Introducing Welma

I learned a lot of new things past week. I was new to Typescript and Next.js, but I decided to upskill to build stuff I envisioned with OpenAI’s API endpoints. I shipped a number of test projects on several platforms including ProductHunt. And to my surprise, I got a Reddit award for the first time. It was a nice ride.

But today’s post it all about Welma.

I have heard from many non-native speakers of English that reading complex text can be daunting. Whether you’re a student trying to make sense of academic papers or a professional trying to stay informed in your field, quickly and easily comprehending complex text is a valuable skill.

Hence I made Welma, an AI guide designed to help users understand and retain complex text. I’m also heavily inspired by Derek Sivers’s approach to writing, which emphasizes the importance of clear and simple language.

Welma uses AI to simplify complex sentences and paragraphs, making them easy to understand. Whether you’re reading an academic paper, a news article, or even a novel, Welma will help you make sense of the text and retain the information.

The website is quick and easy to use. Sign up within a few seconds, and you’ll be greeted with a minimal user interface. Paste the text you want to understand better, select a category, and click “Comprehend.”

AI will quickly provide you with a simplified version of your input. You can then read the text at your own pace and even take notes on important information. And if it’s a “word” input, AI will share its meaning with an example sentence.

One of the best things about Welma is that it’s free to use. It’s based on the groundbreaking Text-Davinci-003 model. Plus, the web app remains accessible to the folks who don’t have access to ChatGPT.

That said, Welma isn’t just a tool for improving reading comprehension. It’s also a tool for breaking down language barriers and making knowledge and information accessible to everyone. With this tiny web app, you’ll be able to read, learn, and grow confidently, regardless of your language background.

And yes, the name Welma is inspired by Velma, the highly intelligent young lady from Scooby-Doo.

Under the hood #

Welma is based on OpenAI’s text-davinci-model, and powered by Vercel Edge Fuctions. Supabase manages the authentication. Next.js + Tailwind does rest of the job.

So try Welma app when time permits and let me know what you think.