The paradox of building a sleep app: How do you design for "anti-engagement"? 🌙
Hey everyone! 👋 I’m currently building an app called SleepAI.com, and my team and I are wrestling with a really interesting product dilemma. In most apps, you want users glued to the screen. But we are building an AI sleep companion (using CBT-I principles), which means our ultimate goal is for the user to put their phone down and go to sleep. We’re experimenting with adding gentle...
Do you have a bedtime ritual?
I’ve been noticing how different people wind down at night in very different ways. Some people need total silence. Some play music or white noise. Some scroll their phones (even though we probably shouldn’t). Some journal, meditate, or read a few pages of a book. I’m curious — Do you have a fixed bedtime ritual? What helps your brain switch into “sleep mode”? Trying to learn how people actually...
Do you need and AI Sleep Companion?
If you need, which type of it you like? If you don't, what's in your mind?
What’s the most useful AI companion you’ve tried so far?
AI companions are quietly becoming a new category. Not just chatbots — but tools people actually rely on every day. Some help with coding. Some help with productivity. Some help with mental health or sleep. Curious what people here are using. What AI companion do you actually come back to daily? Recently I’ve been exploring how AI can help people unwind before sleep. We’re experimenting with...
Can a subscription-only app truly sustain long-term revenue?
We’re building a subscription-based app, and I keep asking myself: Can a product survive long-term on recurring memberships alone? In theory, subscriptions sound perfect — predictable revenue, LTV growth, compounding effect. But in reality: CAC keeps rising Churn is brutal Users hesitate before committing For founders here building subscription apps: Are you profitable (or growing) purely from...
Seeking brutal feedback: Are we solving the right problem for sleepers?
Hi everyone! 👋 We’ve been working on a concept that combines AI companionship with CBT-I principles to help people fix their sleep schedules. The idea is to have a "partner" (not a coach) who goes through the journey with you. But I’m curious—when you struggle with sleep, is it the routine that fails you, or the loneliness of those 3 AM hours? Would love to hear your thoughts on whether an AI...
What’s one assumption you had before launch that turned out to be wrong?
Before launching, we all have strong assumptions about users, features, growth, or positioning. Then reality hits. For those who’ve shipped something — what’s one assumption you were completely wrong about? And how did it change your product (or strategy)? Curious to learn from the unexpected lessons.
Are we witnessing a revolution — or recreating a bubble?
Every day I open my phone and see: “If you’re not learning AI now, you’re already behind.” “AI replacing humans — countdown has started.” There’s this constant pressure — like if you don’t jump in immediately, you’ll be left behind. We’ve seen this before. When blockchain was everywhere, the narrative felt almost identical. But if we zoom out and look at it over time: How many people actually...
AI can generate code in seconds. But can it fix your sleep?
AI can: – write production-level code – generate images – simulate conversations But sleep is messy. Emotional. Biological. Do you think AI can meaningfully improve something as human as sleep? Or are we overestimating what AI should do in wellness? Curious to hear what builders think.
Designing Sleep with AI
Sleep isn’t a content problem. It’s a regulation problem. Most sleep apps play sounds. Some offer meditation scripts. We built something different. An AI sleep companion that: – adapts to your breathing – responds to your nervous system – adjusts sound in real time – monitors your sleep quality – gives you a personalized sleep recovery plan The goal isn’t distraction. It’s physiological calm....