Along with the rest of the first chapter of the book. 13 years later. I didn’t stop listening. I listen to every book in that series. Then Narnia, then Lord of the Rings, then Game of Thrones, Pillars of the Earth, Atlas Shrugged. I never stopped listening.

I had a 20 ton boulder chained to my back that stopped me from being the person I wanted to be. Every sentence I read took ages. Now I had wings. I started pushing my listening speed, from 1x to 1.25x, 1.5x, 2x, then 2.5x speed.

I started finishing 2 audiobooks every week. 100 books a year. I’ve been going at this rate for 12 years. It takes no effort, and in fact, it’s the best part of my day.

The night before flying to Brown, to start college, I was only 2/3rds of the way through a summer reading book I had been assigned. I had no other choice, I hacked an old text to speech computer system to read the remaining portion of the book over night into my iPhone and then listen to it on the plane.

It worked!

I taught myself to code on the side and improved the software further. I spent the next 4 years in college perfecting this system. Instead of slaving over a textbook while chained to my desk - I’d take 15 quick photos and then listen while eating breakfast or Longboarding to class.

I’d listen to the 100+ pages of reading assigned per week for my classes while on the train or on the bus.

Today, tens of millions of people have been able to function in school and society because of Speechify.

Remember, that above all else, your mission is to be who you needed most when you were growing up. At least, it’s mine.

Much love ❤️and would love to help you along the journey to becoming that person through these videos!

Thank you!

- Cliff Weitzman

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