Six Years, One Idea: The Journey Behind IkigaiApp

Some projects need time, patience, and the right season of life.
IkigaiApp took six years, and every step made it what it is.

Where Everything Began (2020)

The first spark for IkigaiApp appeared inside Mavericks, a community for aspiring entrepreneurs.
There, surrounded by people who wanted to build something meaningful, I discovered the concept of Ikigai for the first time, and it immediately resonated.

I worked on a small pitch together with two people who helped shape the very first version of the idea.
The concept even received encouraging feedback.
But the truth was simple:
I didn’t yet have the technical range to build the product I was imagining.

So the idea stayed there, alive, but waiting.

The Years in Between: Slow Growth, Real Experience

From 2020 to today, I spent years refining the skills I needed:
backend architecture, cybersecurity, reliability, product thinking, and attention to detail.
Not glamorous skills, but the kind that quietly turn ideas into real systems.

During those years I explored writing, problem-solving, solopreneurship, small steps, and long-term clarity through communities like Small Bets by Daniel Vassallo and cohort-based learning.

And yes, when AI arrived, like everyone else I began experimenting.
Not to “let it build for me”, but to augment what I was already capable of.

The Turning Point

This September, after practicing modern workflows and experimenting with new tools, I had a simple thought:

“Maybe I can finally build that old idea.”

And once that door opened, everything started moving.
AI accelerated the execution, but only because the foundation was already there:
years of experience, precision, and the right questions.

That’s why IkigaiApp exists today, not because of two months of coding,
but because of six years of preparation.

Gratitude Along the Way

I’m grateful to those who shared early brainstorming sessions with me back in 2020.
And I’m grateful to the communities and thinkers who shaped my mindset:
pragmatism, purpose, positive action, and building step by step.

Their influence is subtle but present in every corner of this project.

A Positive Corner That Grows

Arnold Schwarzenegger calls his community The Pump “the Positive Corner of the Internet”:
a place where encouragement wins over cynicism, and consistency wins over excuses.

With IkigaiApp, I hope to extend that spirit,
another small positive corner where people can reflect, grow, and align their purpose with what the world needs.

If this resonates with you, start with the Ikigai Survey.
It isn’t a test, it’s a mirror.
Then take one small step your future self will thank you for.

If this story resonates, begin your journey here → ikigaiapp.life

Where Everything Began (2020)

The Years in Between: Slow Growth, Real Experience

The Turning Point

Gratitude Along the Way

A Positive Corner That Grows

Further Reading & Influences