#61 - Is reading everything? with Joey Books

Co-founders Tori and Calum are on a mission to make early literacy magical with their read-along app for kids aged 2–8. From partnering with publishers like Fremantle Press to building a healthy alternative to screen-time, Joey Books is reshaping how children discover the joy of reading. 

This episode dives into the turning points, challenges, and small wins that brought Joey to life—and what’s next in their vision to transform digital publishing for kids, parents, and educators. 

Problem: 
Parents want safe, engaging ways for kids to learn that don’t feel like more scrolling. Screen-time is often passive, unwholesome, and unhelpful for literacy.

Solution: 
A refined set of wholesome stories from trusted publishing houses with both local and international reputations, narrated by professional voice actors and designed for children to read along.  

One big piece of advice: 
Make sure you are really passionate about what you are doing. Do you enjoy it? If you’re only in it for the money—don’t start the company. It’s going to take a long time, and persistence is only possible if you truly love the journey. 

Bullets: 
(00:00 – 02:24) – Intro to Joey Books 
(02:25 – 03:22) – Fremantle Press supports Joey Books 
(03:23 – 04:07) – How Joey Books works 
(04:08 – 04:45) – Cam's experience with Joey Books 
(04:46 – 07:18) – What business Tory & Callum would start today 
(07:19 – 08:30) – Is technology the answer to custom education? 
(08:31 – 09:34) – The turning point for Joey Books 
(09:35 – 10:40) – What makes Joey Books different 
(10:41 – 12:52) – A healthy option for screen-time 
(12:53 – 14:08) – Dopamine tactics 
(14:09 – 15:28) – Reaching their first customers 
(15:29 – 17:15) – Building user feedback into development 
(17:16 – 19:23) – Partnering with publishers 
(19:24 – 20:30) – Disruption in digital publishing 
(20:31 – 22:29) – About the voice actors behind Joey Books 
(22:30 – 23:34) – The ideal customer for Joey Books 
(23:35 – 24:31) – Text tracking and narration 
(24:32 – 27:06) – The benefits of reading for children 
(27:07 – 28:49) – How schools and libraries can use Joey 
(28:50 – 31:38) – Callum's view on Vibe Coding 
(31:39 – 32:38) – Finding fulfillment in product development 
(32:39 – 33:42) – What looks like for Joey Books 
(33:43 – 34:07) – Joey's vision 
(34:08 – 35:41) – On pricing the app 
(35:42 – 36:19) – How the app supports publishers 
(36:20 – 38:09) – One big piece of advice 
(38:10 – 38:52) – The MVP dilemma 
(38:53 – 41:24) – Life hacks and healthy habits 
(41:25 – 43:30) – Entrepreneurship runs in the family 
(43:31 – 45:37) – Are we still ambitious? 
(45:38 – 46:38) – Australia is home to great entrepreneurs 
(46:39 – 47:05) – Commit to lifelong learning 
(47:06 – 48:38) – On using the app and Bookweek 
(48:39 – 49:25) – Closing remarks 

Show & Tell: 

• Joey Books – https://www.readwithjoey.com/ 

• Fremantle Press – https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/ 

• Cursor – https://cursor.so/ 

• Audible – https://www.audible.com/ 

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