How to Build Your Best Future 🏗️

Hi Inner Journey community! 👋

What do you do when you're building your dream house, but the blueprints suddenly feel a bit too ambitious? You focus on strengthening the foundation and keep building – perhaps one room at a time. That’s exactly the approach we've taken with Inner Journey this past month.

Since launching our development journey on March 1st, we've transformed a blank canvas into a working prototype with increasingly steady legs. But amidst the code and configurations, something wonderful happened: our app started to feel like a friend. 😊

Building a Home for Your Inner Journey 🏡

Just ten days ago, on March 20th, we shared how the initial code sparked to life – that first thrilling "Hello" from Google Gemini 🤖 gave us genuine goosebumps. Since then, the pace hasn't slowed. Our Backlog 5 (dated March 23rd) tracked significant progress: a backend featuring crucial endpoints like /astro-data and /phone/verify, a frontend beginning to take shape, and a much clearer overall structure.

However, we realized we were juggling too many exciting ideas at once – incorporating tools like Sinch, Dialogflow, and VedAstro all threatened to make our fledgling structure unstable. So, we made a conscious decision to simplify and focus.

Here's our refined, more focused tech stack:

• Backend: A lean FastAPI application 🐍 running smoothly on Google Cloud Run ☁️, neatly containerized with Docker 🐳.
• Data Storage: Firebase Firestore 🔥 reliably handles our data needs.
• AI Insights: Google Gemini 🤖 remains our core engine for delivering personalized insights for self-development.
• Frontend: Built using React ⚛️ and styled with Chakra UI, deployed efficiently via Firebase Hosting.

No more trying to spin too many plates! This streamlined approach provides a stable foundation we can confidently build upon. 💪

That 'Welcome Back!' Moment 🎉

Here’s the part that truly made us smile: After deploying the latest updates to Google Cloud Run and Firebase Hosting, we ran a quick test. We simulated a login (still just locally for now!), sent an API request, and received this response: “Welcome back! Your next step is to breathe deeply for five minutes.”

This wasn't just a technical success; it felt profoundly personal. It felt like Inner Journey itself was greeting us, remembering us – like a thoughtful friend checking in. Capturing and sharing that feeling of connection and support is precisely what we aspire to deliver to you, our users. ❤️

Key Lessons Learned This Month 💡

Reflecting on March, a few key takeaways stand out:

• 🎯 Focus is Power: Decisively pausing integration of extra tools (so long for now, Sinch! 👋) freed up critical time to polish the core experience. Prioritization fuels progress.
• ✅ Testing is Non-Negotiable: The documentation and testing requirements established back in Backlog 4 were lifesavers, preventing us from drowning in bugs. 🐛➡️✅ Quality first!
• ✨ Simplicity Wins: Opting for a straightforward form instead of complex voice call integration (Backlog 5 decision) proved that sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective, especially early on.

The Future Beckons – Let's Furnish This House! ✨

We now have a house with a strong foundation, but it’s still waiting for furniture! Key next steps include implementing proper user authentication on the backend (integrating Firebase UID is top priority) and building out the frontend pages for login and displaying personalized results. And yes, perhaps we'll revisit the intriguing astrology component (VedAstro) a little further down the road. 🔮

But for this moment? We’re genuinely proud. This prototype isn't just lines of code; it's the tangible beginning of your potential journey towards self-discovery and personal growth, powered by thoughtful AI. 🚀

What features or insights would make your Inner Journey more meaningful? We're building this for you. Send your thoughts and ideas to contact@innerjourney.kvarnsmyr.se – we're eager to listen! 👂

With warmth and excitement for what's next,

Team Inner Journey 🙏🏡