KudosApp - From Idea to MVP in 30 Days

Turning movement into real-world rewards

What if walking to work, going for a jog, or simply getting outside could earn you actual rewards,  discounts at your favorite café, a free smoothie, or exclusive perks in your local neighborhood?

That’s the idea behind KudosApp, a new app that gamifies movement and rewards people for being active. Built around the belief that motivation doesn’t have to come from a leaderboard or personal best, KudosApp flips the model: you move, you earn Kudos, and you spend them like a digital currency.

The idea was born in a conversation between WRIXIT and a professional athlete. They envisioned a platform that worked like a frequent flyer program for everyday movement, an engine where users accumulate Kudos for physical activity, track their progress, and redeem their points for something tangible.

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But to go from vision to validation, the team needed a fast, focused MVP, one that not only proved the concept, but could also scale beyond it.

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From Idea to Working App - Fast

WRIXIT took on the full product build from day one. That included everything: product strategy, UX and visual design, backend architecture, frontend development, testing, partner onboarding, and business modeling.

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In just 30 days, we delivered a working MVP, not a prototype, but a real, usable application with live user accounts, synced activity data, and a functioning rewards system.

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From the beginning, we focused on fast validation. That meant prioritizing essential features:

• Syncing movement data via Strava integration

• Awarding points through a custom-built Kudos Engine

• Visualizing personal stats (distance, time, streaks)

• Showing real-time balances and redemption-ready rewards

• Building a Rewards Marketplace with live partner offers

• Supporting early testers and onboarding the first live reward partner - a café in Oslo.

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Getting approved as an official Strava developer was a crucial early milestone. It allowed us to pull in high-quality, real-time user activity data, forming the foundation for the rewards engine. From there, we layered on streak bonuses, incentives for early-morning runs, and social mechanics that help drive repeat use.

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The interface was designed to be clear and rewarding. Users are welcomed with an overview of their stats, how many Kudos they’ve earned, how many activities they’ve completed, and how close they are to their next reward. Tapping into the marketplace lets them browse local businesses where they can spend their Kudos, creating a direct connection between digital activity and real-world benefit.

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Building the Engine and the Ecosystem

Beneath the surface, KudosApp runs on a lightweight but powerful stack. The frontend is built in React, with a clean component architecture to allow rapid iteration. The backend uses Python with FastAPI, designed for scalability and quick response times. And the database is Google Firestore, giving us real-time syncing and structured flexibility.

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But technology alone doesn’t drive traction. A key part of our work was developing a business model and partner strategy to ensure long-term viability. We helped KudosApp define its freemium pricing structure, identify types of partner businesses that benefit from user foot traffic, and structure point-redemption models that made sense for both sides.

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Launching and Looking Ahead

Today, KudosApp is in live beta, with real users actively earning and redeeming Kudos. New features are rolling out continuously, from deeper analytics to additional partner integrations. We're also expanding reward mechanics, for example, letting users pool Kudos with friends or unlock premium challenges.

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The next steps include:

• Onboarding new partners across multiple cities

• Introducing AI-powered summaries and progress insights (Kudos Intelligence)

• Supporting more activity sources beyond Strava

• Rolling out gamification features like badges, team challenges, and seasonal campaigns

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This is just the beginning. But even now, the core idea has already proven itself: when movement becomes currency, it motivates in a whole new way.