07 Sep 2026 Social Journaling

It has been a very busy five months from the time the app went live. The first feedback was shocking. The most common feedback was about the app's User Experience. Hurroz has too much to offer but it overwhelmed new users. I didn't realize how things that are simple to me might look confusing to new people.

My daughter was the first one to point that out. And then she took feedback from her friends and initial testers. She has been central to shaping the user experience of the app. She also helps me bounce ideas.

It was a shock for me because I prided myself on my UX design. And there is a stark difference between designing someone else's app and designing our own app during development. It was only after the product positioning was defined that we managed to redesign everything. Special thanks to the book Obviously Awesome, I rediscovered why I started Hurroz.

At launch time, we wanted to target working professionals from 25 to 45 but the majority of downloads we received were from 18 to 25. Then we decided to optimize the app for Gen Z. Bright soothing colors in both dark and light mode. iPhone users are almost 50 percent in India which was another wake up call. More ad revenue with better eCPM, a happy surprise.

The social feed changed everything. As soon as we decided on Social Journaling as our product positioning, we needed a global feed. And a feed is great for every age group of users. When we started, we poured our everything into end-to-end encrypted notes, daily 5 minute habit builder and of course Reflective AI Chat called Sol. Thus our base is very strong for private journaling and we continue to offer these services.

However, the social journaling features are the ones that truly connected with people. Anonymous Journaling with Anonimo is the feature that resonated deepest and is the one that people kept coming back to. They loved that even the comments are anonymous and AI moderated. It costs us money now but I believe it's worth the positive experience I want the users to enjoy.

Some users share truly emotional stories and the comments made by other users so far have been heartfelt and honest. I guess the comment moderation is worth it. The biggest cost on our platform is AI moderation but I am confident that the nurturing environment it creates brings us closer to why I started Hurroz. A sanctuary to share your feelings. Happy. Sad. Venting. Or just a boring day.

The mundane things around us that look boring today will very likely become cherished when we get older and look back. Social media has become a highlight reel of everyone's best moments. However, anonymous social journaling truly lets you be yourself. A place that lets you be unguarded and candid at the same time.

Photo moodstatus is another cool thing that we introduced in Social Journaling where people simply write a couple of lines along with a photo. And simple photos like a dark room, ceiling fan, curtains make up 90 percent of our collection. Simply because we spent 90 percent of our time around these simple things. And if we can spend a couple of minutes to just relax and observe and be at peace with ourselves, that builds our self esteem and confidence.
What is something you got wrong recently — and what did it quietly teach you?