Why Setting a Goal First Made Building My App Possible (My Journey with Yumzy)

As indie hackers, we all love the excitement of building. The rush of spinning up a new repo, sketching out UI ideas, or testing an API integration—it’s addictive.

The Turning Point: Setting a Goal First

Instead of asking myself “What app should I build?” I started asking “What problem do I actually want to solve, and why?”

That mindset shift was everything. I defined a clear personal goal:
👉 Make cooking easier, more inspiring, and more accessible using AI.

This goal wasn’t just about launching “another app.” It was about creating something I would personally use and enjoy, while solving a real pain point that others face too.

From Goal to Product: Building Yumzy

With that clarity, building became focused instead of overwhelming. That’s how Yumzy was born—an AI-powered recipe discovery app.

Instead of getting lost in endless features, I asked: “Does this serve the goal?”
• The structured recipe format? ✅ It makes cooking more practical.
• Voice input and AI-driven guidance? ✅ It makes the experience more accessible.
• Clean UI with simplicity at the core? ✅ It keeps the app usable for everyone.

Each decision was guided by the original target, and that gave me momentum.

What I Learned Along the Way
• Start with “why,” not “what.” Goals keep you from chasing shiny distractions.
• Constraints are powerful. When every choice has to serve the goal, you move faster.
• Clarity attracts users. People resonate more with a product that clearly solves one defined problem.

The Takeaway

If you’re building as an indie hacker, my biggest advice is simple: don’t start with the app. Start with the goal. Let the goal be your compass. The product will naturally grow out of it.

That’s what worked for me with Yumzy, and it’s what kept me shipping instead of stalling.

👉 Here’s Yumzy if you want to check it out:

https://yumzy.orionthcomp.tech/
⸻

Question for the community:
Do you usually set a clear goal first when building, or do you let the product evolve organically as you go?