Photo of a blue lake with mountains in the distance

Our Story

Concept

While co-founding a previous startup that was struggling to take off in 2012, I was looking for ways to try and balance the daily stress of trying to grow a business. I would Google embarassing things like "how to be happier" and eventually got hooked on reading positive psychology blogs. One of the most common mood-boosting practices was called "3 good things" or gratitude journaling. This is the act of recording and reflecting on three positive moments (or things you are grateful for) each night. I started writing in a Google document, but I noticed some problems:

  • Forming a new habit is tough, especially with barriers like finding your misplaced notebook, searching for a Google doc, or opening Microsoft Word on your ancient computer. Most people fall asleep with their phone just inches away (another big problem).
  • Looking through old journals is a such a joy, but how often do we actually do this? With an app, you can create ways easily surface the past moments that really mattered.
  • Physical notebooks could get lost, filled up too quickly, ruined by a coffee spill, or read by your roommate. A phone could be even better than note pad or my laptop. It's secure, can sync to the cloud, makes it easy to add photos, and is almost always by your side.

The first version of Happyfeed was a simple iOS app - you couldn't edit or delete moments, add photos, or share anything with friends. Nevertheless, people discovered and started using it. Since then, I've had conversations with hundreds of journalers that have led to all sorts of new features ranging from an edit button to the Happiness Jar.

Mission

Happyfeed was created by an engineer with a passion for design and love of experimentation. Every new feature is constantly improved upon and takes advantage of the latest technologies. I value feedback from users above all else. Though I may not build every single suggestion, each conversation helps me learn more about how Happyfeed is used and how to steer the product in the right direction.

I recognize that technology has the power to both help and harm mental health. When you see a beautiful sunset, you shouldn't worry about how many likes it could get you. It's most important to savor that feeling and remember that little moments like that exist everywhere.

I believe that mental health is better with support. Friendship and social support are major factors in our well-being and happy moments should be shared (appropriately). I'm constantly trying to find the balance between creating private memories and selective sharing to enhance those moments.

My goal is to build something that will last for decades while you find more happiness. I get excited about finding new ways to bring positive psychology research into simple, delightful experience in our little app.



Building Community



Happyfeed has a tiny team behind it (just me, Matt), but I'm thrilled to have some very passionate users - many having completed 1000 or even 2000 days. Hearing from people in the community almost always leads to improvements in the app. That could mean coming up with new feature idea, having an honest conversation about how someone uses Happyfeed, or just using the product and telling your friends.

To get involved send me a message.

Or try out the Plus version to support this journey 😄



Get In Touch



To get in contact for any other reason (feedback, issues, high-fives), send me a brief message at [email protected].

I'd love to hear from you! Every little detail matters, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

Matt Kander headshot

Matt Kandler, Founder of Happyfeed

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