Maxi

how do you make stories that actually react to user choices without it feeling weird?

trying to nail this for my language app and it's harder than I thought

the story has to flow like a real convo but also sneak in the right words

sometimes it just feels forced

still figuring it out

Just launched early access for Formula 100:

- Language learning app
- Comprehensible input + SRS
- One continuing story
- You steer the lesson’s end

Reminder: founder members get lifetime access for $10 & help shape the product.
DMs always open.

How is it that language apps build tools that:

- SO MANY people try

- SO MANY people get frustrated with (Duolingo, Memrise, Babbel)

They go against the usual advice for language learning success that starts with "make it fun and easy to love"

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i just found a social network that feels like the anti-distraction app i didn’t know i needed

no endless scroll, no fake progress, just real work, tracked in bytes

finally, proof of work actually means something

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just when you think language apps are neutral territory

Duolingo’s German lesson called JK Rowling “mean,” then apologized for it

even in vocab drills, can’t escape the culture wars

just realized I could convert Formula 100 in unique telenovela

plot twists every lesson, no heartbreak, and.... just spaced reviews that actually stick

honestly, i remember these stories better than anything i’ve binged

Do you have any feedback? Let me know!

https://formula-100.com

The sigma is also a greek symbol which is simple, cool and easy to remember

works well in low resolutions and I barely have seen it in other apps

the logo is just a simple capital sigma, common in math and science

Formula 100 is a method that follows the scientific method and proven approaches

we like science

Finally, using a number in the name will make it "translatable".

You can say:

- Formula one hundred
- Formula cien
- Formula hundert
- Formula [introduce your language here]

This name is just perfect 🌟

The 100 comes from the fact that our method teach you Spanish in 100 lessons.

We were also thinking the name "Formula 101" (which it is a common number for an introductory or basic level course) but I think is too much.

Formula 1 is the peak of motorsports. Formula 1 means speed, performance, and glamour. We have all except the last...

The name "Formula" is also very similar in multiple languages, so that helps branding (hopefully we can develop more languages in the future)

I was stuck on the name at first, had ideas like Ling Bolt, Lingua, Lingai... but I didn’t like them

then my girlfriend (she’s into F1 now like me) threw out Formula 100

Yesterday I finished the naming and logo for my Spanish learning app.

It’s called Formula 100

how did I come up with this?

I just learnt one thing: we need to sell the outcome, not the product

spent months explaining how my app works instead of what it actually does for you

people really don't care about features, they care about results

funny how long it took me to see that

lesson learned

Language Learning: Comprehensible Input, Spaced Repetition, Story-Driven Lessons

App: Formula 100, Early Preview, November Launch

Access: Founder Members, $10 Lifetime, Early Beta

Goal: Shape Product, Build in Public, Feedback Loop

who wants to be my first beta user? i’d like to help 🤔

I want to follow back more people who:
• Build language apps
• Love coding challenges
• Experiment with indie hacking
• Think in conversations
If that’s you, say hi!

we should probably stop saying MVP and start building MDPs

AI messes with how we test ideas

anyone got a reason this is off?

still building this thing. still occasionally freezing up in supermarkets.

but now i'm building the solution i actually needed

who wants to be my first beta user for Spanish?

https://lingua.nuxt.dev/

5/ what actually works

short practical phrases you'll use tomorrow.

with audio.

situations that actually happen to real humans buying groceries and living life.

4/ if you ever blank out in another language, you’re not alone

turns out everyone has their own 'tomato moment'

some freeze at restaurants. others panic at train stations.

same core problem: apps teach textbook stuff, life needs survival phrases.

3/ started learning a new way of learning

focused on real situations that made me sweat.

supermarket conversations. ordering coffee. asking for directions.

basically anywhere i'd previously just pointed and hoped for the best.

2/ existing apps missed the point

they teach you:

- perfect grammar structures
- formal conversation starters
- stuff you'll never actually say

but not 'help i'm blocking the produce aisle and need salt'

1/ the problem was real

studied german for months. felt confident.

then hit the supermarket and couldn't form basic sentences.

duolingo didn't prep me for 'excuse me where is the salt' panic mode.

building the language app i wish existed when i was freezing up in german supermarkets

turns out standing there confused while trying to ask for salt is universal

here's how personal frustration became something others might actually want 👇

been on x for months and still feel like i'm talking to myself

how do you actually find your people here? everything feels so scattered

am i missing something obvious or is this just how it works?

Tired of Duolingo?

- Spaced repetition
- Learn through real conversations
- Focus on speaking, not grammar drills
- Practice daily without the hassle
- Actually enjoy the process

This isn’t just another language app.
It’s a whole new way to learn.

i'm building a little tool that nudges me when a thread is heating up
honestly, i miss out on replies cuz i overthink or worry it's too late
still figuring out if anyone else feels this way
do you ever wish you had a push to just join the convo?

naming a saas is a maze. 3 hours in, still nothing good

everything’s either boring or weird

why is this so hard? any recommendations?

making the landing page + asking chatgpt for feedback = infinite loop

hard to know when to call it done, but setting a timer for feedback rounds helps me move on
never gonna be perfect