That Ego-Check Moment When You Discover Someone Already Built Your "Unique" Idea... But Way Better

We've all been there: you're in the shower, or on a walk, and BOOM—the "million-dollar idea" strikes. You can see it all: the landing page, the TechCrunch feature, and the acquisition offer from Google.

Let me go first:
The "Brilliant" Idea:
I've been deep in the habit-tracking space for years. As a productivity geek, I've tried every app: Habitica, Streaks, HabitBull, you name it. But I kept hitting the same frustration:

"Why do all habit trackers only measure if you did something, not how well you did it?"

My revelation: a habit tracker with quality scoring.

My Vision: "Momentum"

Not just checking off "meditated"

But rating: How focused was it? (1-5 stars)

Not just "worked out"

But how intense? How long? How did you feel after?

With AI that spots patterns: "You give your workouts 5 stars on Tuesdays but 2 stars on Fridays. What's different?"

I mapped it all out:

• Daily "quality reflections" instead of binary checkmarks
• Pattern recognition algorithms
• "Energy flow" visualization showing when you do your best work
• Social accountability with quality-based leaderboards (not just streaks)

I was CONVINCED this was going to be a big thing. "Everyone's tracking wrong!" I thought. "Binary habits are so 2010!"

The Validation Wake-Up Call:

I posted in an Indie Hackers forum: "Building a quality-first habit tracker—thoughts?"

The first reply: "Like Exist.io or Gyroscope?"

What Already Exists (And Is Brilliant):

Exist—Not only tracks habits but also:

• Correlates them with mood, productivity, weather, sleep
• Uses machine learning to find patterns you'd never notice
• Beautiful, minimalist design that makes my wireframes look amateur
• Already has a loyal paying user base

Gyroscope—Takes it even further:

• Full life dashboard integrating Apple Health, RescueTime, location, fitness
• "Coach" feature with AI-powered recommendations
• Stunning visualizations that make data beautiful
• Mobile-first experience I hadn't even considered

Way of Life—Simpler but Smarter:

• Color-coded quality tracking (exactly my idea)
• Focus on establishing patterns, not just streaks
• Clean analytics showing what actually impacts your habits

The Most Humbling Realization:

Exist specifically does almost everything I imagined—but with 3 years of iteration and polish I hadn't accounted for:

• Their tagging system—users can add custom tags to any activity, creating infinite correlations I hadn't considered
• Their API integrations - Automatically pulls data from 30+ services (I was planning manual entry)
• Their privacy approach—transparent, user-first data policies that address concerns I hadn't even thought about
• Their pricing model—freemium that actually converts at $6/month with high retention

What Made Their Execution So Much Better:

1. They solved a deeper problem—I wanted to track habit quality; they track life quality and how habits affect it
2. They embraced automation—my vision required daily manual ratings; theirs automatically pulls data while allowing manual override
3. They focused on insights, not just tracking—The "aha" moments for users come from correlations, not just data entry
4. They started simpler—launched with just mood and activity tracking, then expanded based on user requests

My Favorite Feature I Wish I'd Thought Of:

Exist.io's "Weekly Report" that emails you every Monday with:

• How your habits correlated with productivity
• What days you were happiest and what you did differently
• Gentle suggestions based on patterns

It's not just tracking—it's coaching. Something my "brilliant" idea completely missed.

The Lesson (Again):

This wasn't my first rodeo, but it was a fresh reminder:

Ideas are cheap—my "unique insight" was someone else's crazy feature

Execution is the differentiator -—Exist.io'sttention to detail (down to their onboarding flow) is what makes it work

Market timing matters -—theyaunched when quantified self was emerging; I'm entering a crowded space

User empathy beats features -—theynderstand users want insights, not just another tracking app

Where This Left Me:

Instead of building Momomentum,'m now:

Studying what Exist.io does perfectly (and what users still complain about)

Looking at adjacent problems (habit quality tracking for specific niches like learning instruments or athletic training)

Considering building integrations FOR Exist.io instead of competing with them

What's your story?

I believe most of us had that humbling moment. When did you realize:

• Your "unique" idea had existing, better implementations?
• What did you find that was doing it brilliantly?
• Did it discourage you or redirect your energy?