D.C. startup On Second Thought wants to save you from ever having your text message mistakes turned into fodder for funny Twitter accounts. We've all had that horrible sinking feeling when you realize you've sent a text to the wrong person, that desperate wish to snatch words out of the air when autocorrect makes innocent questions into wildly inappropriate demands. The app, which lets you bring back texts to choose your words, or recipient, more carefully, was born out of exactly that kind of embarrassment.
"I asked a friend if they wanted to meet, D.C. or Maryland," said On Second Thought founder Maci Peterson. "I typed, 'Are you in D.C. or MD?' and autocorrect turned it into, 'Are you in D.C. or me?'"
Now on an "autocorrect vendetta," Peterson took her idea to SXSW last year, where her idea won the UpGlobal pitch competition. On Second Thought debuted just a few months later in late December. The app is currently free for Android devices, with an iOS version coming early this year. Users can set a delay of up to 60 seconds, giving them the chance to judge how much time they need to decide on an undo. Peterson, whose day job is as a brand manager for Marriott, sets her delay at eight seconds.
"It's very similar to the Gmail undo option," Peterson said. "It gives you a new control over your conversations."
There's obvious interest in an app like this, which has helped earn the company a spot as featured startup at the Web Summit in Dublin in November.It seems like recall would be an automatic feature for phones, or at least a crowded app field, but there's actually very little in the way of Android apps for undoing text messages, and the one that pops up has very poor reviews. There doesn't appear to be any Apple-approved iOS app for undoing texts at all, just some options for delayed or scheduled texts. On Second Thought wants to fill that gap, and is already looking at adding new features like money transfers for the app.
"We're going to take this as far as we can," Peterson said.
Peterson attributes some of the rapid turnaround for her company to the D.C. tech startup scene. She's a member of the 1776 tech startup hub and credits the people she's met with helping make possible the $1.48 million she's raising in a convertible note from Silicon Valley Bank.
"D.C. tech has been really helpful with the product as well as fundraising," she said. "I've gotten meetings with top funders and VC's."
Check out the promotional video below to see a bit more about the app.
