What it does
Cue is an AI-powered productivity app designed to capture and make sense of spoken conversations. It records audio from meetings, calls, or personal notes, then automatically transcribes the speech. From there, its AI generates concise summaries, extracts key action items into to-do lists, and provides a full, searchable transcript. The app aims to eliminate the need for manual note-taking, allowing users to stay present in conversations while ensuring no important details are lost.
Where it shines
Cue’s strength lies in turning unstructured audio into structured, useful content. The onboarding process itself is a great example of value-first design. Before asking for a single detail, it uses a multi-step quiz (00:21) and animated demos (00:28) to show exactly what the app will deliver. The post-recording experience is another highlight. At 05:45, the user effortlessly asks the AI to generate a 'two-line shareable' summary, demonstrating a powerful and intuitive conversational interface for refining notes. This transforms a simple transcript into a collaborative session with an AI assistant.
UX highlights
- Conversational Refinement: The 'Ask Cue' feature (05:45) lets users refine summaries with natural language prompts. This is far more intuitive than traditional editing tools and gives users a sense of control over the AI.
- Contextual Actions: After generating a note, relevant actions like adding an image, adding to a folder, or correcting spelling appear as clean, non-intrusive buttons (04:25), keeping the interface tidy.
- Value-First Onboarding: The app uses a quiz and animated feature previews to build a strong case for its value before asking for user sign-up or payment (00:21 - 00:55).
- Integrated To-Do Lists: Action items aren't just part of a summary; they populate a separate 'To Do' tab (08:12), making them easy to track across different notes.
- Multi-Modal Import: The app doesn't limit users to live recordings. It allows importing existing audio files (05:12) and even video files (06:56) for transcription and summary.
Monetization & growth
Cue uses a free trial model with a soft paywall. After completing the onboarding and signing up, the user is presented with a 'Cue Pro' screen that highlights premium features (01:38). The primary call to action is to start a 3-day free trial, which auto-converts to a yearly subscription. The paywall (01:53) effectively breaks down the price to a weekly cost to make the annual plan seem more affordable. The app also includes an in-app rating prompt (01:39) to drive App Store visibility.
Who it’s for
The app appears to be designed for professionals, students, and anyone who frequently participates in meetings or interviews. The emphasis on 'client meetings' (00:42) and tracking action items suggests a strong focus on business users like managers, consultants, and sales professionals. However, its ability to summarize lectures or personal voice memos also makes it useful for students and researchers looking to capture and organize information efficiently.
Notes & opportunities
The app's core functionality is impressive, but there's a point of friction in the initial setup. The user is required to create an account (01:09) and subscribe (01:53) before they can even record their first note. Allowing a user to complete one free recording and see the AI magic firsthand could be a more powerful conversion tool than showing animated examples. Additionally, while the folder system is useful, adding notes to them involves several taps (07:48 - 07:57); a drag-and-drop interface could make organization feel more fluid.