Show HN: The platform used for the TechCrunch interview with Sam Altman

[zabramow]

Last week, I published a conversation on TechCrunch with Sam Altman using ReplyAll http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/09/ycombinate/

I've personally used ReplyAll to interview Mark Cuban http://abovethelaw.com/2015/05/a-conversation-with-mark-cuban/ discuss depression with Brad Feld https://blog.replyall.me/a-conversation-about-depression-with-brad-feld/and debate David Frum on marijuana legalization http://abovethelaw.com/2015/05/is-legalizing-pot-a-bad-idea-a-published-email-exchange-with-david-frum/

Our homepage is www.replyall.me

Why we built ReplyAll: my cofounder & I used to exchange lengthy emails every day about important topics, and we lamented the fact that we didn't have an easy way to publish these conversations. Then we saw some of our favorite writers like Sam Harris & Glenn Greendwald doing just that: publishing their email exchanges as content.

http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/dear-fellow-liberal2

So we built ReplyAll to make it easy to publish this content (no manual cutting and pasting out of emails) and allow readers to follow along like a fly-on-the-wall as the conversation unfolds. Participation is asynchronous, so no one has to coordinate schedules. It is an easier, better way to create interviews & debates, and ReplyAll conversations get great engagement in both time on page (10 minutes plus) and repeat visitors (2.3 page views per unique).

Happy to answer questions about the platform, business model or failing to close the deal at our YC interview in April.

[zabramow]

PS here are the links other than the homepage that I mentioned in the post, now clickable

The conversation with Sam http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/09/ycombinate/

An interview Mark Cuban http://abovethelaw.com/2015/05/a-conversation-with-mark-cuba...

A discussion about depression with Brad Feld https://blog.replyall.me/a-conversation-about-depression-wit...

Debate with David Frum on marijuana legalization http://abovethelaw.com/2015/05/is-legalizing-pot-a-bad-idea-...

Sam Harris & Glenn Greenwald's debate (not done with ReplyAll)

http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/dear-fellow-liberal2

[burritofanatic]

I did a conversation with Zach on ReplyAll some months ago: http://abovethelaw.com/2015/06/should-you-leave-law-and-lear...

The experience was pretty awesome. The sign up was easy, and I was up and running doing posts/replies to questions. Watching the reaction to the conversation was pretty cool.

The next interview/conversation I have on my personal blog, I'd like to use ReplyAll simply because it helps in creating the most insightful comments/responses. If you were to do a conversation real time (podcast/phone/live), a lot of thought is lost while thinking on your feet (you can be really good, but it's likely inchoate relative to the true potential while you're writing and thinking). On the other hand, if you're doing an "email interview" where you just have a long set of questions, there's no freedom to let the conversation go as it should without some heavy editing.

Cool product, well done Zach, et al!

[zabramow]

Thanks!

[captn3m0]

Clickable: https://www.replyall.me/

[zabramow]

thanks for that!

[dkroy]

Really cool, and I thought Reply All was just a podcast. If I am understanding this platform correctly this allows each person involved in the conversation to send email responses, and replyall publishes the conversation in an embeddable widget. I haven't used it before so I could be way off.

[zabramow]

Actually, that's exactly how it works and in many ways ReplyAll is a much easier way to publish a conversation than a podcast.

Which is why btw, I told the guys from Reply All that they were infringing on our TM.

But that's another story...

[coda322]

Interested to see if you will have a featured conversations list where you showcase conversations between notable people in different verticals.

Would be particularly interesting for controversial debates. Would be a bit more thought out than tweetstorms, but lower friction than back-and-forth blog posts.

[regold]

Absolutely. Love the way you think.

It's in early development now, but that's exactly where we're headed. A hub to read and follow the greatest conversations going on around the world.

[rahulshiv]

This is a neat idea. Do you guys have any numbers that show that your interface is more engaging than say a blog post with quotes from a conversation? (I know it makes it easier for the publisher but do readers enjoy reading this format? I sure as hell do!). Great job!

[regold]

And readers enjoy reading this format just as you do.

Some of our favorite comments from readers on various sites: "I love this format! Definitely like it over the regular Q and A style and even better than podcasts" "Love the format. Easy to read." "More fun than the usual five questions and way more interesting" "ReplyAll, you're my new favorite platform."

And one of my personal favorites: "This is voyeuristically fun. If that's a word. And I'll creep back where I came from."

[zabramow]

Thanks! And we do. The average engagement on any ReplyAll conversation is between ten and eleven minutes. The publishers who use is to publish live conversations will typically see between 2 and 3 page views per unique reader.

Plus, we are currently building better ways to follow the conversations. Right now you can subscribe to the final version of the conversation, but we're adding in subscribe to follow by email, Twitter, Chrome plug-in etc

[Trojatticus]

What makes a convo unsuccessful on the platform? What makes a successful convo on the platform? Any strategies?

[zabramow]

Btw if you want to see a version of a live conversation, here's one in doing right now http://abovethelaw.com/?p=386196

[kapland]

Do you have the capability to widen the conversation to include more than two people? Have it take on a feel of a conversation rather than an interview? What about live interactions?

[regold]

Yeah, you can definitely include more than two people. Here are a couple of roundtable examples with multiple voices: - http://dannybrown.me/2015/03/16/the-future-of-content-part-4... - http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/5/7/8565733/be-roundtable-as...

[kapland]

Can you explain a bit about why a conversation on Replyall is different or in your opinion better than an interview or guest blog post?

[zabramow]

Sure. Interviews in general are better than a guest post because it requires less work from your guest and you get to ask follow up questions and get answers that you think your audience will find interesting. Late night hosts interview their guests, they don't usually invite guests on and have them monologue.

ReplyAll is better than the standard way of doing interviews because the questions are not predetermined, there is active back and forth and the readers get to follow the conversation as it unfolds.

[compsciphd]

so why did your YC interview not work out?

[zabramow]

It's a good question, and I'm not sure we have a good answer. We did show that we had built a product that people want, use and even love, but I don't we think did a good job of showing that we were building a $10B business.

[Trojatticus]

What have you found that makes a successful conversation on the platform? What makes a convo bomb?

[zabramow]

So far bombs include situations where people use ReplyAll as a replacement for live chat around an event or simply include too many people.

Our best conversations usually take place over an extended period of time and between a small group of people 2-4

[aharonovich]

Cool project, does it support RTL languages like Arabic or Hebrew?

[zabramow]

Yes. We actually added that because one of the campaigns in the last Israeli election asked us to add it in. They didn't use it then, but we actually just white labeled a version for the group running their campaign.

[Trojatticus]

What makes a successful conversation on the platform? More importantly, what makes a conversation bomb on the platform?

[trathus]

Hi, great platform!

What is the business model??

[zabramow]

Thanks. Right now, we have the basic free version plus we've white labeled the platform for a few sites. Debates.eu is an example, they are launching soon. We also consult for a few non-profits and help them get the most out of their use of ReplyAll. Ultimately, we'll build those services in, but it's been a good way to keep cash coming in at an early stage, plus we helped one non-profit use ReplyAll to secure two grants.

But what we're experimenting with now (with one big publisher) is the software for free, but they pay us for repeat visitors and/or we advertise inside the emails that go out to people who subscribe to the conversations and split that revenue with the publishers (this is the Outbrain model).

[jtower420]

very cool, makes total sense. Great article with the shark himself, Mr. Cuban