Shopify Builder Sundays Toronto · May 31, 2026

Build to Learn
Build to Share

How my English barrier became Joe Speaking

Joe Hu
Joe Speaking
Joe Speaking
joespeaking.com
QR
JOE (BEIQIAO) HU
Founder, Just Joe Technologies
Product Person & Vibe Engineer
Immigrant Builder #English barrier
2024/08
Canada
International student
Maybe I can stay here for a long time.
Language is for communication, not perfection.
The catch
But to stay, I still needed a standardized English test.
Why I built it

Before Canada, I was a product manager.

01
01 / The proof

IELTS Speaking
Simulator GPT

Built in late 2023
100K+ conversations
02
02 / The insight

Real-time
voice models

Speaking tests are a perfect use case.
Clear process Clear evaluation A real goal
03
03 / The engine

Claude Code + Codex

Claude Code Codex
Prototype
a real product.
The product
Joe Speaking Joe Speaking

It started with standardized English speaking practice.

The biggest difference
Talk naturally with a real-time AI examiner
Real-time conversation Simulate the test Instant feedback Personal collection
Joe Speaking home screen Live IELTS examiner conversation
0:00 / 0:00
Personal Proof

I didn’t just build Joe Speaking.

I became a live example
of my own product.

The first user I used it every day to record my life —
149 days straight.
The result Two weeks ago, I achieved the goal I set
on the first try.
Joe Speaking daily review — 149-day streak
Master’s Final Project

Much more than
an academic project.

A prototype became a real product — months spent on real-time conversation stability, and now I’m learning growth.

A new way to learn
  1. Solve your own problem01
  2. Build something useful02
  3. Use it in real life03
  4. Share it with others04
Joe Speaking organic growth journey: 987 registered users and 315 aggregate active users from Nov 2025 to May 2026, with Alpha and Beta milestones
What's Next Future Roadmap
01 / Organic growth & content
02 / IELTS & CELPIP communities
03 / Dedicated iOS app
Let’s connect

Thank You

SPEAKER NOTES