MODE

Stop setting goals, start building systems. MODE is the minimalist AI coach for high-performance creators.

Comment

MODE: Systems Over Goals

💡 Inspiration

"You don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems."

We were inspired by the philosophy of Simon @ BetterCreating, but we identified a critical flaw in current AI tools: they feel lonely. Most AI chatbots wait for you to ask a question. Real coaches don't wait—they check in on you.

We wanted to build MODE not just as a tool, but as a relationship. We aimed to make the AI Coaches (Marcus, Aris, Maya) feel like real humans who care about your long-term roadmap.

🏗️ What it does

MODE is a minimalist workspace that turns AI into an active accountability partner.

  • Human-Centric AI Personas: Users choose a specific partner (e.g., Marcus for Business Strategy). These aren't generic bots; they have distinct personalities and memory.
  • Strategic Roadmaps: Instead of a simple to-do list, the AI generates a comprehensive Strategic Roadmap, breaking down big ambitions into a weekly system.
  • Automated Accountability: The system acts proactively. It is designed to send automated follow-up emails and notifications, treating the AI coach as a real person who checks if you stuck to the plan.
  • Pro Tier: RevenueCat manages the subscriptions that unlock this "Active Coaching" experience.

⚙️ How we built it

We prioritized a high-velocity hybrid stack, embracing a "Vibe Coding" workflow:

  • Intelligence & Vibe Coding: We used Google AI Studio to prototype the personas (Marcus, Aris, Maya). Instead of writing rigid code first, we "vibe coded" the interactions in AI Studio until the coaches felt emotionally intelligent and human, then exported those prompts to our app.
  • Frontend: Built with React and TailwindCSS, following a strict "Dieter Rams" black-and-white aesthetic.
  • Mobile Core: We used Capacitor to wrap the web application into a native Android App Bundle (.aab).
  • Monetization: We integrated RevenueCat (Web/Hybrid SDK) to handle entitlements (pro_access) and offerings (monthly, annual). This allowed us to focus on the "feel" of the app rather than backend billing logic.

The core value formula for our app is: $$\text{Impact} = (\text{AI Intelligence} + \text{Human Connection}) \times \text{Consistency}$$

🚧 Challenges we ran into

  • Making AI Feel Human: Tuning the Gemini prompts to sound like a tough-but-fair coach (Marcus) vs. a supportive guide (Maya) required extensive testing.
  • Android Build Configuration: Migrating from web to a signed .aab involved complex Gradle troubleshooting in Android Studio.

🏅 Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Transforming a passive chatbot into an active system that generates roadmaps.
  • Successfully implementing RevenueCat in under 24 hours to manage the business logic.
  • Deploying a functional Android app that feels native.

🧠 What we learned

  • Engagement is Emotional: Users stick to a system when they feel "watched" (in a good way) by a coach. The automated follow-up loop is key to retention.
  • RevenueCat is essential: It allowed us to focus on the coaching logic rather than billing infrastructure.

🚀 What's next for MODE

  • Hyper-Realistic Voice Coaching: We plan to integrate the ElevenLabs API to give each persona (Marcus, Aris, Maya) a distinct, human-quality voice. We want users to have real-time voice conversations with their coach, not just text chats.
  • Native iOS Build: Expanding from Android to the Apple App Store.
  • Full Email Integration: Connecting the AI roadmap generator directly to SendGrid/n8n for automated weekly reports and "check-ins" from your coach.
  • Wearable Integration: Wrist-based nudges to keep you on track without opening the phone.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates