Rootd

Rootd: Small actions, real character. A daily prompt to seed the person you want to become. Build real character through small acts of Courage, Compassion & Cheerfulness. #StayRootd

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Rootd - Small actions, real character

Inspiration for Rootd

I've been fascinated by a simple question: What makes a good human?

This question started taking shape during my own upbringing in a middle-class joint family here in India. It followed me over the years as I interacted with thousands of people across the globe, of all ages and backgrounds. All those observations, all those ideas... they were just abstract.

The question became most urgent when I was raising my own daughter. I found myself thinking - what are the essential values that help us build a good and meaningful life?

After reflection and searching, I landed on three simple, powerful characteristics - the 3Cs - Courage, Compassion, and Cheerfulness.

Simply put - The virtues of having Courage for yourself, Compassion for others, and Cheerfulness in your spirit are the true roots of a meaningful life.

The final piece clicked into place during my countless walks on the Pune University campus. I'd look at the hundreds of old Banyan trees and see my three values reflected in them:

  • Their strong, deep trunk was Courage.
  • Their supportive canopy for everyone without judgment was Compassion.
  • Their aerial roots, ever growing and spreading around, were Cheerfulness.

Importantly, they were grounded. They were ROOTED. That's where the name "Rootd" came from—a modern, simple word for this timeless idea.

Rootd app is my attempt to help us all plant the seeds of these three values in our own lives.

What does Rootd do ?

Rootd is a digital sanctuary that helps young adults build character through small, daily, real-world actions. It's a quiet rebellion against the noise and pressure of social media.

Think of Rootd as your personal garden for growing character. Every day, we give you a little seed – a unique, bite-sized action – focused on one of three core traits: Courage, Compassion, or Cheerfulness.

  •   Your Daily Seed: Get a fresh, inspiring prompt each day to help you practice these virtues in your real life.
  •   Your Growing Tree: Watch your personal Banyan tree flourish in your digital garden as you complete actions. It's a living, breathing reflection of your inner growth!
  •   Your Private Journal: Jot down your thoughts and feelings after each action. It's like a personal diary of your character journey.
  •   The Grove – A Shared Space: If you feel like it, share your reflections anonymously with a supportive community. You can give and receive "support" on posts, creating a beautiful sense of connection without revealing who you are.
  •   Easy Start, Seamless Growth: Jump right in as a guest, and when you're ready, effortlessly move all your progress to a secure, cloud-synced account. No pressure, just smooth sailing.

Rootd is not about fixing mental health; it's about proactively growing who you are.

How we built it

We wanted Rootd to feel smooth and look beautiful, so we picked tools that help us do just that:

  •   The Front Door (Frontend): We used React and TypeScript to build a super responsive and reliable app that feels great to use. Tailwind CSS helped us make it look stunning and adapt perfectly to any screen.
  •   The Roots (Backend & Database): Supabase is our powerhouse here. It gives us a solid database (PostgreSQL) and handles all the secure user stuff, making sure your data is safe and sound. We even used some clever Supabase functions to make things like giving "support" to a post super efficient. We used localStorage for the "Guest User"
  •   Speedy Building (Development Environment): Vite is like our fast-forward button, letting us build and iterate quickly.
  •   Our Little Details (Icons): All those neat little icons you see? They're from Lucide React, keeping everything looking clean and consistent.

Challenges we ran into

Building Rootd was a journey, and like any good journey, it had its bumps :

  • The Concept Challenge: Our biggest challenge was a philosophical one: how to translate a deep, nuanced concept like "character" into a simple, intuitive digital experience. We had to constantly resist the urge to add features common in other apps—like streaks, scores, and competitive leaderboards—because they contradicted our core "non-competitive" philosophy.
  •   Making Growth Visible: How do you show something as abstract as "courage" growing? Designing the interactive Banyan tree to truly reflect your progress in a meaningful, dynamic way was a creative stretch.
  •   Ephemeral Community: We wanted "Grove" posts to be temporary, like fleeting moments of shared wisdom. Making sure they disappeared after 48 hours, while still allowing people to interact with them, required some clever backend choreography.
  •   Keeping Secrets Safe: "The Grove" is all about anonymous sharing, but we still needed to protect everyone's personal data. Crafting the right security rules (called Row Level Security in Supabase) to allow sharing while keeping things private was a delicate dance.
  •   The "Guest" Dilemma: Getting that initial "try it now" experience just right, then making sure all your local progress magically transfers when you decide to create an account? That was a puzzle! We spent a lot of time making sure no one's hard-earned growth ever gets lost.
  •   Landing Page Redirection Headaches: Getting the user flow just right on the landing page, especially with guest mode, sign-up, and sign-in, was surprisingly tricky. We had to try multiple approaches to ensure users landed exactly where they should, whether they were new, returning, or converting from guest to authenticated. It involved a lot of debugging and fine-tuning of our authentication and routing logic.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're incredibly proud of building a fully functional Web app in such a short time. But beyond the code, our biggest accomplishments are:

  • Defining a New Category: We didn't just build another wellness app. We designed a "character-building tool" that serves a deeper, unmet need for purpose and authentic identity. We put a lot of love into Rootd, and a few things really make us smile:
  •   The "Just Try It" Factor: We're really happy with how easy it is to jump into Rootd as a guest. It removes that initial hurdle, and then the seamless account creation means your journey is always safe.
  •   Your Living Tree: That Banyan tree isn't just a pretty picture; it genuinely makes your personal growth feel real and tangible. It's a constant, gentle reminder of how far you've come.
  •   A Kind Experience: We poured effort into every little detail – from the encouraging words to the gentle nudges – to make Rootd feel like a supportive friend, not a demanding taskmaster.
  •   Rock-Solid Foundation: Underneath all the beauty, there's a strong, secure system. Knowing your data is protected and the app can grow with you is a big win.
  •   Theme, Theme, Theme! We managed to weave the "tree" and "garden" story into every part of the app, making it feel like a truly immersive and cohesive experience.
  • Designing for "Psychological Safety": We are extremely proud of the concept for "The Grove." By architecting a community with no comments, no replies, and true anonymity, we believe we've created a blueprint for a genuinely non-toxic online space.

What we learned

This weekend reinforced a critical lesson: the why is more important than the what. A powerful, authentic story is the most important asset you can have. We also learned the importance of strategic discipline—knowing which features to leave out is just as important as knowing which to put in. Finally, we learned that constraints (like the hackathon's time limit) are a gift; they force you to focus on the core user value and make decisive, creative choices.

Building Rootd taught us a ton, not just about code, but about people and product:

  •   Supabase Superpowers: We really dug deep into Supabase, learning how to bend its advanced features (like those custom database functions and tricky security rules) to our will.
  •   The Heart of React: Managing all the different pieces of the app's state – your progress, your journal, your settings – using React's context system was a masterclass in keeping things organized and snappy.
  •   First Impressions Matter: The guest mode really hammered home how important it is to make it super easy for someone to try your product. Less friction equals more happy users.
  •   Connect Emotionally: We realized that the most successful products aren't just about features; they're about how they make you feel. Rootd aims to inspire and uplift, and that emotional connection is key.

What's next for Rootd

The garden is just beginning to grow! Here's what we dream of for Rootd's future:

Problem & Metaphor Validation: We will conduct in-depth user interviews with our target persona and run focus groups to test the resonance of the Banyan Tree metaphor. Launch a "Wizard of Oz" Prompt Test: We will test the daily prompt model using a simple WhatsApp or Telegram broadcast to validate engagement and retention before a full public launch.

  • Smarter Reminders: Imagine personalized nudges that gently remind you to tend to your character, just when you need it.
  • More You, More Tree: We want to add even more ways to customize your Banyan tree and garden, making it truly unique to you.
  • Deeper Insights: We'd love to give you more detailed insights into your growth patterns, helping you understand your journey even better.
  • A Richer Grove: Exploring new ways to connect and share wisdom anonymously within "The Grove," maybe even themed discussions.
  • Pocket-Sized Growth: Bringing Rootd to your phone with native iOS and Android apps, so your garden is always with you.
  • Ever-Expanding Wisdom: Continuously adding new prompts and maybe even letting the community contribute their own inspiring actions!

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