Outside

Inspiration

This started as a personal challenge: I was completely burnt out by doom-scrolling. Most platforms treat our attention like a slot machine, using endless feeds to trap us. I wanted a way to replace mindless swiping with intentional learning, and feel that same satisfaction you get from keeping a positive habit alive. At its heart, Outside asks: 👉 What if our screens gave us focus instead of fatigue?

What it does

Outside delivers exactly one multidisciplinary concept every morning, pulling from science, art, history, or philosophy.

Daily Reflection: Requires users to type a brief takeaway to ensure active comprehension rather than rapid consumption.

Streak Tracking: Rewards daily check-ins to help users build a calming, sustainable reading habit.

Premium Archive: Allows curious users to unlock the complete historical vault of past lessons.

How we built it

Mobile app made with:

Flutter & Dart → clean, fluid, and completely distraction-free interface.

OneSignal SDK → push notifications to gently remind users to take their daily mental break and celebrate streak milestones dynamically.

RevenueCat → seamlessly powering the Outside Pro premium archive without relying on ads.

Challenges we ran into

App Store Nuances: Navigating the notorious App Store Connect submission loop, specifically the requirement to bundle the very first auto-renewable subscription with the initial app build.

Review Hurdles: Quickly resolving an unexpected App Review rejection by correctly surfacing the standard Apple EULA.

Product Design: Designing intentional friction. Limiting users to just one lesson daily is counter-intuitive in modern software, but it was essential to maintaining the app's core philosophy.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully launching a fully approved, polished app on the App Store in time for the Shipathon 2026 global hackathon. Beyond the technical execution, establishing an ethical business model that actively respects the user's time and mental space is a massive win.

What we learned

Beyond refining iOS development workflows, the launch provided a masterclass in App Store submission intricacies.

Tracking progress turns intentional reading into a highly motivating daily game.

Thoughtful, single-daily reminders via OneSignal boost consistency without feeling annoying or spammy.

What's next for Outside

Rich OneSignal campaigns to dynamically celebrate 7-day and 30-day streak milestones.

Expanding the multidisciplinary curriculum inside the historical vault.

Home screen widgets showing the daily lesson hook.

Built With

• dart
• firebase
• flutter
• google-cloud
• onesignal
• openrouter
• revenuecat