I grew up in Finland, surrounded by forests, quiet lakes, and people who don't always say much — but when they do, every word counts. My grandparents were like that. They carried decades of life inside them: winters survived, choices made, small joys that shaped who our family became. But like most families, we never quite got around to writing any of it down.
By the time I started asking the bigger questions — What was it really like? What did you dream about when you were my age? What do you wish someone had asked you? — some of those answers were already fading. That feeling of arriving just a little too late stuck with me.
...Around the same time, I discovered something about myself: I genuinely love interviewing people. There's a particular kind of magic that happens when you ask the right question at the right moment and someone's eyes light up with a memory they haven't thought about in years. It's one of the most rewarding things I've experienced — helping someone rediscover their own story.
But good interviews are hard. They require patience, active listening, and the ability to know when to dig deeper and when to let silence do the work. Most people never have someone sit across from them and say: "Tell me everything."
...Dotty was born from the collision of these two things — the desire to understand where I come from, and the conviction that a great conversation can unlock stories people didn't even know they had.
I wanted to build something that could be that patient interviewer for anyone — a warm, thoughtful presence that asks the questions families wish they'd asked sooner. Not a form to fill in. Not a template. A real conversation that feels like sitting at a kitchen table with someone who genuinely cares.
The technology is new, but the need is ancient. Every family has stories worth preserving. Dotty just makes sure they don't slip away.
What comes out of that conversation is something lasting — a beautifully written biography that captures not just the facts, but the voice, the warmth, and the personality of the person telling it. A book your children and grandchildren can hold onto long after the kitchen table conversations have ended.
Dotty is still young. I'm building it carefully, one conversation at a time, with the kind of attention these stories deserve. If you believe — like I do — that everyone has a life worth documenting, I'd love for you to be part of this journey.