Hey Indie Hackers! 👋I’m excited to add my iOS app – "Merite: Earn Screen Time", to the platform
I lost my job a while ago. A major frustration in my past experience was that the projects I contributed to rarely reached the release stage. I was tired of writing code that never saw the light of day, so I decided to take full ownership and ship something myself from scratch.
Merite turns productivity into a currency: users complete their personal tasks to earn screen time, which they can then 'spend' on the apps they usually waste time on. What started as a solo mission to just "ship a real product" has evolved. It’s been live on the App Store for over 4 months now, and it’s slowly gathered a genuinely loyal user base.
Nice launch. If the reward system is the hook and mindful usage is the retention driver, I’d separate those metrics early: task completed, screen time earned, screen time actually spent, and whether the user returns before the next urge hits. Otherwise it is easy to optimize for earning time while accidentally training people to think about the distracting apps more often.
Thanks! That's an amazing insight. Accidentally optimizing for the 'urge' is exactly what I want to avoid. I'll definitely look into splitting these metrics on my end.
The most interesting part isn't earning screen time—it's changing the relationship people have with their phone. I'd keep validating whether users stay with Merite because it limits distractions, or because it gives them a reward system that makes productive habits sustainable over time.
This is exactly the core value I'm aiming for. From what I’ve seen with my daily active users, the 'reward system' acts as the initial hook, but the shift towards intentional, mindful phone usage is what keeps them long-term. Thanks for the great insight!
Appreciate the context.
The shift from reward to long-term behavior change is the interesting part here.
Would be curious to hear more about what you're seeing from daily users.
What's the best email to reach you on?