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JOANNA TROJAK


I Thought I Needed a Break. Turns Out, I Needed Better Questions
A few weeks ago, I quietly stopped talking about my app. There were no dramatic announcements, no well-deserved vacation, and no burnout post. I just went silent. But the silence wasn’t restful—it was filled with doubt. After months of work, I wasn’t seeing the traction I hoped for. New users weren’t joining, and engagement felt like it was slowly fading. I wasn’t sure what was broken—or if anything was broken at all. For the first time, I genuinely started to question whethe
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Oct 254 min read


How I Freed Myself From a Toxic Co-Founder (And Why I’m Building Solo Now)
Back in 2020, I was a fresh graduate looking for a job, trying to find footing in a world that was still half-frozen by a pandemic. Like...
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Sep 285 min read


What I Gained from Pitching Solo at a Retreat in Ericeira
There’s something surreal about circling back—especially when that full circle includes shaky beginnings, deep self-doubt, and years of...
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Sep 144 min read


Why I Designed Our App to Be Quiet — Not Addictive
The Bottom Line : In a world where technology companies profit from stealing attention, apps designed for healing and mental wellness...
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May 267 min read


Self-Dating Isn’t Selfish: Why Prioritizing Solo Time Is a Radical Act
🧠 The Culture of Constant Connection vs. The Science of Solitude We live in a world that romanticizes external connection above all...
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May 256 min read


Everything I’ve Learned From 100 Days of Building in Public
💻 Day 1 Felt Like a Whisper I started building in public not because I had everything figured out — but because I didn’t. I was...
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May 193 min read


The First Time I Knew My Startup Was Failing — And Why I Kept Going Anyway
🧠 It Didn’t Start With a Fire — Just a Flicker No one tells you how slow startup failure can feel. It doesn’t usually explode...
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May 183 min read


Healing-Focused UX: How We Design for Reflection, Not Retention
🔁 Most Apps Want You Hooked — We Want You Home Let’s be real — most apps are designed to keep you stuck in a loop: Dopamine hits...
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May 123 min read


Self-Dating After Heartbreak: How to Rebuild Trust With Yourself
💔 When You Don't Just Miss Them — You Miss You There's a moment after every breakup — once the dust settles — when you don't just grieve...
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May 119 min read


The Co-Founder Breakup: What I Learned About Boundaries, Business, and Letting Go
💥 The Breakup No One Talks About Everyone talks about raising capital. No one talks about losing a co-founder. And yet, it's one of the...
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May 512 min read


I Am the Product: What Founding a Startup Taught Me About My Identity
😮💨 When You Are the Brand When you're a founder, especially in the early stages, your startup isn't just something you build — it...
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May 48 min read


Designing for Stillness: Why Our App Doesn’t Push You to Be Productive
⏸️ What If You Didn't Have to "Crush It" Today? Open most apps and you'll be met with something like this: "You're on a 5-day streak —...
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Apr 286 min read


Dating Yourself When You Feel Unlovable: The Real Work of Solo Love
Self-dating sounds cute when you're feeling good. But what about the days you feel empty, rejected, or like no one — not even you — wants...
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Apr 276 min read


How I’m Building a Startup in Public Without Burning Out or Selling My Soul
Sharing your startup journey online sounds great — until you’re knee-deep in burnout, performing for LinkedIn, and second-guessing every...
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Apr 213 min read


Healing While Building: How I Stay Emotionally Grounded as a Startup Founder
No one really talks about the emotional toll of building something from scratch. The anxiety. The identity crisis. The constant pressure...
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Apr 204 min read


Emotional UX: How We’re Designing a Self-Dating App That Loves You Back
Dopamine-driven apps dominate our lives — scroll, swipe, repeat. But what if tech could do something deeper? What if it could actually...
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Apr 144 min read


5 Brutal Lessons My First Startup Taught Me — And How I’m Building Smarter This Time
Starting a business is thrilling — until it’s not. My first startup left me with scars, wisdom, and a lot of journal entries. Here are...
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Apr 134 min read


Self-Dating Is the New Glow-Up: How to Fall in Love With Yourself (For Real)
It's 2025. We've swiped, ghosted, situationshipped, and spiraled through enough romantic chaos to make anyone question, "Is this it?" And...
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Apr 77 min read


Building in Public: The Raw Startup Journey Behind a Self-Dating App
Wait... What's a Self-Dating App? Yup, you read that right. I'm building a self-dating app — a platform designed not to help you find...
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Apr 67 min read


The Second Mistake in My Startup Journey: Focusing on Money Over Vision
Last week, I shared the first mistake I made in my startup journey—relying too much on other people's opinions and failing to trust my...
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Mar 206 min read
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