The Problem with To-Do Apps

To-do apps are everywhere. They help organize tasks, prioritize work, and boost productivity. If you’re the kind of person who thrives on getting things done and checking off boxes, this can be done in more than one way. I want to avoid a cycle where progress feels like a never-ending obligation rather than a source of motivation.

I wanted to flip this concept on its head. Instead of focusing on what’s left to do, Life Badger is all about celebrating what you’ve already accomplished. The idea was simple: track achievements over time and turn them into something tangible, like a collection of digital badges that visually tell the story of your progress.

Building for Long-Term Motivation

The core design principle behind Life Badger was that some achievements happen daily, but others might take years. Maybe you’re tracking books you’ve read, national parks you’ve visited, or programming languages you’ve learned. Some of these lists update weekly, while others might only change every few years. This app is designed to grow with you at your own pace.

To make this experience engaging, I focused on interactive and visually appealing badges. When you log an achievement, the corresponding badge animates, spins, or shines—small but meaningful effects to reinforce a sense of accomplishment.

The Business Model Shift: One-Time Purchase, No Ads

Most indie developers (including myself) have struggled with the decision between subscriptions, one-time purchases, or ad-based revenue. My last app, Today I Am, used a freemium model with a subscription for additional content. While it attracted a decent number of users, it never reached the revenue consistency I had hoped for. My earlier projects, Meal37 and TextTime, were more successful financially—both using a simpler one-time purchase model.

Reading Marc Lou’s article Ditch Your Subscription was the tipping point. The argument was compelling: many users are experiencing subscription fatigue, and for certain types of apps, a one-time payment provides a better balance between perceived value and long-term sustainability. So for Life Badger, I decided to go all in on this model—no subscriptions, no ads, just a single upfront purchase for a premium, uninterrupted experience.

Currently, Life Badger does not have any in-app purchases, but future updates will introduce Badger Boundless, a tier offering additional customizations and an unlimited number of achievement lists.

Lessons from Building Life Badger

Simplicity Wins: Instead of overwhelming users with feature bloat, I focused on making the core experience as polished and delightful as possible.

The Right Business Model Matters: Subscriptions might work for some apps, but they’re not always the best choice. In this case, a one-time purchase aligned better with how users engage with the app.

People Want to Celebrate Progress, Not Just Plan It: Many users are looking for an alternative to traditional productivity apps—something that acknowledges effort without feeling like another obligation.

Life Badger is available now on the App Store, I’m happy I built something that reflects how I want to track my own progress. If you’re interested, check it out and let me know what you think!

App Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/life-badger-achievement-log/id... Website: https://lifebadger.app/