DownloadWhy We Built Convo: Real-Time AI Help in Meetings
Convo is our answer to a common problem: freezing in meetings, forgetting context, or struggling with tough questions when it matters most. A real-time AI assistant that helps you say the right thing at the right time.
Iván Abad · Co-founder
September 25, 2025 · 5 min read
The Problem We're Solving
Markus and I started Convo because we kept running into the same problem: freezing in meetings, forgetting context, or struggling with tough questions when it mattered most.
Convo is our answer — a real-time AI assistant that helps you say the right thing at the right time. Our mission: help people feel confident in every meeting.
Who We Are
I'm Iván, and together with Markus, we're building Convo.
I've spent years in marketing and sales, which means being in more meetings than I can count. Markus is the technical brain, with deep expertise in AI having built multiple projects before. Despite different backgrounds, we both have been in many meetings that didn't go the way they should.
We'd both been through it: freezing when a tough question came up, forgetting key details from a previous conversation, or leaving a call wishing we'd said something differently. Tools existed to take notes or analyze calls afterwards, but none of them helped us in the moment.
That's where the idea for Convo began: what if we could build a quiet, privacy-first assistant that sits on your screen and helps you right when you need it most?
The Problem: Why Existing AI Meeting Tools Aren't Enough
Meetings are messy. They move fast, and the moments that matter don't wait for you to catch up.
"Traditional" AI tools (meeting note takers, transcription apps, and analytics platforms) usually focus on what happens after the call. They give you summaries, highlights, or metrics once the conversation is over. But when you freeze under pressure or forget a detail in the middle of the call, a recap afterwards doesn't save you.
This gap is what we felt most painfully: there was no tool built for the live moment, the exact second you need a nudge, a reminder, or a better phrasing. That's why we decided Convo needed to exist: to step in during the conversation, not after.
Our Mission and Vision
Convo is a real-time, privacy-first AI meeting assistant that helps during the call, not after.
- Mission: Help people say the right thing at the right time in any meeting.
- Vision: A layer of intelligence that makes live conversations flow across every team.
We're not a note-taker; we guide you live, on-screen—no bots, no recording.
How Convo Works
Here's exactly how I use Convo in a typical call: simple, visible to me, and private.
- Open Convo. It sits as a small on-screen panel only you can see.
- Click "Listen." Convo runs on your Mac and never joins the meeting as a bot. It works alongside Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any meeting tool you are using.
- See the right words, in real time. As the conversation unfolds, Convo suggests short, usable lines (and quick reminders) right on your screen, so you can respond smoothly when the pressure is on.
- Use, tweak, or ignore. Copy a line, adapt it, or keep moving: Convo won't get in the way. You can pause/resume listening with one click.
- Privacy by design. Guidance is for the moment, not for surveillance.
Here's a quick demo of Convo in action — how it listens, keeps context, and suggests the right words in real time. Watch this demo video to see how it feels in an actual meeting.
During vs After: What Makes Convo Different
| Convo (during the call) | AI note-takers (after the call) | |
| When it helps | Live, in the moment | After the meeting |
| How it works | On-screen suggestions you can use/tweak | Transcripts, summaries, dashboards |
| Setup | No bots join | Bot joins meeting / integrations |
| Privacy | No recording, local on device | Often records or stores audio |
| Outcome | Smoother answers, fewer freeze-ups | Better documentation after the fact |
Is Convo for Me?
We built Convo for the moments that make everyday meetings stressful:
- Everyday professionals: team updates, client check-ins, or project calls where you freeze, forget a detail, or struggle to frame an answer.
- Students: called on in class or a study group and can't remember what was said: Convo gives quick prompts to get back on track.
- Interviewees and job switchers: tough follow-up questions in an interview, or the classic "tell me about a time…" moment.
Convo is about confidence. It gives you short, clear words on-screen, so you always know what to say next, whether it's a standup, a lecture, or a job interview.
Why Now?
We didn't build Convo because AI is trendy. We built it because meetings moved faster, remote work became normal, and people still freeze and struggle under pressure. We want to give professionals help right when they need it, not after.
- Real-time on your device. Modern Macs are powerful enough to run Convo locally, so you get instant guidance without bots joining or recordings being stored.
- Confidence is more valuable than notes. Summaries after the fact don't help when you're under pressure. We want to feel ready in the moment—whether that's a daily standup, a lecture, or a job interview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Convo record my meetings?No. Convo doesn't record or store your calls. It works on your device and shows suggestions on your screen.
Will it work with Zoom/Google Meet/Microsoft Teams?Yes. Convo runs alongside your call.
Is Convo an AI note-taker?No. Note-takers summarize after the call. Convo helps during the call so you can respond smoothly in the moment.
How do I start?Once you join your meeting or lecture, simply open Convo and click Listen. You'll see short, usable lines you can take, tweak, or ignore.
Is Convo only on Mac right now?Yes, for now. We'll share updates on other platforms as we go.