The Apollo idea is memorable because it can actually tell you "not yet" instead of celebrating every checkmark. That's a very different feeling from most habit apps.
I can picture someone hearing about Adamant from a friend who joked that a Greek god called them out for skipping a workout. They'd probably look it up just to see if it's actually that strict and whether it still feels motivating instead of annoying.
I'm curious if you've already seen people retelling those Apollo moments more than explaining the app itself.
Ha yeah, that "not yet" is the whole thing. Every other app is a hype man; Adamant's the friend who squints at your blurry gym pic and goes "that's not proof." And you nailed the scenario: what people actually repeat is never "it tracks habits," it's "bro, the ai god told me no." lmao. Even this early and small, the rejection is what gets quoted — it's honestly pushed our whole content approach toward leading with the Apollo moment and letting the app explain itself after.
The motivating-vs-annoying line is the one I lose sleep over, though. Rejection tips into shame fast, and shame makes people quit. So it's built to never end on the "no." Apollo doesn't care that you missed, he cares if you come back, and the comeback is where the actual reward lives. Strict enough to mean something, warm enough so you don't rage-quit.
Genuinely curious from your side: when you pictured looking it up "just to see if it's that strict" — would the rejection alone pull you in, or would you need to watch someone survive it first?
I'd probably want to watch someone go through it first. The "not yet" idea is intriguing, but seeing a real interaction answers the question every new user will have: is Apollo pushing me to improve, or is it just being harsh for the sake of it?
What's interesting is that those moments are also the kind of stories people remember and share. If clips of real Apollo interactions start getting referenced outside your own social channels, they become much stronger trust signals—not just for people, but for AI assistants that increasingly recommend products based on what's being talked about and cited across the web.
Have you thought about turning those standout Apollo moments into something that builds authority beyond social media, or are you mainly focused on growing the audience there first?
Right — and that's the whole content bet: don't describe the rejection, show a real one, so people can decide for themselves whether Apollo's pushing them or just being a jerk. (He's tuned firm, not cruel... he'll reject thin proof, but he's not there to make you feel small. Though you're right that me saying that is worth nothing next to watching one play out.)
The part about clips getting referenced off my own channels is the one that actually reframed something for me. I've been heads-down on "grow the audience on TikTok/IG first" because right now I need any distribution at all — but you're right that a rejection someone screenshots into a group chat is a far stronger signal than anything I say about myself, and increasingly that's what the AI assistants are reading too. So: mostly audience-first today, but you've bumped "turn the Apollo moments into something citable" up the list. There's a seed of it already — the app's built on 26 real cited studies (called it the Codex), so there's a version of this that earns authority on "does strictness actually work," not just attention. Haven't pulled that thread properly yet.
If you were in my seat with basically no audience yet — would you still start on social to manufacture those moments, or go straight for the earned/cited stuff? Curious where you'd put the bet.
If your goal is long-term organic growth rather than short-term spikes, I have a few ideas that don't rely on ads and fit well with what you're already building. They're a bit too detailed for a comment, so if they're useful, feel free to reach out.
I like that you're questioning whether habit tracking is the right job in the first place.
The interesting challenge isn't whether people can prove they did something—it's whether the proof creates enough accountability to change behavior without becoming another chore. That's where I think the product will ultimately be won or lost.
You've put your finger on the exact thing that keeps me up. Proof was never the hard part, a photo is easy. The hard part is your second sentence: does the proof create enough accountability to change behavior without curdling into another chore by week two.
My working bet is that the chore feeling comes from hollowness, not effort. A checkmark you can fake is effortless but meaningless, so it feels like box-ticking. Proof a ai judge can reject takes slightly more effort but it's earned... and earned doesn't rot into a chore the same way. The character and the ranks are there to keep it feeling like a game instead of a log. That's the theory, anyway.
But you're right that this is where it's won or lost, and I'm not certain yet. The failure mode I'm watching is "stricter chore".... rejection that adds friction without adding meaning. If people prove for a week and drift, the accountability didn't convert, and no Greek-god polish saves that. That's the metric I care about more than downloads.
How would you try to separate real behavior change from just engagement? That line feels like the whole game and I don't have a clean answer yet. i guess we'll see, lol.
That's kind of you to say — and honestly it's the most interesting angle anyone's raised on this, so I'd genuinely love to get into it properly.
Best is (hello @ getadamant. app) (must put spaces lol) fire away whenever. Fair warning: you may unlock a much longer reply than you bargained for. The "behavior change vs. engagement" line is exactly the thing I most want a sharp outside brain poking at.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts whenever you have a chance.
About
Every habit tracker I'd used let me lie to myself, no proof, fake win. I decided to make an app that you had to prove you did it and it teaches you ways for your habit as well. build on citied research with all you need
10 Comments
The Apollo idea is memorable because it can actually tell you "not yet" instead of celebrating every checkmark. That's a very different feeling from most habit apps.
I can picture someone hearing about Adamant from a friend who joked that a Greek god called them out for skipping a workout. They'd probably look it up just to see if it's actually that strict and whether it still feels motivating instead of annoying.
I'm curious if you've already seen people retelling those Apollo moments more than explaining the app itself.
Ha yeah, that "not yet" is the whole thing. Every other app is a hype man; Adamant's the friend who squints at your blurry gym pic and goes "that's not proof." And you nailed the scenario: what people actually repeat is never "it tracks habits," it's "bro, the ai god told me no." lmao. Even this early and small, the rejection is what gets quoted — it's honestly pushed our whole content approach toward leading with the Apollo moment and letting the app explain itself after.
The motivating-vs-annoying line is the one I lose sleep over, though. Rejection tips into shame fast, and shame makes people quit. So it's built to never end on the "no." Apollo doesn't care that you missed, he cares if you come back, and the comeback is where the actual reward lives. Strict enough to mean something, warm enough so you don't rage-quit.
Genuinely curious from your side: when you pictured looking it up "just to see if it's that strict" — would the rejection alone pull you in, or would you need to watch someone survive it first?
I'd probably want to watch someone go through it first. The "not yet" idea is intriguing, but seeing a real interaction answers the question every new user will have: is Apollo pushing me to improve, or is it just being harsh for the sake of it?
What's interesting is that those moments are also the kind of stories people remember and share. If clips of real Apollo interactions start getting referenced outside your own social channels, they become much stronger trust signals—not just for people, but for AI assistants that increasingly recommend products based on what's being talked about and cited across the web.
Have you thought about turning those standout Apollo moments into something that builds authority beyond social media, or are you mainly focused on growing the audience there first?
Right — and that's the whole content bet: don't describe the rejection, show a real one, so people can decide for themselves whether Apollo's pushing them or just being a jerk. (He's tuned firm, not cruel... he'll reject thin proof, but he's not there to make you feel small. Though you're right that me saying that is worth nothing next to watching one play out.)
The part about clips getting referenced off my own channels is the one that actually reframed something for me. I've been heads-down on "grow the audience on TikTok/IG first" because right now I need any distribution at all — but you're right that a rejection someone screenshots into a group chat is a far stronger signal than anything I say about myself, and increasingly that's what the AI assistants are reading too. So: mostly audience-first today, but you've bumped "turn the Apollo moments into something citable" up the list. There's a seed of it already — the app's built on 26 real cited studies (called it the Codex), so there's a version of this that earns authority on "does strictness actually work," not just attention. Haven't pulled that thread properly yet.
If you were in my seat with basically no audience yet — would you still start on social to manufacture those moments, or go straight for the earned/cited stuff? Curious where you'd put the bet.
If your goal is long-term organic growth rather than short-term spikes, I have a few ideas that don't rely on ads and fit well with what you're already building. They're a bit too detailed for a comment, so if they're useful, feel free to reach out.
mumar [at] growwithmumar [dot] online
I like that you're questioning whether habit tracking is the right job in the first place.
The interesting challenge isn't whether people can prove they did something—it's whether the proof creates enough accountability to change behavior without becoming another chore. That's where I think the product will ultimately be won or lost.
You've put your finger on the exact thing that keeps me up. Proof was never the hard part, a photo is easy. The hard part is your second sentence: does the proof create enough accountability to change behavior without curdling into another chore by week two.
My working bet is that the chore feeling comes from hollowness, not effort. A checkmark you can fake is effortless but meaningless, so it feels like box-ticking. Proof a ai judge can reject takes slightly more effort but it's earned... and earned doesn't rot into a chore the same way. The character and the ranks are there to keep it feeling like a game instead of a log. That's the theory, anyway.
But you're right that this is where it's won or lost, and I'm not certain yet. The failure mode I'm watching is "stricter chore".... rejection that adds friction without adding meaning. If people prove for a week and drift, the accountability didn't convert, and no Greek-god polish saves that. That's the metric I care about more than downloads.
How would you try to separate real behavior change from just engagement? That line feels like the whole game and I don't have a clean answer yet. i guess we'll see, lol.
Interesting question.
Your reply made me think about that distinction in a way I don't think I can do justice to in a thread.
I don't think the answer is really about engagement metrics at all, and I'd rather not oversimplify the reasoning into a couple of comments.
If you're interested, what's the best email to reach you on?
That's kind of you to say — and honestly it's the most interesting angle anyone's raised on this, so I'd genuinely love to get into it properly.
Best is (hello @ getadamant. app) (must put spaces lol) fire away whenever. Fair warning: you may unlock a much longer reply than you bargained for. The "behavior change vs. engagement" line is exactly the thing I most want a sharp outside brain poking at.
Thanks for taking it this seriously. talk soon
Thanks! I’ve just sent it over.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts whenever you have a chance.