The tech industry loves “Stealth Mode”—hiding ideas in the dark until they are “perfect.” But we believe perfectionism is just procrastination in a fancy suit. It’s also the enemy of recovery. Shame thrives in secrecy, and we cannot build a tool to end shame if we are operating in the shadows. Today, we are officially committing to “Building in Public.” We are sharing our roadmap, our bugs, and our lessons to build the one thing an algorithm can’t fake: Trust.

[Image: A split screen showing a “Closed Door” (Stealth Mode) vs. an “Open Blueprint” (Build in Public) with the Accountably logo on the blueprint]

If you want to kill a bad habit, the first piece of advice is always the same: Tell someone.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant. When you bring a struggle into the light, it loses its power over you.

Yet, most companies building recovery tools do the exact opposite. They hide behind NDAs, “Stealth Mode” barriers, and glossy marketing that pretends they have all the answers. They treat you like a consumer, not a partner.

We are taking a different path.

We are building Accountably in public. No secrets. No “Wizard of Oz” curtain. Just raw, unfiltered progress.

Key Takeaways: The Open Source Mindset

• The “Perfectionism Trap”: Waiting until a product is flawless means you are building for your ego, not for your users. We are shipping early to learn fast.
• Trust is the Product: In an AI world, you don’t know what is real. By showing our work, we prove our humanity.
• The “Feedback Loop”: A “Build in Public” strategy allows us to pivot based on your needs in days, not months. This is “Agile Development” applied to mental health.
• Community as a Moat: Features can be copied. A community that helped build the product cannot.

The “Glass Box” Philosophy

We are treating this company like a glass box. You can see inside.

Why? Because the journey of building a startup mirrors the journey of recovery. It involves Resilience, dealing with Failure, and the need for Iterative Improvement.

By sharing our struggle to build this app—the bugs, the design arguments, the late nights—we are modeling the resilience we hope to inspire in you. We aren’t gurus sitting on a mountain; we are climbers on the same wall, just a few feet up.

What “Building in Public” Means for You

This isn’t just about us posting screenshots on Twitter/X. It’s about giving you a seat at the table.

1. You Shape the Roadmap

Most apps guess what you want. We ask.

• Do you want a “Panic Button” or a “Journal” first?
• Should the “AI Coach” be stern or gentle?
• Poll-Driven Development: We will be running weekly polls to decide which features get priority in the sprint.

2. Radical Accountability (For Us)

We are building an accountability app. If we miss a deadline, we will tell you. If we ship a bug, we will own it. We are holding ourselves to the same standard of Radical Honesty that our AI asks of you.

3. Early Access to the “Alpha”

By following the journey, you aren’t just a number on a waiting list. You are a Founding Member. You get access to the “Alpha” versions of the app—the rough, unpolished, but functional tools that no one else sees.

FAQ: The “Open Kitchen” Concept

Q: Isn’t sharing your ideas risky? Won’t competitors steal them? A: Ideas are cheap. Execution is expensive. We believe that by the time a competitor copies our “Feature A,” we will have already built “Feature B” based on your feedback. Speed and community connection are our protection, not secrets.

Q: Will “Building in Public” compromise my data privacy? A: Never. We share our business metrics (waitlist numbers, development velocity), not your user data. Your privacy remains a fortress. The “Glass Box” applies to our office, not your personal journal.

Q: How do I become an Alpha Tester? A: We are opening applications for the first 100 Alpha Testers this week. We aren’t looking for people who want a perfect app. We are looking for people who want to break things, give feedback, and help us build the tool they wish existed 5 years ago.

The Invitation

The door is open. The lights are on.

We are done waiting for “perfect.” We are starting now, with what we have, where we are. If you are tired of slick, corporate wellness apps that don’t understand the messy reality of addiction, join us.

Let’s build something real.

Join the “Build in Public” Waitlist (Secure your spot as a Founding Member and get the Alpha invite.)