Some Ideas Refuse to Go Away
If you're anything like me, you've probably got far more ideas than you'll ever have time to build.
Over the last twenty-five years, I've accumulated a collection of domains, notebooks, sketches and half-finished projects. Some were good ideas. Others probably weren't. Most have simply been waiting for the right moment.
One of those ideas became Loyalty.
I first registered the domain and started developing the concept back in 2020. At its heart, the idea was simple.
Independent businesses deserved something better than paper stamp cards, and customers shouldn't need to carry a wallet full of plastic cards or install a different app for every coffee shop, barber or salon they visited.
The solution seemed obvious.
- One customer.
- One QR code.
- Businesses simply scan it.
- Rewards are tracked automatically.
It felt like an elegant solution to a common problem.
Then Life Got in the Way
Not long after I started working on the project, my life changed dramatically.
I developed kidney failure and eventually began dialysis. Suddenly, building software became far less important than simply getting through each day and managing my health.
Many of the projects I wanted to build were put on hold.
Loyalty was one of them.
The idea never disappeared.
The domain stayed registered.
The notes were still there.
The vision never really changed.
Progress, however, came to a complete stop.
Finding the Energy to Build Again
Earlier this year I received a kidney transplant.
Recovering from that transplant has given me something I hadn't had for a very long time.
The energy to build things again.
That has changed how I'm approaching my work.
Instead of spending all of my time building products for clients, I'm finally working through many of the ideas I've been collecting over the years.
Some existing websites are being completely refreshed. Others are being rebuilt from scratch. Some ideas may never make it beyond the notebook.
Right now, though, Loyalty is the project at the front of the queue.
The Idea Has Changed
The interesting thing is that Loyalty isn't really the same product I imagined back in 2020.
Originally it was simply a digital loyalty card.
The more I've built it, the more I've realised that businesses don't actually want loyalty cards.
They want more customers coming back through the door.
A loyalty card is simply one way of helping that happen.
That completely changed how I approached the project.
Instead of building software that manages stamps, I've gradually found myself building software that helps businesses build stronger relationships with their customers and encourage repeat visits.
The loyalty card has become the foundation rather than the finished product.
What Loyalty Has Become
The project has grown far beyond the original concept.
Today, businesses can create fully branded digital loyalty cards using their own logo, colours and branding.
Customers have a single QR code that works across participating businesses.
Businesses can configure their own rewards, decide how many stamps are required and scan customers directly from a phone.
Rewards can be redeemed instantly, while customer activity is tracked automatically behind the scenes.
Customers can save their cards to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, making them easy to access whenever they're needed.
Beyond that, the platform now includes customer insights, reporting, multiple staff accounts with different permission levels, customer segments, campaigns, push notifications, advanced rewards and even promotional features such as Spin to Win.
It's become a much broader platform than I originally expected to build.
The Biggest Lesson
Perhaps the biggest lesson throughout this project has been learning to think less about features and more about outcomes.
A business owner doesn't wake up wanting customer segments.
They want more regular customers.
They don't want push notifications.
They want customers to return.
They don't want reports.
They want confidence that their business is growing.
That shift in thinking has influenced almost every decision I've made.
Whenever I build something new, I try to ask myself one question.
What business outcome does this actually improve?
Rather than simply asking:
What feature should I build next?
That same thinking has shaped the marketing too.
Instead of talking about QR codes, software and digital loyalty cards, I'd much rather talk about where the business owner wants to get to.
More returning customers.
Stronger relationships.
A business people choose to come back to.
Building the Parts Nobody Sees
A surprising amount of software development happens away from the features people actually notice.
I've been designing the public website, writing the marketing copy, building the CMS, creating a reusable media library, developing administration tools, improving the onboarding process, writing support pages, planning pricing and constantly refining the user experience.
Almost every visible feature creates several invisible ones that make the whole platform easier to manage and maintain.
It's not always the most exciting work, but it's what turns an idea into a product people can actually use.
My Philosophy for Loyalty
One decision I made quite early was that branding should never be treated as a premium feature.
Every business should be able to use its own logo, colours and branding, even on the free plan.
For me, Pro shouldn't simply remove restrictions.
It should genuinely help businesses grow.
That's why the Pro features focus on things like customer insights, campaigns, automation, advanced rewards, reporting and communication rather than cosmetic customisation.
Why I'm Sharing the Journey
This isn't really a product launch.
It's an introduction to the project I'm currently building and the thinking behind it.
It also marks a change in direction for 1J2.
For years, 1J2 has been where I've built websites, software and online businesses.
Now it's also becoming somewhere I document that process.
The products I'm building.
The decisions I make.
The lessons I learn.
The mistakes along the way.
What I'm Focusing on Next
Loyalty is simply the first idea to reach the front of the queue after several years of waiting because of circumstances outside my control.
It feels like the right project to be building now.
Over the coming months I'll be sharing how it evolves, the decisions behind it and what I learn as it grows from an idea that's been sitting in a notebook into a product that independent businesses can use every day.