A group of developers from Bangladesh has created Lettre, a social app that Apple has recently featured on its App Store list. Lettre enables users to write messages in their own handwriting using touch or an Apple Pencil and send them with a delayed delivery feature, reviving the charm of traditional letter-writing in a digital form. The app offers customization options through digital stationery and collectable stamps, providing a more intimate and focused mode of communication compared to mainstream social media platforms.
Selection for the Apple App Store’s featured list is based on criteria like design excellence, originality, performance, and overall user experience, determined by Apple’s editorial team. Developers cannot apply directly for this recognition; instead, apps are chosen through Apple’s internal curation process, making such accolades quite exclusive.
Apart from being showcased on Apple’s curated list, Lettre has garnered 130,000 organic downloads, indicating users installing the app without paid promotions. The idea for Lettre emerged during a meeting between co-founders Atik Hossain and his childhood friend in San Francisco. Hossain mentioned the absence of communication apps centered on handwriting, which led to the integration of stamps, shaping the app’s business model and trajectory.
Mashfique Anwar, a co-founder with a background in Apple’s Xcode team, oversaw the technical development, drawing inspiration from writing on an iPad with an Apple Pencil to craft an intuitive and immersive user experience. Shaer Reaz, another core team member, emphasized Lettre’s objective of fostering a community around meaningful interactions rather than chasing engagement metrics, highlighting the app’s unique approach.
The team’s Bangladeshi heritage strongly influences Lettre, evident in the team’s composition and design choices. The app’s development process and creative direction involve team members from Bangladesh and the global Bangladeshi diaspora, reflecting their shared background and shaping the product’s direction.
Despite facing challenges, such as difficulties in securing funding due to misalignment with investors’ visions, the team chose independent growth with backing from its user community to retain control over the platform’s evolution. Looking ahead, Lettre aims to expand while preserving its core essence. Plans include extending the app beyond the Apple ecosystem and introducing community features like writing groups and enhanced opportunities for artists contributing to the stamp marketplace within the platform.