Start your first family storyGive your family the stories you’ll wish you had asked for.
The Story Project makes it easy for a parent, grandparent, or other loved one to share the memories, lessons, and little stories your family may never think to ask about. We send one thoughtful prompt at a time. They tap a link and record in their own voice. Your family receives a private video archive to revisit for years to come.
No app for them. No password for them. No formal interview for you to plan.
Two-minute setup for you One tap to record for them 30-day money-back guarantee
Why begin now
The stories that matter most are often the ones nobody thinks to ask about.
You probably know the big facts about the people you love: where they grew up, who they married, what work they did.
But what about the phrase their mother always used? The mistake that changed the direction of their life? The day they laughed until they cried? The hard season they rarely talk about?
Those are the stories that help a family know one another more deeply. They are also the stories that are easiest to leave for another day.
The Story Project gives you a gentle way to begin now, while the people you love are still here to tell them.
Who it is for
For anyone whose voice belongs in your family’s story.
A parent. A grandparent. A great-aunt. An uncle. A mentor. A family friend who helped raise you.
If their memories, personality, and perspective matter to your family, they belong here.
We call them your Family VIP — but the title matters less than the person.
How it works
You make the beginning easy. We take care of the rest.
1. Set it up for them.
Add your loved one in about two minutes. Choose text message or email. You handle the setup; they do not need to create an account.
2. We send one warm prompt.
Every 12 days or so, they receive one thoughtful question and one clear button: Record Your Story.
3. They tap, talk, and keep it.
Their phone camera opens. They tell the story in their own words. When they are finished, they tap Keep.
4. Your family receives a growing archive.
We save and transcribe each story in your private family space, organized by the person who told it and ready for your family to revisit together.
This is what your VIP sees. Nothing confusing here!
No app. No login. No unfamiliar technology to learn.
Example prompts
The right question makes it easier to remember.
Most people do not need more pressure to “tell their life story.” They need a small, specific doorway into a real memory.
Here are a few of the questions we can send:
What is one of your earliest childhood memories, and what happened that day?
Prompt 1
Tell us about a teacher who made a difference in your life.
Prompt 2
How did you meet your spouse or partner? What do you remember most about that time?
Prompt 3
What was a family tradition you looked forward to every year?
Prompt 4
What is a decision you made that changed the direction of your life?
Prompt 5
Share a time you got into trouble when you were young.
Prompt 6
What was your home like growing up? Can you describe a day there that you still remember clearly?
Prompt 7
Who was someone you admired as a child, and what did they do that stayed with you?
Prompt 8
Tell us about your favorite friend growing up and an adventure you had together.
Prompt 9
What is the funniest thing you remember happening at school?
Prompt 10
What was your first job, and what happened on your first day?
Prompt 11
Share a time you worked very hard for something and how it turned out.
Prompt 12
One prompt. One story. One more piece of your family that does not have to be lost.
You might be thinking
“But will they actually use it?”
That is the right question. The Story Project was designed around the people who are least interested in learning another app.
In our early pilot, 8 out of 10 Family VIPs recorded their first story independently on their first attempt.
The others needed only minor help allowing camera and microphone access in their browser.
The goal is not to make someone you love master a new system. The goal is to make recording one meaningful story feel simple enough to start.
"I'll be honest, I never would have done this on my own. I wouldn't even know where to start. But the question just showed up on my phone, there was one big button, and I just… started talking. Before I knew it I'd told a story I haven't thought about in forty years."
— Dorothy M., Florida
What your family receives
A private family archive, built one real story at a time.
Every recording is organized under the storyteller’s name in your family account. Invite the people who should be able to watch, listen, and remember together.
Your family can:
- Receive a notification when a new story is recorded.
- Browse stories by the person who told them.
- Watch together, even when you live far apart.
- Search transcripts to find a person, place, or memory.
- Invite as many family viewers and Family VIPs as you would like.
- Download original video files whenever you want a personal backup.
You are not buying a folder of videos. You are building a living record of the people who made your family what it is.
A peek inside
The whole family's private archive, in one warm little app.
Add the people whose stories you want to keep. Two minutes each.
Hundreds of thoughtful questions, sent one at a time.
Invite everyone who should be able to watch.
From the founder
Built for the questions we keep meaning to ask.
“I created The Story Project because I wanted to preserve the stories of someone important in my own family.
I know how easy it is to love someone deeply, care about their stories, and still keep putting off the conversation. The Story Project was created to make beginning simple.”
— Brad Koch, Founder
Watch the founder’s 60-second message
The Vault
Some stories are meant for one person.
The Vault gives a loved one the option to record a private story for a specific child, grandchild, partner, or other person they care about.
That story remains sealed. No one else — not even the family administrator — can open it while they are living.
When the family administrator marks their passing, a seven-day grace period begins. Then the story is delivered privately to the person it was meant for: a final message, in the voice of someone they love.
The Vault is included for Founding Families.
Founding Family offer
Start with the first story your family will be glad to have.
You do not need to plan a formal interview. You do not need to know every question in advance. You only need one person whose story matters — and one prompt that helps them begin.
As one of the first 50 Founding Families, you will receive The Story Project for $59 for your first year. Your Founding Family price remains $59/year for as long as you keep your membership.
Founding Family — $59/year
Includes
- 10 Family Story Credits each year (additional credits available)
- Unlimited Family VIPs
- Unlimited family viewers
- Prompted story-recording experiences
- Private story collections organized by Family VIP
- Family notifications when a story is recorded
- Downloadable original video files
- The Vault for sealed, private stories
- Optional personal help recording your first story
- A 30-day, no-questions-asked refund
Each Family Story Credit covers one recorded story in your family archive.
Billed annually. Cancel any time. Family Story Credits do not roll over from year to year. Your archive stays available for 90 days after cancellation, then is deleted.
Optional personal help
Want a little help getting the first story recorded? I’ll be there.
As part of the Founding Family pilot, you can schedule an optional 20-minute First Story Session with the founder.
Together, you can:
- Choose your first Family VIP
- Select a meaningful prompt
- Send the invitation
- Handle camera and microphone permissions
- Record the first story
It is completely optional. You can begin on your own — or have a little help making the first step easier.
Your optional First Story Session is available after subscribing.
Founding Families
Be one of the first families to keep these stories from becoming “I wish we had.”
The Founding Family pilot is limited to the first 50 families.
Founding Families receive the locked-in $59/year price, optional personal setup support, and a direct opportunity to shape an experience built for every family that follows.
Only 36 places remain.
"My dad passed two years ago. We have a handful of photos and a few videos from holidays, but nothing where he's just talking to us. Nothing where he's telling us who he was. The first story Mom recorded from one prompt is something our whole family will have forever. I can't put a price on that."
— Karen T., Ohio
Frequently asked
Questions families ask before they begin.
Still have questions?
Founding Families get direct access to our founder. Reply to any prompt or email us and you'll hear back personally.
The first story can be easier than you think.
A thoughtful prompt can open a memory your family has never heard. One tap can preserve a voice you will always want to hear.
Begin while the people you love are still here to tell you.
10 Family Story Credits · Unlimited loved ones and viewers · Optional setup help · 30-day money-back guarantee