Combining work and pleasure

Sirik Loosman discusses conscious consumerism in an interview and explains how that relates to Habitpot, the app he developed.

Sirik, you developed the Habitpot app in your free time. What is Habitpot?

In the broadest sense, the app is about developing a greater awareness of our consumption habits and doing good at the same time. Whether we’re making New Year’s resolutions, trying to get fit for the summer or making ethical lifestyle changes – we often set goals for ourselves. But sticking to them isn’t always easy. Eating less meat or sweets, quitting smoking, flying less – the list is practically endless and, above all, different for everyone. And, we generally tend to think that being 100% committed is enough to achieve these goals. However, after a few weeks, our resolve often starts to weaken and the first exceptions start creeping in. As a resultour goals become slightly diluted as time goes on.

Habitpot allows you to easily see whether you are on track to meet your goal. With Habitpot, you can easily track your “overconsumption” (i.e. how much you have consumed beyond your target) and place it in a “pot”, for example in the form of a small amount of money. Over time, the amount in your pot will give you an idea of how well you are managing to stick to your goals. The Habitpot app is also linked to a select range of charities to which you can make a donation. So you see, making exceptions isn’t a bad thing, as long as you’re aware of it.

How did you come up with the idea to develop this app?

The idea came to me last summer when I was shopping with my wife. Almost every meal we cook at home is vegan – not just because of our beliefs but also because of a few food intolerances. On our shopping list, we had all the ingredients for a good, home-made pizza. After a short discussion, we decided to buy mozzarella too. As a little exception, if you like. Then on the way home, we had an idea. We thought it would be good if we could set some money aside for those little ‘moments of weakness’. And then later, we could put that money towards something good. That was it, the idea for Habitpot was born.

What is your vision for the app's future?

Planning for the future in a world that is constantly changing isn’t easy. But the general vision behind Habitpot is to help to create a society of conscious consumers. But at the moment, I can’t say exactly what that will mean for the app in the end.

Why should someone download your app? Give us a few reasons.

Are you feeling motivated to change some of your habits? Perhaps you want to be more aware of your consumption habits or your impact on the environment? If so, it pays to bear in mind that change is rarely easy. Habitpot can help you to create a more conscious way of living.

How much time and money have you invested in your app?

The app is deliberately free and does not contain adverts. There are also no premium features. That’s the way I wanted it. So I don’t make any money from the app. I always find developing new solutions exciting, and I wanted to follow that passion with this app. That was the most important thing for me.

The app took me about six months to develop alongside my work at Generali. I spent three months in 2019 preparing the concept and discussing it with lots of people. Between January and April 2020, I developed the first version of the app and completed the final version with the help of an alpha and beta test group. The final app was released in August. In the end, it took a bit longer than expected because I had to teach myself a new programming language at the same time.

Imagine you’re on the TV show “Dragon’s Den”. What would your pitch be like?

I would be so nervous and excited. To give the Dragons an idea of the problem, I would present a few interesting facts about our consumption. For example, producing a single kilogram of beef releases around 13.3 kg of CO2 and uses over 15,000 l of water. That’s about as much CO2 as a car emits on a 42-km journey.

After that, I would explain how important it is to be (more) aware of our consumption habits, in a funny and engaging way. Finally, I would present the ideal solution: Habitpot – your little helper by your side. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

But then I would probably find out that the “business model” isn’t an interesting investment opportunity for the Dragons. I’ve seen almost every episode of that show, so I am pretty certain that this is how it would end. Oh well, it would still be an exciting experience.

What is the next step for Habitpot?

Time will tell. Of course, when it comes to the app, I still have a few interesting surprises in store. For example, recording other areas of consumption, such number of flights or time spent watching TV/Netflix. But I won’t give too much away.

If I inspire just a handful of people to become more aware of their consumption habits and therefore do something good, my journey with Habitpot was worth it.

Are you working on other projects or are you finished for now?

I am definitely not finished! In fact, I believe I’m only just getting started. For three years, I’ve been a proud owner of a Tesla and I love talking to people about it.

I have rather a wide range of interests, including electromobility, sustainable energy and other exciting developments and technology of the future. I am also fascinated by the mindset of Elon Musk. I’ve been building up the interactive “Tesla Community Schweiz” on Twitter for the past two years and am currently in the early stages of planning a big event next year. The will is there. We’ll have to see what happens over time.

How do your experiences with the app help you with your daily work at Generali?

How do your experiences with the app help you with your daily work at Generali?
“There are no mistakes in life, just experiences.” This quote has guided and inspired me for a long time. But pursuing an idea and making space for it in your life usually takes a bit of courage too. At this point, I’d like to thank Mike Fuhrmann, our Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, who guided me throughout this time as a mentor.

Building an app like Habitpot was a really enriching experience. Of course, this project also came with some negative experiences, but I believe that each one made the end result a little better. This enriching project has made me more versatile, creative and flexible as a person. This then benefits Generali, every single day.