Tell HN: Don't Vibe Your Design

About 5 months ago, I started building studyfoc.us, a study space and Pomodoro-style focus dashboard. It now has 10,000 users. Not huge numbers, but I’ve learned a lot from the journey of building this app.

Here’s what stood out

1. Anonymous login is a must

Most casual users don’t want to sign up just to test your app. If you don’t plan to support anonymous login, Google login is the next best thing. When I added Login as Guest, engagement jumped immediately. People just want to try before committing.

2. Vibe your code, but don’t vibe your design

Claude probably wrote half of my code, but the UI is terrible. I did all the design myself, and honestly, design isn’t that hard once you learn a few basics—spacing, typography, color balance, and small illustrations. Get those right and your website already looks better than most.

3. A community is a must

Without a community, your product feels lifeless. No feedback, no trust. I learned so much from users in my Discord server. Building a community isn’t hard either. Just place a Join Discord button where users can see it. The right users will find you and tell you exactly what they want.

4. Find your users on Reddit

Many people get banned for promoting products because their posts are purely promotional. Instead, share real value and insights, and casually mention your product name without a link. If people are interested, they’ll find it on their own. That’s how I got my first wave of users.

5. Trust is earned slowly

I started charging in September and made $50 that month. In October, I hit $100. Small progress, but it’s growing, and that matters more than anything else.

If you’re building something similar, don’t underestimate how far small design tweaks, community engagement, and honest sharing can take you.

You can check it out here → studyfoc.us