Why I built Meowvation？

Hey Indie Hackers! 👋

I’m an indie dev from Chengdu, China 🇨🇳, and I want to share the story behind my current project, Meowvation.

The Origin: Beating my own procrastination The idea didn't start with a grand business plan; it started with my own struggle to stay focused. I recently put myself through a 10-day challenge to completely stop endlessly scrolling on my phone, keeping a daily diary to document the experience. During that time, I realized how incredibly hard it is to fight the urge to reach for the screen.

More importantly, I realized that relying on harsh rules, guilt, or self-punishment to build discipline rarely works long-term. We don't need more stress; we need gentle encouragement.

Enter Meowvation I wanted to build a tool that provides instant, positive feedback for doing the hard things. Meowvation is a cozy habit-building app that combines focus tracking, virtual cat raising, and room decoration.

Here is how it works:

• 🍅 Turn Positive Habits into Treats: Every time you put in effort—whether you’re studying, running, or just staying focused—you earn "fish treats." It turns your real-world discipline into your virtual cat's favorite snack.

• 🛋️ Decorate Your Sanctuary: You can spend your hard-earned fish treats to unlock adorable furniture (rugs, desks, sofas, cozy plants). I went with a very warm, hand-drawn 2D art style because I wanted the app to feel like a healing, safe space—almost like a cozy little treehouse for your mind.

The Core Philosophy I believe true self-discipline is about gamifying the journey so that every moment of focus gives you joy. Instead of dreading a study session, you're looking forward to earning rewards to pamper your cat and building a heartwarming home together. Turn your self-discipline into your cat's favorite fish treats!

I’m currently heads-down building this out. If you struggle with procrastination or just love cozy, hand-drawn aesthetics, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this approach to habit building!