Along with co-founder Siena Leslie and Vicky Hsu as CEO,HabitRPGis now much more than just a spreadsheet.
We spoke with the founders to learn more about the original idea and how it all came together.
First of all, how would you describe HabitRPG to someone who has never heard of it?
Siena Leslie: HabitRPG is a game on web and mobile for improving your real-life habits and productivity.
Plus, we’re an open-source community, so anyone can jump in and contribute!
Where did the idea for the site come from?
Were you trying to solve a problem you’d experienced, or did the inspiration come from somewhere else?
Tyler Renelle: I’ve always been interested in habit-improvement, particularly regarding my personal ADHD management.
I’d read a handful of books on the topic, and was particularly struck byThe Power of Habit.
So that’s how proto-HabitRPG began: as a tiny, color-coded Google Docs spreadsheet.
After you came up with the idea, what was the next step?
Then came the fateful day, oh Lifehacker, whenyou posted thisand acquainted me with “Gamification.”
you could still see my comment (#2 in that article) as “Wait!
Wait, that’s exactly whatthiswebsite does!”
The three of us quickly found that we got along well and had complimentary skill sets.
The aesthetic obviously harkens back to 8-bit and 16-bit games.
What were your primary influences?
Siena: The original pixel art came from Mozilla’sBrowserQuest, an open source and Creative Commons project.
However, at the time there was only one avatar and a few pieces of armor and weapons.
No character customization, no pets, no monsters… Obviously, those days are long gone!
First, we like the nostalgia factor of pixel art.
Second, a ton of our art is contributed by awesome artists in our community.
We felt that simple pixel art was much more approachable for users looking to pitch in!
Tyler: you’re free to see a much more clear influence in the mechanics of the game.
Eventually, new contributors started bringing their own favorite gaming classics to the table.
At this point we’ve drawn influence from everything from Dungeons and Dragons to Gaia Online.
Siena: That being said, the site has really developed its own unique flavor and sense of humor.
Where else can you subdue the wickedLaundromancer, or band together to save the non-player characters from theAbominable Stressbeast?
We will frequently see posts in the chat areas saying things like, “Hooray!
I defeated Recidivate the Necromancer by washing all the dishes!”
How did you choose which platforms to target and which to ignore or wait on?
Tyler: I had a professional background in websites, so I started there to scratch my own itch.
We’re now beginning to investigate going native with our apps.
What was your biggest roadblock and how did you overcome it?
Tyler: Our original tech stack was an experimental and untested technology.
Since I hadn’t expected the product to explode in popularity, I hadn’t chosen a production-ready stack.
We lost alotof users to a tech stack which wasn’t scalablea time which lasted longer than should have.
What was launch like for you?
Tyler: The original launch?
Honestly, it was a nightmare.
I was ready to work personally with anyone who saw and liked my Lifehacker comment.
When 20k people took interest overnight (what are they feeding you, LH?
), I was at a loss.
Well, we did that and more.
Now the product’s ecosystem is a well-oiled machine.
How do you handle user requests and criticisms effectively?
Now, how do you split time between developing new features and managing existing ones?
Siena: We’re very lucky that our open source community is constantly implementing cool new features.
When a task is very difficult or critical, someone on our team will tackle it.
What advice would you give to others that want to take on a similar project?
Tyler: If you’re building an open source, yet profitable business,read this first.
Donotbegin without understanding licensing details.
If you’re not considering open source, consider it.
Our community’s contributions have been invaluable, and without them, HabitRPG wouldn’t have survived to today.
Siena: Don’t discountthe importance of community!
Don’t just talk AT your userschat with them, respond to them, and get to know them.
Anything else you’d like to say to readers, fans, and users?
Tyler: For any Lifehacker originals who remember theaforementioned articlein 2012you’re the reason we took off.
Stick with Lifehacker, they’re all right ;)
Vicky: We love you!
In a platonic, non-creepy way.
Siena: Get in touch with us!
Come say hi in theTavernor in theNewbies Guild.
Plus, since you’re reading this article on Lifehacker, you’ll probably fit right in.
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