Hi friends, Akarsh here from Dio - happy 4th of July week!
I have so many exciting updates to share about what our little team has been up to so far this year.
- Dio is (really) live on Amazon - with Prime benefits!
- Big new features coming to Dio Node
- Why we do what we do - and where we're headed
And if you missed my last Founder Update from (yikes!) April, you can always check it out here.
Dio is (really) live on Amazon - with Prime benefits!
After a year of quietly preparing our listing on Amazon, we are officially fully set up on Amazon! We now have videos, fancy infographics, and a very hard-earned Buy Box. Who knew it would be this hard?!
- Launch Promotion: To celebrate, we've decided to add hefty a 25% OFF coupon for Amazon purchases, live now through the end of Prime Day (July 11). Just click the little coupon box before adding to cart.
- Prime Shipping: If you've been thinking of expanding more speakers in your home or just looking to try out a Dio or two for the first time, Prime Members can now get full Prime benefits on our 1-Packs.
- Indiegogo Throwback: For those of you who have been with us from the beginning, we decided to add our Indiegogo video to the listing as a fun easter egg 😊
I know that for many of you, shopping on Amazon is second nature, especially for electronics. And as a company that's always been focused on creating hassle-free experiences, we're excited to bring an even more streamlined shopping experience to try out Dio Node - right in time for Prime Day!
Big new features coming to Dio Node
One of the hardest parts of being a founder is staying tight-lipped about some of the super exciting product updates coming down the pipeline. So today, I'm excited to share a sneak peek with you about some of the things we're working on:
Android Compatibility: In April, we ran a poll to see what features people would like to see in Dio Node or a future product. Not surprisingly, Android compatibility came up as the number one request. So over the last several months, we finally kicked off a deep dive into Android to begin developing a proof of concept to expand Dio Node compatibility.
Not Another Closed Ecosystem: But here's the thing - nobody wants yet another branded ecosystem on Android. So we're taking the bigger challenge to create an open, flexible experience that allows people to make audio a seamless part of their homes and everyday lives, without needing to replace their entire current setup. We're doing this by using the best parts of AI without all the data and privacy concerns. Very excited to share more as the year progresses!
Sound Quality & Personalization: Without spilling too much, keep a lookout for a very special announcement over the next few weeks for a HUGE new feature that we'll be launching for Dio Node. We'll be taking sound quality and personalization to a whole new level - and all current Dio Node models will be eligible for the upgrade 😁 Looking forward to sharing more soon!
An Open Letter to Sonos - and where Dio is headed...
Last month, I released an Open Letter to Sonos that received a lot of attention from the public and various audio industry leaders. It outlines my vision for what audio - especially home audio - could do for the average home. I expanded on some of those thoughts in my recent I Know a Guy podcast interview as well.
Here's the core of it:
- Audio is one of the most intuitive and personal ways to connect with technology, yet it remains underserved by both the audio and tech industries.
- Most audio companies chase the next marginal improvement in sound quality. Tech giants treat audio as an afterthought, tacked onto smart home hubs or glasses.
- At Dio, we’re focused on creating meaningful, empowering ways to interact with the things you love across the internet, without holding your eyeballs or your focus prisoner.
Affordable home audio has been our starting point, and we're going to continue building more experiences that allow you to unplug while staying connected to the things you love.
Thank you for being part of this journey and for all your feedback over the years - don't hesitate to keep sharing what you'd love to see us do to improve your lives!
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🪩 What We're Binging: KPop Demon Hunters
I thought I'd bring this fun section back from my 2020 newsletters. Here's what we're binging at Dio -
This month, my wife and I have been OBSESSED with KPop Demon Hunters. Neither of us are really KPop fans, but after watching this surprisingly good Netflix animation I haven't been able to stop playing the songs on repeat. Highly recommend!
-Akarsh