I Made This App Because I Kept Giving Up on Myself, So I Built uLuup

Today, I want to talk to you about uLuup. Its name comes from "you loop"

And I want to start this talk with this title: "I made this app because I kept giving up on myself."

Let me explain the first reason behind this: Last week, I completed 16 out of 18 days of a cycle. Seeing the progress made me genuinely happy. I finally felt like I reached a point where I could share this. Reaching around 160 users in the last 28 days also encouraged me. I want to share my experiences and what I've learned soon on YouTube.

uluup in AppStore and Google Play Store.I released my app four months ago, and I truly love what it has become today. I've actually needed something like this for a long time.

Drop

So how did it all start? It was about 10 months ago. I used to divide a piece of paper into small sections and write down simple things like brushing my teeth, doing Ring Fit, combing my hair, or applying cream.

My goal was to do the same things every day. Applying cream needed to be a routine. Ring Fit didn't have to be daily, but I wanted to see it at least every other day as a challenge.

The biggest reason I was doing this was because I genuinely struggled with tracking things and staying motivated. I have ADHD. Maybe I also have a learning difficulty I never understood before. I have a very weak memory, and I cannot keep certain things in my mind. Because of all this, I had a hard time accepting myself for years. I didn't know why I was like that.

Fun fact: Sharing parts of my life online sometimes makes me uncomfortable, yet it also relaxes me. It harms no one, yes, I'm proud of myself. Because I know many people are just like me. Talking about these things made me realize I might even help others.

Ember

The inspiration behind my app has two main layers. The first one came from the satisfaction of checking off things on paper. Even if I missed a day, I continued the next day.

At the end of the week, I could see what I had actually achieved. I used to decorate that paper with bits of a calendar I brought from work, adding daily notes.

But doing all of this took time, sometimes 1–2 hours. It was simply too much. So I quit.

Then I saw a hackathon. At a time when I still had unanswered questions about myself and things I struggled with, I thought, "What if I make an app for this?"

I wanted to turn my paper system into a digital version. But something was missing:

What exactly would the app give people?

At first, this wasn't clear. As I kept thinking, so many features came into my mind, too many.

Even now, I believe the features are great, but I also understand why some people might not grasp everything at first. I'm still working on that part.

Pulse

A long time ago, I learned about the Japanese concepts of Kintsugi and Wabi-sabi. They came back to my mind. I imagined my daily tasks as little stones.

A bowl represented my progress, and each completed task filled the bowl.

If one day I didn't do anything, the bowl would crack.

But when I came back the next day and completed tasks, it would be repaired with gold, just like Kintsugi.

So the metaphors of consistency, breaking, and healing all came together.

But still, how would people stay motivated?

That's why I created 18-day cycles and 4 seasons. Each season lasts 3 months.

My intention was to give people a new chance, not only at the beginning of a new year but every single season.

And as seasons progress, people would literally see their growth.

The seasons are:

Drop (January–March)

A time for small beginnings - simple, sustainable changes.

Ember (April–June)

A phase of renewal, refreshing your intentions, and re-evaluating what's working.

Pulse (July–September)

A period of gaining momentum, building routines, and letting habits become natural.

Rise (October–December)

A time of rising - seeing how far you've come and appreciating your progress.

The best part is that everyone joins the same season and the same cycle together.

 "We're in this season," "We're in this cycle," it creates a sense of community.

And it doesn't end there! At the end of the year, there are 5 days dedicated to reflection and rest. In the future, there will even be a Kintsugi book so we can see our progress chronologically through the year.

Still not done!

 Since the hackathon required using AI, I asked myself:

 "Okay, what happens after 18 days?"

 So at the end of each 18-day cycle, I added an AI-powered analysis that explains what went well and what didn't.

 Using AI not to take people's jobs, but to help them understand themselves;

this is the real beauty!

Rise

The 18-day cycle I just completed is especially meaningful to me. Because this time, I was able to truly track it, notice most of the bugs while using it, fix them, and improve the app.

As someone who struggled with eating issues, language learning problems, and forgetfulness in the past, I never imagined I could manage all of these at the same time.

But in this cycle, I studied a language, exercised, and built a water-drinking habit.

By the end, I reached 54% consistency, and I felt real improvements in my body, my face, my skin, and even my mind.

I often thought,

"I wish people could see this. I wish they could discover uLuup."

So I decided to write this. Maybe it will touch your life too. Maybe you'll download the app. Because honestly, I struggle to find people to test it. Some download it but don't understand what it is.

I don't blame them, I barely understand it sometimes myself 😄

I added many features, analytics, notifications…

I put a lot of effort into this, but the real improvement will come when more people use it.

I'm working full-time right now and I love my job. But I also want this app to reach people. I currently earn 0 dollars, and it will stay that way for a while.

But I strongly believe that this app will go far and become one of the best habit trackers out there.

Because streak systems alone don't motivate people anymore.

We need to act not through force or guilt, but through what genuinely benefits us.

And that is why I made uLuup.

I'm really curious to hear your thoughts.

Thank you so much.

Take care.