TalkDoc
A voice-to-document AI app for field workers - built in-house, shipped to both app stores.
The Problem
Field workers in construction, manufacturing, and safety-critical industries produce documentation every day: inspection reports, safety checklists, incident reports, SOPs, and field notes. The process is slow and often delayed. Workers take mental notes during the day, then spend time after hours typing up formal documents. Details get lost, reports pile up, and compliance suffers.
Existing solutions are either too rigid - fill-in-the-blank forms that miss the nuance of what actually happened on site - or too generic, like transcription tools that produce unstructured text dumps. There was nothing purpose-built for turning a spoken walkthrough into a structured, professional document.
What TalkDoc Does
TalkDoc is a mobile app that turns voice recordings into structured, professional documentation. Users speak naturally about what they observe, and TalkDoc's AI generates a polished, formatted document they can review, edit, and share as a PDF - all from their phone.
The app supports five document types at launch, each with a dedicated extraction schema, accent color, and formatting template: Field Notes for general observations, SOP / Work Instructions for step-by-step procedures, Inspection Reports for deficiencies and corrective actions, Safety Checklists for PPE and hazard identification, and Incident Reports for near misses, injuries, and property damage.
Users tap record, speak naturally, and TalkDoc handles the rest. The AI parses the transcript into structured fields specific to each document type, then renders a formatted HTML document that can be edited field-by-field and exported as a branded PDF.
The Technical Build
A cross-platform mobile app with a serverless AI backend, built for reliability in low-connectivity field environments.
Voice Engine
On-device speech-to-text via platform APIs with instant-start recording, pause/resume, live transcription preview, and a keyboard toggle for switching between voice and typed input mid-session.
AI Pipeline
AI extracts structured fields from natural speech using type-specific schemas with fieldGuidance rules. A chunking pipeline handles long transcripts via parallel extraction, schema-aware merge, and LLM deduplication.
Document System
Five document types with dedicated extraction schemas, accent colors, and HTML rendering templates. Field-level editing with amendments, smart regeneration, and Continue Recording that preserves manual edits.
Rendering and Export
Generated documents render in a WebView with editable titles, type-specific styling, and professional formatting. PDF export uses the rendered HTML with the document title reflected in both the filename and content.
Subscription and Billing
Freemium model via RevenueCat: 5 free documents per month, $4.99/month Pro for unlimited. Usage tracked in encrypted MMKV storage with automatic monthly reset. Full App Store compliance with auto-renewal disclosure.
Cross-Platform Native
React Native with Expo SDK 55, New Architecture enabled. Built with native modules (not Expo Go), Expo Router 6 for navigation, and Sentry for production error monitoring on both iOS and Android.
What We Shipped
Every feature below was designed, built, and shipped by the OurThinkTank team - from first commit to App Store approval.
Voice Recording
- Instant-start recording with pause and resume
- Live transcription preview during recording
- Keyboard toggle for typed input mid-session
- Continue Recording with amendment preservation
AI Generation
- Five document types with dedicated extraction schemas
- Long transcript chunking with parallel extraction
- Schema-aware merge and LLM deduplication
- fieldGuidance rules preventing cross-population
Document Editing
- Field-level editing with inline amendments
- Smart regeneration of individual sections
- Editable document titles synced to PDF export
- Swipe actions for share, copy, and delete
Export and Sharing
- PDF export with branded formatting
- Type-specific accent colors and templates
- Native share sheet integration
- Document list with sort by recent, type, or status
Subscription
- RevenueCat integration for iOS and Android
- Freemium gate with monthly usage tracking
- Paywall with restore purchases flow
- Subscription management with deep-link to store settings
Production Readiness
- Sentry error monitoring on both platforms
- App Store and Google Play compliance
- Encrypted local storage via MMKV
- Error classification for API failures (413/504/429)
Why We Built TalkDoc
TalkDoc started as a question: what if the same AI document generation capabilities we built for enterprise clients could be put directly in the hands of individual field workers? No IT department required, no procurement cycle, no training sessions - just open the app and talk.
We saw an opportunity in the gap between enterprise document management systems (expensive, complex, slow to deploy) and generic note-taking apps (no structure, no compliance value). TalkDoc sits in that gap: professional-grade document output from a consumer-grade experience.
Building TalkDoc in-house gave us the freedom to move fast, make opinionated design decisions, and ship a product that reflects how we think software should work. It also demonstrates the full range of what OurThinkTank delivers: native mobile development, AI integration, subscription commerce, and app store deployment - all from a two-person team.
"Speak it once, get a professional document. That's the entire pitch."
OurThinkTank team, on the TalkDoc vision
Concept to App Store in 10 Weeks
Weeks 1-3: Foundation & Recording
Expo project setup, navigation architecture with Expo Router 6, voice recording engine with live transcription, document type registry, and the core MMKV storage layer.
Weeks 4-5: AI Integration
Vercel-hosted API with Claude AI, extraction schemas for all five document types, HTML rendering with type-specific templates, and field-level editing with amendments and smart regeneration.
Weeks 6-7: Polish & Subscription
RevenueCat integration with freemium gate, paywall and subscription management, PDF export, editable titles, sort modes, swipe actions, and Continue Recording flow.
Week 8: Long Transcript Support
Chunking pipeline with sentence-boundary splitting, parallel extraction via Promise.all, schema-aware programmatic merge, LLM dedup pass, and user-facing error classification.
Weeks 9-10: App Store Launch
App Store and Google Play submissions, subscription compliance fixes, Sentry error monitoring, splash screen assets, final QA, and launch. Live on both stores May 8, 2026.
From Zero to Both App Stores
TalkDoc launched May 2026 as a complete, subscription-ready product on both the App Store and Google Play. It handles five document types, supports recordings of any length, and delivers professional PDF exports from a single voice recording.
As an in-house product, TalkDoc demonstrates the full range of what OurThinkTank ships: native mobile development, AI integration, subscription commerce, and app store deployment. The same team, the same process, the same quality we bring to every client engagement.