Technically Not Tech: PlaySay digital language learning flash cards

PlaySay founder Ryan Meinzer had always wanted to work in Japan.

So, the 26-year-old Temple University business grad packed his bags and headed for the island with a degree in international business and entrepreneurship and minors in Japanese and Asian business.

After landing a marketing gig, his 14-hour work days left little time to grasp the language to the degree that he wanted; he couldn’t enroll in classes or sign-up for comprehensive language learning software.

“I was so so busy and I never had time to study. I needed to learn fast,” Meinzer says.

So, he decided to put together his own lesson plans. He eschewed text book and flash cards for their bulk and created virtual audio flashcards for his iPod using podcast-esque technologies. MP3 files are backed with digital ‘flash cards’—audio files with images of the word being spoken.

And without knowing it, he embarked on a business.
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