Building Focumon as an Indie Hacker with Community-Driven Development (CDD)

• Why I Chose Community-Driven Development
• How I Collect and Use Feedback
• From Party Battles to Solo Adventures: A Real-Life Pivot
• The Challenges of Community-Driven Development
• Why CDD Works (And Why I’m Sticking With It)

When I first started working on Focumon, I had a simple idea: make productivity fun by turning everyday tasks into an adventure. But as any indie developer knows, an idea is just the beginning. The real magic happens when you put your product in front of real people.

That’s where Community-Driven Development (CDD) comes in.

Instead of building in isolation and hoping users like what I come up with, I’ve made a habit of involving the community in major product decisions. And it’s been a game-changer. Not only do I get better ideas, but I also avoid spending months building features no one actually wants.

In this one, I’ll share how CDD shapes Focumon, some real examples of how community feedback has improved the app, and the challenges (and surprises) that come with listening to your users.

Why I Chose Community-Driven Development

The truth is, I didn’t set out to follow any particular development philosophy. At first, I was just trying to build something fun and useful. But as soon as people started using the app, I realized something:

Users always see things you don’t.

For example, in the early days, the main screen of Focumon was built around “training centers” — areas where you’d choose a focus session. It made perfect sense to me. But users? They found it confusing.

Through conversations in our Discord community (about 100 users at that time, now has a diverse group of 1,500+ people), I kept hearing the same thing: they wanted a dashboard — a simple, clear way to track their progress. So, I scrapped the training center idea and replaced it with a dashboard that refreshes every day.

That shift not only boosted the app’s engagement rate, but it also reinforced the power of listening first. Since then, I’ve doubled down on CDD — because the best ideas almost always come from the people using your product every day.

How I Collect and Use Feedback

You might be wondering: how do you actually gather and manage community feedback without getting overwhelmed?

For me, it’s a mix of structured tracking and casual conversation:

1. Discord Discussions – Our community is incredibly active, and these real-time conversations give me an unfiltered view of what users love, what confuses them, and what they wish existed.
2. The Big Feedback File – I maintain a huge text file where I log interesting feedback — things that come up repeatedly, surprising suggestions, or ideas that make me go, “Huh, that’s smart.” I revisit this regularly to spot patterns, and eventually I’ll consider migrating the data to a better tool.
3. Gut Check + Community Check – Not every piece of feedback makes it into the product (you can’t build everything). I use my own judgment to filter noise, but often, the community helps by debating ideas and surfacing the most valuable ones.

A smaller community actually makes this easier. With 1,500 people, I get direct access to what they’re thinking without the noise you might face in a massive user base. It’s personal, real-time, and surprisingly efficient.

From Party Battles to Solo Adventures: A Real-Life Pivot

One of the biggest changes I’ve made thanks to community feedback? The Boss Battle system.

Originally, these battles were designed to be multiplayer-focused. Users would form parties of 6 and team up to take down bosses. Sounds fun, right? Except… a lot of people didn’t want to gather a team.

The community made it clear — they wanted a solo experience that fit their personal productivity flow. So, I pivoted:

• Single-Player Mode: Now, you can take on bosses by yourself, in a brand new event that replaced the old boss battle system.
• Roguelike Grid Progression: I added a grid-based map design where you unlock new paths and challenges as you progress.

The result? Users loved it. It was a perfect match for Focumon’s core mission—making productivity feel like an adventure, but doesn’t take much of your time & energy to enjoy the game.

(To Focumon trainers reading this that loved the old Boss Battles - the event will come back! But in a brand new design which doesn’t require a party to participate)

The Challenges of Community-Driven Development

CDD isn’t without its challenges. The biggest one? Balancing diverse opinions.

With users ranging from students to working professionals, feedback isn’t always aligned. Some want more gamification, others want fewer distractions. If I tried to build everything everyone suggested, the app would be a bloated mess.

So, here’s how I manage the balance:

1. Prioritize the Common Themes – If the same feedback keeps coming up, it’s worth investigating.
2. Filter by the Vision – Every decision gets checked against a simple question: Does this make productivity more engaging and fun?
3. Let the Community Self-Regulate – Surprisingly, when users discuss ideas together, the best ones naturally rise to the top. These organic discussions save me from having to make every decision myself.

Why CDD Works (And Why I’m Sticking With It)

Since embracing Community-Driven Development, Focumon has evolved in ways I never could have predicted on my own. Some of our most popular features—the progress dashboard, the solo Boss Battles, and even the latest world map exploration event — all came from user feedback.

But beyond the features, CDD builds trust. When users see their ideas shape the product, they’re more invested. They’re not just using an app — they’re helping create it.

And for me? It’s a constant reminder that the best way to build something people love is to build it with them.

If you’re an indie hacker (or just someone curious about product design), I can’t recommend this approach enough. Open the doors. Listen closely. Your community might just be your best product manager.

I’d love to hear from you! What’s your take on community-driven development? If you’re building something, how do you involve your users in the process? Drop a DM to me or join us on Focumon’s Discord Community — we’re always up for a good discussion.

– Milton, Founder & Programmer of Focumon