We’re building something different
Everyone’s health journey is shaped by two things:
Choices – the actions we try to take (behaviours like eating better, managing stress, or seeing a doctor)
Chances – the things we can’t control (social determinants of health like housing, income, discrimination, or disability)
At Starbound, we call this your complexity profile — a snapshot of both what you’re trying to do, and what’s getting in your way.
STARBOUND SYSTEM // EXPERIMENT 001
:: LOADING USER INPUT ::
Try the Complexity Profile tool
Try the Starbound Simulator
How Starbound Helps
Starbound turns your complexity profile to guide the health support you get.
Instead of offering generic advice, Starbound gives you health guidance that’s:
Tailored to your situation
Behaviourally smart
Shame-free and realistic
Adaptable to your choices and your chances
This isn’t hypothetical.
These stories are based on real posts shared publicly between 2023–2024 by people navigating health challenges under systemic pressure.
Names and details have been changed for privacy, but the struggle is real.
Jamal had just lost his place to sleep and was now carrying his insulin in a backpack, unsure how long it would stay usable. He’d already skipped meals and was starting to feel dizzy. With no fridge, no microwave, and no idea where the next safe space was, he turned to his phone — not to track steps or calories, but just to figure out how to stay alive through the night.
Choices:
- Stuck to insulin treatment despite sleeping rough
- Tried to keep insulin cool without a fridge
- Looked for low-sugar food from food banks or convenience stores
Chances:
- No stable meals and no refrigeration
- No safe storage for medication
- Access barriers to diabetic-friendly food or health services
- Fear of judgement and being turned away
How Starbound Helps:
- Offers fridge-free insulin storage hacks (e.g. using ice bottles, cool cloths)
- Suggests low-GI food swaps that are realistic for people relying on food vans or servos
- Maps nearby clinics, shelters, or mobile vans with refrigeration or nurse support
- Works offline and delivers no-jargon instructions in moments of crisis
- Never asks for sign-in or pressure to track progress
Mel had downloaded five different self-help apps in the past month and deleted all of them. Her ADHD made routines feel impossible, especially on days when even brushing her teeth felt like a win. The apps expected too much. She needed something simple, low-pressure, and made for the kind of messy, stop-start progress she was dealing with.
Choices:
- Tried self-help apps but couldn’t stick with them
- Sought ADHD strategies that don’t need money, time, or consistency
- Hoped to rebuild routine after burnout or a mental crash
Chances:
- No access to care like ADHD-specific coaching or support
- Low energy + executive dysfunction made consistency difficult
- App overload and guilt from failed systems
- Shame around impulsivity and inconsistency
How Starbound helps:
- Recommends low-effort, no-cost strategies
- Offers flexible templates for morning/night routines built for ADHD brains
- Includes energy check-ins to adapt suggestions in real time (e.g. “just do one thing”)
- Provides dopamine-boosting nudges without pressure to be perfect
- Visualises how micro-habits compound over time
Lina, an international student, had been to the doctor three times for the same pain. Each time, she left with vague advice or painkillers. It wasn’t until she collapsed that anyone took her seriously. She knew her symptoms were real, but she didn’t know how to explain them in a way that got her heard — especially in a system where she didn’t fully understand the rules.
Choices:
- Tried to explain symptoms but wasn’t taken seriously
- Googled symptoms to double-check her concerns
- Navigated health system alone including OSHC and clinics
Chances:
- No Medicare access and limited OSHC coverage
- Cultural + language barriers made communication difficult
- Fear of being overcharged or wasting the doctor’s time
- Social isolation from family or local support
How Starbound Helps:
- Helps build a symptom summary using plain, common phrases
- Offers structured language for describing pain or illness at appointments
- Suggests what to say and how to prepare before seeing a doctor
- Lists low-cost clinics that accept international students
- Shares tips to reduce anxiety — like writing notes or requesting another doctor
- Gently flags when urgent care is needed, without fear or pressure
Jake finally tried therapy after years of anxiety — but even with a discount, it cost more than he could afford. He cancelled after two sessions and went back to free YouTube meditations and late-night Reddit threads. He wanted help, but the system made him feel like you had to be wealthy to deserve it.
Choices:
- Tried online therapy but couldn’t afford to continue
- Searched for self-help like meditations and breathing tools
- Used support forums like Reddit to cope alone
Chances:
- Unaffordable services even with discounts
- Public waitlists or lack of culturally safe care
- Shame + hopelessness about not being able to “fix it”
- Burnout made it hard to research or try new options
How Starbound Helps:
- Shares free, instant tools for tough moments (e.g. breathing or reflection prompts)
- Links to anonymous helplines and local mental health services
- Gives low-effort support suggestions based on current energy levels
- Recommends affordable or free therapy options if users choose to explore them
- Affirms that micro-coping counts — without toxic positivity
- Visualises how small steps compound to improve wellbeing over time
Aunty Kay felt most well when she was on Country: walking, sitting, yarning. But the health clinic didn’t recognise that as “care.” After years of being dismissed or rushed through appointments, she avoided mainstream services entirely. What she really wanted was support that respected her culture, her rhythm, and her way of healing.
Choices:
- Practiced land-based healing like walking, yarning, or grounding on Country
- Avoided harmful care systems that didn’t respect her experiences
- Sought connection to culture, rhythm, and self-led healing
Chances:
- Faced racism in mainstream health settings
- Remote location made food and services harder to access
- Dismissed or misdiagnosed by Western medical providers
- Low connectivity and limited access to digital tools
How Starbound Helps:
- Offers culturally sensitive health info with a choice to start from traditional or Western knowledge
- Shares offline-first wellbeing prompts (e.g. grounding, breathing, cooling down on Country)
- Uses clear, respectful language — no jargon
- Lists ACCHOs and mobile supports nearby (only if users want that info)
- Never assumes a diagnosis or path — users guide their own journey
- Supports self-determined health with tools that adapt to community needs
