We were lucky to catch up with Sharif York recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sharif , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I found YGlot–App. A language learning platform that leverages global media locally sourced. All the while providing a tool for creators to connect with a language-focused audience and earn.

Why I’m doing this:
I love learning Spanish. The challenge, the culture, and more importantly; I love the immersion. There’s something about being surrounded by a new language that makes me feel like I can learn more, and do it better. This app was born out of my frustration with other language learning apps that didn’t offer the kind of immersive experience I was looking for.

The dream of learning a new language typically ends with either traditional classroom-based instruction or using one of the many language learning apps available on the market. I would study for hours, have an initial peak of language comprehension with a forgetful and frustrating comedown. It would mess up my motivation, leaving me feeling discouraged. Unconsciously searching for another language app to “bring me back to life.

Traditional language learning has its own struggles, with endless hours of classroom instruction, rigid schedules, and a lack of authentic cultural context. It leaves me either bored or not wanting more. Which was the problem. My time in Costa Rica 🇨🇷  and Peru 🇵🇪  was unforgettable. Not only did I get to meet amazing people from all over the world – locals and travelers alike – but I also had the chance to volunteer for a month with a marginalized community, collaborating with health officials and teaching English to children. This experience provided me with a profound understanding of the local culture and community. Being surrounded helped force me to understand and speak better.  My realization of the significance of immersion and cultural representation in Spanish led me to create YGlot, an app that combines my love for technology with these fundamental aspects of learning. I’m also a content creator or digital nomad myself, I understand wanting to break away from the 9-5 space.

I’ve also spoken with tons of people who had a similar problem as me, the wanting more from learning a language and realizing most apps wasn’t enough. Backed by research, I wanted to provide something for learners and creators to bridge the gap, unaddressed by traditional tools that often lack real-world context, cultural nuances, and essential slang, crucial for effective communication when traveling.

Sharif , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started off at a young age. At 14 years old I made my first $1400 check designing 3D assets for a clients game. After that I worked with various clients designing 3D things for games and short films. I needed a portfolio for my work so I taught myself web development and eventually propelled into app design from that. I taught myself how to design apps, and eventually got hired on to AT&T in which I helped redesign the MyAT&T mobile app for 3.5 million users for both the iPhone and Android apps. I’ve also worked with many startups from around the world building their software as the lead designer. This included brands that are E-commerce, social media, travel based apps and SAAS products.

Outside of work I mentor students in the product design space, and software engineering space. I’ve done keynote talks at tech bootcamps, colleges and local tech events.

I love volunteering abroad, going off-roading in a truck, and sand boarding – its like snowboarding but on the sand dunes.

I’m most proud of how far I came and what my business is. Its not about making the big bucks, its about impacting lives around the world through cultural experiences and language. I volunteered abroad to help people in poverty, and I’m only getting started. I didn’t just build an app to make the next cash-grab. People can argue because I went for the language learning space, where there are over 1.5 billion people actively learning a language utilizing apps. I think its more about impacting lives of those who do and don’t have opportunity. My goal was to combined tech and impact into one platform.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Initially, I envisioned an immersive app that transformed scanned texts – like a Spanish bottle label or a foreign street sign – into quizzes and learnable content. After developing an MVP and launching a prototype five months in, I realized the concept, though innovative, wasn’t sustainable for substantial growth. The high development and marketing costs outweighed the potential returns, leading to a difficult but necessary pivot. With $3,500 spent and months of development behind me, I shifted focus to a more viable solution: meeting the demand for local cultural immersion in language learning.

In the end, im happy I pivoted.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I began my journey with YGlot under challenging circumstances. After losing my job at LTK app and facing personal hardships, including a baby on the way, I spent two months unemployed, grappling with uncertainty. With just $3,000 in savings, I initially dabbled in developing software for Bubble.io but soon realized it wasn’t the right path. Revisiting my passion for language learning, I pivoted from an initial word scanner app idea to conceptualize YGlot.

During this period, I secured a contract role, which, along with careful budgeting, helped me accumulate $3,500. This sum, combined with a $5,000 seed investment from family and my personal contribution of $15,000, became the foundation for YGlot’s development. I spearheaded the app’s design and worked with a small development team to bring my vision to life. The initial phase, including building the app’s infrastructure, required an investment of $3,000, part of the total $15,000 I eventually bootstrapped to support YGlot’s growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yglot.framer.website
• Instagram: @sharif_york
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharifyork/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YGlot/videos
• Other: https://linktr.ee/rifyork