Really enjoying reading this conversation. 
Just jumped in to say that I just hope, @dreev, that you don’t underestimate the flexibility of the product you’ve created.
I use Beeminder to solve all sorts of problems; and the value I derive from Beeminder for each is often slightly (or extremely) different. I feel like you’re stuck on the hard-core “do-as-much-as-you-can” type-goals, when there are many, many other ways to derive value from Beeminder, and to maximize real-life awesomeness.
Here are the use cases I’ve had for it that I was able to remember off the top of my head (examples aren’t necessarily my own):
- I want something that will poke me on a daily basis, a reminder I can’t (safely) ignore (hygiene).
- I want to be motivated to do more on a goal than I normally would (exercise).
- I want to track data (health metrics, meta goals).
- I never want to have even the option of derailing (addictions, hard-core commitments).
- I want to have the option of derailing in unusual circumstances using a pledge bright line (work or study hours).
- I want to maintain a low commitment on something that I just don’t want to die (side projects).
- I want to make sure I don’t forget to do something that I only need to do every so often (check oil, check fire alarm batteries, etc).
- I want to have the freedom of doing an activity without risking a self-destructive binge; just need a guardrail (gaming, YouTube, social media).
- I want to actively eliminate an activity from my life (addictions, negative health behaviors).
- I just want something that will encourage me to put in the activation energy of starting, but will leave me free to do as much or as little as I want beyond that (side projects, exercise).
- I want to start my goal out very conservatively and not feel forced into ratcheting it up until I feel ready (scary goals, exercise, side projects, anything).
I think the thing to remember here is that your definition of awesomeness (the user pushes themselves to the point where it’s almost not sustainable), while perhaps sometimes correct, is a very isolated definition. Imposing it disregards your users’ real-life context.
Your users have specific problems, specific real-life goals, specific needs. Beeminder is a great tool because I as a user can configure it to meet many of those needs.
I’m afraid if you took your philosophy to is logical end, you might be tempted to remove a lot of that flexibility.