The Sacred ActFounder’s log

Domenic Ashburn

February 2025. I was building my home office in San Francisco and trying to find solid ground again. A place to think, create, and begin. We made it here, bro. Now it is time to get to work.

Feb 16, 2025 · 1:47 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

A conversation over breakfast with Donia. Before The Sacred Act had its shape, we were talking about service, community, and building a business around what I care about. She saw the builder in me.

Jun 6, 2025 · 4:52 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

An early morning on this road. Sitting, moving, taking care of the person who has to do the building.

Jun 6, 2025 · 4:52 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The first home office for The Sacred Act. Setting the space. Making a place I can come back to every day and give this work my full attention.

Jun 7, 2025 · 5:20 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Paris. The city keeps moving. I get to sit with it.

Jul 30, 2025 · 11:17 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

May you recognize one blessing today and find a way to use it to help somebody else. Still the intention behind everything I am building.

Oct 29, 2025 · 2:17 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The very first MVP of personalized meditation. I wrote and recorded a static meditation for myself, and I still listen to it every morning. This recording became the voice clone for The Sacred Act. It started with something I needed to hear in my own voice.

Nov 2, 2025 · 9:38 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

On the way home, thinking about how to give The Sacred Act a real foundation. The domains, the protection, the care in the design. How do I bring what I am learning in my practice into something other people can actually feel?

Dec 8, 2025 · 4:07 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Some days there is a sorrow in becoming. Mourning an old version of myself while protecting the new one. Tonight: light the candles, clear the space, write, create. Stay open.

Dec 8, 2025 · 4:36 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

An early film for The Sacred Act. Giving the feeling a form. I want to build a world that I would want to enter myself.

Dec 11, 2025 · 10:05 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

In Hawaii, an uncomfortable moment became a chance to practice. Donia and I used The Sacred Act for loving-kindness. I was challenged in my judgments, and we chose to send love. I am grateful we had that moment together.

Jan 2, 2026 · 10:51 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The day I concluded my biggest client so I could go full time on The Sacred Act. A promise to myself as I stepped into it. This work gets my full attention now.

Jan 20, 2026 · 4:05 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

January 22. In a Waymo, talking through The Sacred Act. A meditation that meets you where you are. And an early question: what else could I build around that practice?

Jan 22, 2026 · 1:53 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

A message to myself at the end of that same ride. Dom, you have the skill. You have the people. You have your health. You have what you need. Let's build.

Jan 22, 2026 · 1:53 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

I have what I need to begin. The skill, the people, my health, a place to build. I was reminding myself of that this week. Part of the practice is coming back to what is already here.

Jan 24, 2026 · 5:12 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

A moment at home. Breathing, moving, coming back to myself. The practice lives here too.

Jan 25, 2026 · 5:19 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Day 3 of a four-day spiritual meditation × tech product sprint with my best friends Ilyaas and Xavior. Sutro Baths, setting the space for our next meditation. Building the product and making room to practice together.

Feb 18, 2026 · 6:05 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Donia installing The Sacred Act v1.0.7. The idea leaving my phone and becoming something someone I love can actually use. A small moment that meant a lot.

Feb 23, 2026 · 6:34 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

A lesson from a frustrating night building The Sacred Act. Save the work. Push the code. And don't be greedy with progress. Honor the time to stop as much as the work itself.

Feb 24, 2026 · 2:32 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v1.0.8. An early build of The Sacred Act. The orb, the home screen, the feeling of opening it. Watching the idea become something I can actually hold.

Feb 26, 2026 · 3:01 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

AI visual studies for the world around The Sacred Act. Exploring how meditation can live alongside art, identity, and imagination. These are creative experiments.

Mar 1, 2026 · 1:57 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The feeling I keep returning to. Stillness, beauty, a little room to be. An early visual piece for this world I am building.

Mar 10, 2026 · 1:16 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

I trust my taste. I trust my intuition. There are tools and spaces I need that I haven't found, so I am taking responsibility for building them. That feels like the most honest place to start.

Mar 12, 2026 · 5:22 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act, somewhere between takeoff and landing. This is the kind of place I want the practice to meet us. Right inside the life we are already living.

Mar 23, 2026 · 6:58 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

An idea in the park with Donia: bring the meditation seats, bring the cameras, and invite people to practice with The Sacred Act. Real conversations, real feedback. I get to build something that brings people into moments like this. How beautiful is that?

Mar 25, 2026 · 2:58 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

May all that I build be used for good. May I be grateful for today and prepared for tomorrow. A prayer I want to keep close to the work.

Mar 27, 2026 · 7:21 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The vision can feel so complete inside and still come out differently when I try to share it. I am learning to bridge that gap. This is part of the work, too.

Mar 28, 2026 · 1:34 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

RP shared something his pastor told him: money isn’t always a good intention, but it is a beautiful byproduct. I needed that perspective. So grateful he took the time to share his wisdom with me.

Mar 28, 2026 · 4:18 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The philosophy underneath The Sacred Act. Sitting with this human experience in gratitude and awe. This moment took the entire universe to become real. And you are enough to be here for it.

Apr 3, 2026 · 11:26 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Maui. Recording the ocean for the real background sounds in The Sacred Act. Bringing a little of this place into the practice. The waves you hear in the app started here.

Apr 13, 2026 · 11:21 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

My voice can fill the minds of other people. That is a responsibility. I want to create from a place that is clear, present, and generous. To not waste the miracle.

Apr 29, 2026 · 7:49 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

I can be okay with being misunderstood as a person. But the product has to make sense to somebody without me standing there explaining it. Learning to hold both of those things. That is an art.

May 1, 2026 · 5:57 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Studying calm technology while building The Sacred Act. Technology should be there when you need it and gone when you don’t. I’m thinking about how an app can respect your attention, and move between the background and the center of your awareness.

May 1, 2026 · 5:57 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The purpose and vision for The Sacred Act as a business. A practice that meets you where you are, and a platform built around learning what actually helps. Talking through what I want this work to become.

May 4, 2026 · 5:38 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v2.5.3. A short cut from the demo I recorded in May. Checking in, receiving a practice, sitting with it, and reflecting afterward. Building The Sacred Act also means using it myself.

May 4, 2026 · 8:10 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Bro. It is working. It is alive. People are using what I built and telling me it is helping them. Letting myself feel that for a minute.

May 8, 2026 · 11:43 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v2.7.6. A look at the May build. The check-in, the practice, the history of coming back. Working toward an experience that feels more natural, more considered, more like the world I want The Sacred Act to be.

May 26, 2026 · 4:46 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

A practice I tried for the fear of being on camera: hit record with no obligation to post, and sit with what comes up. I started noticing how I respond to discomfort. Once I could see it, I had more choice in how to respond.

Jun 5, 2026 · 9:46 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Sitting with David Germano and Dustin DiPerna at Cavallo Point for a day of meditation and learning. Ancient practice and new technology meeting in the same room. Coming with an open mind, and with The Sacred Act very much on my heart.

Jun 9, 2026 · 8:36 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

To everyone who came to the Conscious Technologist meditation and AI discussion: I love you. We got to practice together and have a real conversation. Thank you for showing up. You are the other half.

Jun 16, 2026 · 10:21 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

ngl, i love when Donia records me meditating so that i have founder’s content without feeling performative for asking.

Jul 8, 2026 · 12:58 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

What if using your phone could bring you into presence? That question keeps shaping how I design The Sacred Act. I want to share what I am learning and build this with you, so it is built for you.

Jul 15, 2026 · 10:59 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v2.13.0. Looking at the reflection after a practice. The technique, its origins, and the context around the session. Working on how The Sacred Act helps me understand the practice I just had.

Jul 16, 2026 · 10:37 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

A moment practicing with The Sacred Act in the sun. Listening to the generated guide and coming back to the breath. I keep returning to what it actually feels like to use what I am building.

Jul 16, 2026 · 12:55 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v2.13.0. The July build. Home, the path, a practice waiting for the moment I am in. Still shaping how it all feels together.

Jul 23, 2026 · 5:23 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

I moved the living room around, set up the cameras, and sat down to record the demo. Then the app stopped working. Twice. Frustrating, yes. Today I am taking a breath, getting a workout in, and looking at what I need to prepare better.

Jul 23, 2026 · 6:34 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Leaving a conversation at the Ferry Building with a clearer question about The Sacred Act’s position. First, get it into people’s hands. Learn whether they love the experience, whether the practices help, and what we can understand through that. Encouragement feels good. Clarity about the next step feels even better.

Jul 28, 2026 · 4:07 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v2.15.0. Moving through Path, Mirror, and the membership screen. Working on how each part of the app feels as one experience.

Aug 1, 2026 · 3:16 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

I’ve been quiet because my heart has been in building The Sacred Act. I’m ready to bring you further into the process: the mindset, the design, the tools, and the experience I’m creating for you.

Aug 6, 2026 · 8:48 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Have I just spent the last year building something everybody will hate because it uses AI? I love what I’ve built, and I still have that doubt. I’m going to have to put it out in the market and see.

Aug 7, 2026 · 2:59 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

I’m figuring out how to bring you into this process. I want the experience of the app to be beautiful, and I want the relationship behind it to feel real. Building this with you and for you.

Aug 7, 2026 · 4:19 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

A Sunday afternoon in the grass. I’m learning not to delay happiness until the dream is finished. There is a life to be here for, right now.

Aug 9, 2026 · 4:31 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The part before the demo. Turning the living room into a set, moving the furniture, checking the light. I wanted the feeling of The Sacred Act to come through before I even opened the app.

Aug 10, 2026 · 3:58 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Trying to figure out what to wear for The Sacred Act demo. Not the Steve Jobs uniform. Not the tech-bro vest. Not so spiritual that it feels like a costume, and not so plain that it looks like I don’t care. I want it to feel intentional. The product is the point, but how I show up is part of the story too.

Aug 10, 2026 · 4:42 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Another iteration of the demo. The Sacred Act v2.15.0. From choosing a practice on the phone to actually sitting with it. This is the part I care about: what happens when the screen gives way to the experience.

Aug 10, 2026 · 7:48 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The demo didn’t go to plan. A bug showed up while I was recording, and by the time I fixed it the sunlight had changed. Then I realized I didn’t have a proper shot list or timing for the screen shots. I need more preparation to show this experience well. I’ll figure it out.

Aug 10, 2026 · 8:17 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Time is capital. Before I decide what to build today, I want to remember what I’ve been given: another day, another chance to put care into my actions. Gratitude changes how I use it.

Aug 11, 2026 · 12:00 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v2.15.0. A cut through creating a path—from an intention about my blind spots to a schedule and a sequence of practices. Testing how the app can help me keep returning to something over time.

Aug 15, 2026 · 12:43 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Using The Sacred Act for a seven-practice path around how I spend my time. Today’s practice brought me back to the sun, and to gratitude for the life it makes possible. I’m learning through using what I’m building.

Aug 20, 2026 · 10:52 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The vision is big. The next step is small: put it on my closest people's phones, then bring in the people who signed up to test. I want the usage, the bugs, the feedback, and the willingness to pay to shape where I take this next.

Aug 20, 2026 · 12:22 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Part of the roadmap: bring scholars into the process to review the texts and techniques, and let people see what they correct and why. I want the human knowledge behind this technology to be visible. This is one of the things I want to build toward.

Aug 20, 2026 · 12:30 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Pens, highlighters, and the less glamorous part of building this company. I need to understand what it costs and where I actually stand. My prayer this morning was to read the research without getting defensive. Loving what I've built can't get in the way of seeing it clearly.

Aug 22, 2026 · 9:11 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

If I'm promising spiritual sovereignty, people need a real choice in the experience. Which traditions are invited in? Which names feel right when addressing God? Building those permissions into The Sacred Act came from using it myself and realizing that the same language can open one person up and be difficult for someone else.

Aug 22, 2026 · 9:31 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

First testing round of the redesigned Swift app, v3.1.0, with Donia, Ilyaas, Xavior, and Moon. I want to see how they feel when they use it. Before the call, I sat with this: receiving their criticism with openness is part of what I'm offering them too.

Aug 24, 2026 · 8:50 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Welcome to the inner-circle demo of The Sacred Act v3.1.0. My closest people trying the practice, sharing what they felt, and talking through where they'd like it to take them. I'm grateful we got to sit together and have this conversation.

Aug 24, 2026 · 11:10 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Donia, Ilyaas, Xavior, and Moon. Before we got into the demo, I wanted them to know this: the experiences we've had together are part of what made The Sacred Act possible. Their presence, their wisdom, their taste. So much of this work came through the people closest to me.

Aug 24, 2026 · 11:16 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Something shifted during that first group sit. For so long, I'd been the one testing, judging, and changing everything. Then the people I love used it, and the responsibility felt different. Their actual lives were on the other side of what I'd been building.

Aug 24, 2026 · 12:46 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

After the inner-circle demo, Donia helped me see the value of the path more clearly. There are so many scattered meditations to choose from. What if that became something personal and connected, something you could keep following? Her words: 'The path is your gold mine.'

Aug 24, 2026 · 1:24 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

Testing The Sacred Act on BART, from San Francisco to Oakland. I wanted to see how it handled the connection and helped me practice while staying aware of my surroundings. It also gave me ideas for what to build next. Using it in my life keeps sharpening the product.

Aug 27, 2026 · 11:56 AM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v3.2.0. Iterating on the AI chat animations. Working on how the conversation appears and moves, and how each response feels as it arrives.

Sep 2, 2026 · 3:11 PM

Note
Share

Domenic Ashburn

The Sacred Act v3.6.0. The new iteration of the paywall. Working on how the Plus offer looks, moves, and fits into the world of the app.

Sep 9, 2026 · 3:45 PM

Note
Share