An app that takes your money if you don't reach your goals
My wife and I just launched this app because we had so much fun with a fitness challenge we did we some friends recently where everyone put in $100 and defined their goals, then only the people who met their goals split the pot. It made us realize there's really no better motivator than money.It's better on mobile screens right now as we just designed for mobile screens for now. And we did manage to put it up on both app stores - it's low in the ranks but you should be able to search it by "Goalie challenges".We built it using the leanest tech stack - Ruby on Rails, server-side HTML (no JS), tailwindcss, then packaging it for iOS and Android using pwabuilder!
Users discussed the motivation effects of external rewards and losses, with many expressing skepticism about their effectiveness, especially for those with ADD/ADHD. The idea of using money as a motivator received mixed reactions, with some questioning the ethical implications and others interested in the concept. Concerns were raised about the potential for negative consequences, such as funding undesirable organizations or the system being exploited. The group dynamic and size, as well as the handling of unachieved goals, were also points of discussion. A few users sought advice on goal achievement and expressed interest in the open-source aspect of the project.
Users criticized the product for potentially not increasing motivation, wasting money, and lacking controls, leading to fake victories. Concerns were raised about the effectiveness of extrinsic motivators, small group sizes, system exploitation, and funding harmful groups. The use of punishment, unethical fees, and unclear money allocation were also mentioned. There were doubts about the handling of injuries and the verification process. Some saw it as a solution in search of a problem, with previous similar attempts failing. The product was also criticized for its approach to life goals and challenge accessibility.