Company Overview
Brady Dowling is Founder at Neurture, a company on a mission to help people address their unwanted, compulsive, or addictive behaviors using a compassionate, personalized approach. Using a non-judgmental AI assistant and research-based therapeutic methods, Neurture helps users develop a plan that fits their needs and their lifestyle. It does this by providing resources like meditations, affirmations, courses, and journaling, all while upholding a level of privacy rarely seen from mental health apps. Learn more at https://neurtureapp.com/.
Can you tell us a little about your background before starting at your company?
Since I was in college I knew I wanted to start my own company but wanted to have:
1. The technical skills to do it
2. An idea for a product that solves a real problem (preferably one that’s altruistic in nature)
3. A problem space I am passionate about
After working at Amazon and Chewy I felt like I’d gotten a pretty solid technical foundation under my belt. Then once I had worked for Modern Health (YCombinator mental health company) I started to get a feel for the mental health tech space.
I also developed opinions about what was missing in the mental health app space and knew I wanted to do something with AI. But the company, at the time, was prohibiting use of it and I couldn’t just build a competing app while working there. When I found out that 25% of the company was being laid off and I was affected, I knew it was time.
How did you start at your company? What were the first steps you took to get it off the ground and how did you identify the need for your product/service in the market?
I essentially started Neurture the day after I was laid off. I started tinkering and chewing on ideas, mainly by prototyping with an early version of ChatGPT. At the time I would copy/paste blocks of code in and out of ChatGPT (no Cursor or Claude Code then and Copilot was insufficient). Having worked in the mental health space and already received some feedback about the need for addiction focused resources in app form, the need was apparent but I didn’t know what the product would look like. I spent 6 months building before even getting anything into the app store. It was an additional 5 months before I enabled payments and had my first paying customer.
What innovations or unique features set your company apart from others in the industry?
When I originally launched Neurture, AI chat was unique in the mental health space. There was even a small period where OpenAI changed their policies to prevent people from using GPT for mental health. I remember testing one day and seeing an API response with a canned message to the effect of “GPT is not to be used as a mental health aid. Contact a therapist or coach.” That day I did some pretty serious prompt engineering to get around that policy.
But I never wanted to position AI chat as the main draw for Neurture, because I see it as fleeting and ever-changing. What sets Neurture apart from others in the industry is that it brings a full suite of existing mental health tools into one app focused on addictive and compulsive behaviors. Without it, users have to use one app for meditation, one for journaling, one for affirmations, etc. Instead of focusing on tools, Neurture meets users where they are and provides tools as a means to an end.
What has been the most effective strategy for scaling your business?
Partnering with mental health professionals has been huge for Neurture. This has provided tons of valuable feedback based on years of addiction and recovery work (which I don’t have). It’s also provided an in for Neurture to be referred to real people who need it.
Looking ahead, what are your goals for the future of your company?
I’d like Neurture to be the de facto app that people know of for both breaking habits and overcoming addictions. I want to Neurture to be synonymous with New Year’s resolutions and for it to be in the hands of every rehab center alumni.
