Why I built AxoHabit (and why it has an axolotl)

Quick note: this post is English-only on purpose. I’m using it to test that the blog handles a post without a Spanish translation correctly — so if you landed here from a Spanish search and the Spanish version isn’t available, that’s expected, and it’s why.

The short version

I built AxoHabit because I tried every other screentime app first and watched myself bypass all of them within a week.

That’s the whole origin story. Everything else is details.

The longer version

I’m a solo developer. I’m not a psychology researcher. I’m not a VC-backed founder. I built AxoHabit in the margins of my life because I needed it to exist.

The problem I had was very specific and very common: I could sit down with the intention of doing something meaningful — writing, working out, reading a book — and thirty seconds later find myself on Instagram with no memory of how I got there. I tried Opal. I tried Jomo. I tried One Sec. I tried Forest. I tried deleting the apps. I tried putting my phone in another room (this one actually works; see my other post).

None of them stuck. Most lasted about a week. The apps were all well-built. The problem wasn’t the apps. The problem was that they all assumed I had willpower to spare in the exact moment I didn’t have any.

What I realized — after a lot of failed attempts — was that the thing I needed wasn’t more friction. The thing I needed was a trade. If my brain wanted TikTok, fine, my brain could have TikTok. But only in exchange for doing something that I’d already agreed was valuable. A push-up. A page of a book. A glass of water. Something concrete, something provable, something that existed in the physical world.

That’s the whole mechanic AxoHabit is built on. You block the apps you want to reduce. You pick habits you want to build. You do a habit, take a photo, let the AI verify it. You earn coins. You spend coins to unlock screentime. The path to the phone goes through the thing you wanted to do anyway.

Why an axolotl

This one I get asked a lot.

Axolotls are the official mascot of “being stuck underwater while also being very cute about it.” They have gills. They smile. They’re endangered and beloved and slightly absurd. If you had to pick an animal to represent the feeling of trying to build better habits while being fundamentally a creature of comfort and water, the axolotl is it.

Also, I’m Mexican, and axolotls are a Mexican national treasure. They live in Xochimilco. Their scientific name is Ambystoma mexicanum. Building a Mexican habit app with a Mexican mascot felt right.

The aesthetic choice wasn’t strategic. I wanted the app to feel kind. Most productivity apps feel like drill sergeants. They shame you. They send passive-aggressive notifications. They make you feel like you’re behind on a metric. I wanted AxoHabit to feel like the axolotl — cheering you on, unbothered, a little silly, genuinely on your side.

If you hate that aesthetic, AxoHabit is probably not for you, and that’s fine. Opal will serve you better. But if you’ve ever tried to “gamify yourself into discipline” and noticed that the harsh-coach apps make you feel worse, not better, the axolotl is for you.

What’s next

I’m writing this post on the day I deploy the blog. Before today, the only thing at axohabit.com was a landing page. Now there’s this.

Near-term plans:

• Ship more posts in the three pillars I care about: screentime science, habit formation, and honest app comparisons. One post every two weeks. Bilingual where I can keep up.
• Finish getting AxoHabit approved on Google Play. It’s in review.
• Add a few more habit categories inside the app.
• Not raise money. Not hire a team. Not pivot. This is a solo project and I want it to stay one.

If you’re reading this, you’re one of the first people to find the blog. Thank you. If you have thoughts, you can email me at contact@blue-nova-tech.com. I read everything, and I answer almost everything.

And if you want to try AxoHabit: it’s free on iOS. The only thing it’ll cost you is a push-up.