Should I Build It Should I Build It
17 Apr 2025
Productivity Developer Tools

Users join virtual “focus rooms” with built‑in Pomodoro timers, ...

...ambient soundscapes, and accountability stats. Integrate with Slack or Teams to show when you’re deep‑work vs. available, and generate productivity summaries at week’s end—perfect for remote teams craving structure without big project‑management bloat.

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Competitive Terrain

While there's clear interest in your idea, the market is saturated with similar offerings. To succeed, your product needs to stand out by offering something unique that competitors aren't providing. The challenge here isn’t whether there’s demand, but how you can capture attention and keep it.

Should You Build It?

Not before thinking deeply about differentiation.

Your are here

Your idea for virtual focus rooms with Pomodoro timers, ambient soundscapes, and accountability stats lands squarely in a competitive space. We found 26 similar products, indicating strong competition but also validated interest in the problem you're solving, which is helping remote teams stay structured and productive without the overhead of heavy project management tools. While there's no explicit use or buy signal data available, the average number of comments (13) across similar products suggests relatively high engagement. Given the number of competitors, you need to think deeply about differentiation and identify a unique angle to stand out from the crowd. Many similar products receive positive feedback, but differentiation is key to capture market share in this space. Your challenge isn’t proving demand, but proving your product is different and better.

Recommendations

  1. Given the competitive landscape, start by conducting thorough competitive analysis. Analyze existing 'focus room' and productivity tools, like Focusmate, Metawork and Deep Work Room, paying close attention to user reviews and feature sets. Focusmate's users, for example, want better matching and calendar integration while Deep Work Room users want integration with project management tools. Identify gaps or unmet needs you can address with your product.
  2. Instead of directly competing feature-for-feature, consider focusing on a specific niche within remote teams. Perhaps teams in creative industries, or those with specific collaboration styles. Tailor your focus room experience to their needs. For example, if you are going after creative teams, integrate FigJam or Miro.
  3. Carefully craft your unique selling proposition (USP). What makes your focus rooms different and better? Is it the ambient soundscapes, the accountability stats, the Slack/Teams integration, or something else? Clearly articulate this in your marketing and product messaging. Podor's criticism summary points out a key concern that a lot of these Pomodoro apps don't have a clear differentiation.
  4. Since you're integrating with Slack and Teams, prioritize a seamless user experience. Make the transition between communication and deep work as frictionless as possible. Also, consider what notifications will be useful without being distracting. Deep Work Room users found the promotion of stock trading accounts intrusive, so avoid unnecessary distractions.
  5. Develop a strong brand and community around your product. Offer valuable content, engage with users on social media, and build a sense of belonging. The community and accountability that Focusmate provides are highly valued, so think about how to build those up within your product.
  6. Gather early user feedback and iterate rapidly based on this feedback. Your initial assumptions might be wrong, and continuous improvement is essential. Several competing products' users suggested improvements such as themes, insights, collaboration features, integrations, and a mobile app, so it's helpful to have a clear and easy way for users to give feedback.
  7. Consider offering a freemium model to attract a wider user base, then upsell premium features like advanced analytics, custom soundscapes, or team management tools. This can lower the bar to entry and help you capture initial market share.
  8. Explore integrations with other productivity apps or platforms to expand your reach and value proposition. Consider integrations with calendar apps, to-do list apps, or project management tools.

Questions

  1. What specific pain points of remote teams are you addressing that existing solutions don't adequately solve? How can you validate these pain points early on?
  2. How will you measure the effectiveness of your focus rooms in terms of user productivity and team collaboration? What metrics will you track and how will you collect this data?
  3. What are your plans for dealing with feature creep? Given the number of potential features, how will you prioritize and avoid overwhelming users?

Your are here

Your idea for virtual focus rooms with Pomodoro timers, ambient soundscapes, and accountability stats lands squarely in a competitive space. We found 26 similar products, indicating strong competition but also validated interest in the problem you're solving, which is helping remote teams stay structured and productive without the overhead of heavy project management tools. While there's no explicit use or buy signal data available, the average number of comments (13) across similar products suggests relatively high engagement. Given the number of competitors, you need to think deeply about differentiation and identify a unique angle to stand out from the crowd. Many similar products receive positive feedback, but differentiation is key to capture market share in this space. Your challenge isn’t proving demand, but proving your product is different and better.

Recommendations

  1. Given the competitive landscape, start by conducting thorough competitive analysis. Analyze existing 'focus room' and productivity tools, like Focusmate, Metawork and Deep Work Room, paying close attention to user reviews and feature sets. Focusmate's users, for example, want better matching and calendar integration while Deep Work Room users want integration with project management tools. Identify gaps or unmet needs you can address with your product.
  2. Instead of directly competing feature-for-feature, consider focusing on a specific niche within remote teams. Perhaps teams in creative industries, or those with specific collaboration styles. Tailor your focus room experience to their needs. For example, if you are going after creative teams, integrate FigJam or Miro.
  3. Carefully craft your unique selling proposition (USP). What makes your focus rooms different and better? Is it the ambient soundscapes, the accountability stats, the Slack/Teams integration, or something else? Clearly articulate this in your marketing and product messaging. Podor's criticism summary points out a key concern that a lot of these Pomodoro apps don't have a clear differentiation.
  4. Since you're integrating with Slack and Teams, prioritize a seamless user experience. Make the transition between communication and deep work as frictionless as possible. Also, consider what notifications will be useful without being distracting. Deep Work Room users found the promotion of stock trading accounts intrusive, so avoid unnecessary distractions.
  5. Develop a strong brand and community around your product. Offer valuable content, engage with users on social media, and build a sense of belonging. The community and accountability that Focusmate provides are highly valued, so think about how to build those up within your product.
  6. Gather early user feedback and iterate rapidly based on this feedback. Your initial assumptions might be wrong, and continuous improvement is essential. Several competing products' users suggested improvements such as themes, insights, collaboration features, integrations, and a mobile app, so it's helpful to have a clear and easy way for users to give feedback.
  7. Consider offering a freemium model to attract a wider user base, then upsell premium features like advanced analytics, custom soundscapes, or team management tools. This can lower the bar to entry and help you capture initial market share.
  8. Explore integrations with other productivity apps or platforms to expand your reach and value proposition. Consider integrations with calendar apps, to-do list apps, or project management tools.

Questions

  1. What specific pain points of remote teams are you addressing that existing solutions don't adequately solve? How can you validate these pain points early on?
  2. How will you measure the effectiveness of your focus rooms in terms of user productivity and team collaboration? What metrics will you track and how will you collect this data?
  3. What are your plans for dealing with feature creep? Given the number of potential features, how will you prioritize and avoid overwhelming users?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 26
  • Engagement: High
    • Average number of comments: 13
  • Net use signal: 36.3%
    • Positive use signal: 36.3%
    • Negative use signal: 0.0%
  • Net buy signal: 3.1%
    • Positive buy signal: 3.4%
    • Negative buy signal: 0.3%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

Similar products

Relevance

Focusmate - Virtual coworking for getting anything done

30 Mar 2023 Remote Work Productivity Task Management

Focusmate changes the way you work by partnering you with an accountability partner for a live, virtual coworking session that will keep you on task.

Focusmate receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for boosting productivity, reducing loneliness, and helping with ADHD, depression, and focus. Users suggest various improvements, including better matching based on preferences (mic, punctuality, tasks), group work options, mobile app, enhanced calendar integration, customizable notifications and alerts, and features for privacy and inclusivity (pronoun visibility, blurred screen-sharing). The community aspect and accountability are highly valued, with requests for features like goal setting, progress tracking, and improved data reporting. Rematching and last-minute booking are popular requests. There are concerns around pricing and accessibility for some users.

Users expressed difficulty with Product Hunt sign-in and requested features like calendar sync, cancellation fees, shorter sessions, and a mobile app. Many want improvements to session matching, including options for non-desk tasks, pronoun visibility, and language support. Several criticisms involved the increasing complexity of the app and urged to avoid feature bloat. Others mentioned problems with session scheduling, reminders, GCal integration, and partner behavior (late arrivals, cancellations). Regional issues include accessibility for users in Iran and Russia, plus pricing concerns in developing countries.

jj1234

Hi! Focusmate has been a gamechanger for me - I'm a big advocate for it, and will continue to do so. (Is there a referral code option? I haven't checked.) Some thoughts: Info/ statistics: - It's nice to know I've done 2000+ sessions, but without knowing how many of them were 25/50/75, the data is pretty meaningless. I'm pretty sure Beeminder has some capacity for providing this info, but I'd love to be able to just be given a time value and a breakdown of how often I use which session length. - Being able to rate sessions out of 5 (in terms of productivity - not partner) would be helpful for me. Part of the appeal of FM is that I know I'm being asked how I did at the end - if I had a private track of how I was doing in every session, it'd keep me honest with myself, and my partner, and I'd be able to see if I was performing poorly or not over the day. too. - I'd also love a line chart of when I am most frequently on FM, maybe even one to correlate when I am most likely to use FM against which of my sessions are the "least productive"... but that might just be me. Matching gender preferences. I appreciate this function a lot. I have my gender preferences set to 'not cisgender men', which gives me comfort, but it's not a dealbreaker. - Sometimes I prioritise being matched with partners quickly. Adding a toggle to the dashboard so that I can turn gender preferences on and off without jumping into settings would be ideal. - Sometimes I'll book in a session at short notice (e.g, 19:58), and sometimes my partner doesn't show, leading to a rematch. I'd like to let Focusmate know that my gender settings are a *preference*, and I'd rather be rematched quickly with *anybody*, rather than have to wait. There is also a note here to add that some users have a bias against trans people - certain male users who select "only match me with men" may not be including transgender men in their assessment there (and vice versa for female users) - I don't have a suggestion here. It's a sensitive issue. Perhaps if FM signposts the policy it may be useful. A second rematch note: - Include a "re-match me with shorter session length" option. If I were waiting for a 75 minute session that had a no-show, I'd rather be rematched with a 25 or 50 minute session than wait 15 minutes to book another session. This benefits people in the shorter sessions who don't have anyone to rematch with, too. Blurriness - I second the other user's suggestion to blur a screen rather than turn it off (e.g.) for eating. I'd like to add a suggestion. - Let FM users blur *their partner's* screen. Sometimes I'm washing up in a communal space, and I have to turn my laptop away, because my housemates are coming in and are cooking dinner, etc. If I could pop a message in the chat to say "hey, there are other people here, and I'd like to give you some privacy." - it could be nice? Albeit, if someone is on FM and they see that they've just been blurred, they may take offence, so who knows. Low-qual streaming - It's nice to see partners properly and get good audio, but if there is a minor environmental advantage to switching to a lower resolution, I'm fine with adding that as an option for the bulk of a session. Lastly, I'd love for there to be more groups at some point. ADHD, writing momentum, creative spirals - they're all fantastic. Perhaps options for LGBT+ one, or ones based on faith, groups for people who use FM to tidy/ people who prefer to do deskwork etc. could be good for the community? I know there are FB groups, but maybe there's a way to streamline this. All in all, I think this is fantastic. Even if nothing is changed, I don't ever see myself cancelling. The fact that you are seeking feedback too is wonderful.

sara_demers

I came here because this is the most important application I've ever used! Focusmate has been an integral component of my personal success. After reading the comments, I can see that everything that I was hoping for is being addressed. My main interest is in grouping with people who are good with movement! Even if I'm not doing chores during a session, I do get up and down a lot for things I forget, or for the cat, etc. I'm just jumpy and wiggly and I need to be sure my partner is comfortable with someone moving around. It's not an inordinate amount, but it happens. Plus I definitely use this for accountability on chores, or waking up or going to sleep at night. But the latter part has been less successful because I'm embarrassed to show up to a session where a stranger is in the middle of their work day and I'm disheveled and half awake. I love that I can see all of my favorites. The only thing I would add to that is having a page where all of their links are combined so I don't have to click on individual pages to see their schedules. 25, 50, and 75 minutes sessions of all of your favorites with just be lined up so you can just click and book. Somebody on focusmate chores Facebook made a page like that. People could opt to have their link on that page, but it's one of the main places I go to book because I can just see everything at one time and it's glorious. I've been both impressed and encouraged by all the changes. The addition of the 75 minute session has been awesome. I do dislike that sometimes I don't get matched for those, but I'm always willing to take a little bit of bad with the incomparable good of focus mate. This is such a genius idea. I tell everybody about it. It's so nice to have the legacy rate, but I'll be honest, I would pay more for this service! It's so worth it and I know I've saved time, money, reduced impact on my mental health, and in general, I've just become a better human because of this service. Thank you for everything that you've done!

shlomi_harif

I'll second most of the commenters. I've been using it since... what, beta? It's made a significant impact on my productivity. I've written three manuscripts with it as my focus tool. The changes and improvements have been more than worth the subscription price for this service. Keep rocking on!

daniel_johnsen

Been a Focusmate member for over 4 years! It is the best spend I have each month to help me achieve my goals. I've used the service to help keep me on track while doing boring tasks such as invoicing; to exciting projects daily. I even use it to get my day started with reading and meditation. Hats off to Taylor and the team for bringing it to market! I love it so much I buy gift cards to introduce others to it. A++++ Love it!

kat_fitzpatrick

I love Focus Mate! I used it once and immediately signed up for the subscription. I love how much more productive I am *when* I use it but (and I know this is crazy), I feel more even focused when I'm not using. What happen is this: I think to myself, "You really need to get ____ done. You should get to the computer right now and schedule a F-M session." Then, often, I start on the goal just before going online to schedule a Focus Mate session, and voila! I'm already ahead of my previously sloth-paced game.

ramona_w

Feedback on: "Our upcoming releases include:" *This is great!*- Favorites 2.2: Preferential Matching — automatically match with favorites when they’re available in your chosen slot *Also great!- Rematching 2.0 — don’t lose your session even if your partner cancels at the last second *Yes!* - Last Minute Booking — find a match even if you book last minute by being added to the re-match queue *Sure, as long as there is an easy option to say 'any of these' * - Matching Preferences 2.0 — control who you match with; select preferences such as active work, desk work, mics on/off, and more *Cool!* - Referral program — get Focusmate for free when you refer a new customer *You guys rock!* - And many more improvements to the user interface and experience that will make Focusmate even easier and more pleasant to use

yelamin

After attending 800+ sessions on focusmate, I can definitely say this is hands-down one of most life-changing purchases I've ever made- if not the most. From a lonely unemployed new grad in 2020 to now, in 2023 working as Product Designer whilst still using focusmate for work- and other hobbies, focusmate is always on my side helping me be as productive as ever. The people I've met, the time I've spent, surely are instrumental to my happiness and success. It's the perfect product for self-starters who could do a lot with an accountability partner(s). Watching your journey and success as a team warms my heart, and I'm grateful for your effort! Looking forward to your next features! p.s. if you're ever expanding your design team I'd love to be considered :p Cheers, Yassin

barksong

Very excited about the new features in progress! I saw someone's review included a request for GCal events to be more customizable and I wanted to second that request. (in Focusmate, we can type a little label on the session about what we plan to do, but although the calendar sync works nicely, it only imports the label "Focusmate session" in Gcal, which isn't as useful when you use Focusmate all day!) It's awkward to try to timeblock in the calendar with Focusmate events on top of blocks for particular work tasks. And it would be great to be able to make the time blocks in one step while I'm scheduling sessions for the week and have it sync to the calendar (instead of using a different app to create calendar events for the timeblock details.) But if that never changes, it's cool -- the service rules and the subscription is a real bargain. Happy to work around any calendar shortcomings as long as I need to!!

maggie_schneider

I love FocusMate! It has been wonderful for me and as a psychiatrist I have recommended it to countless patients and it has been a game-changer for a lot of them as well. Looking down below a couple of things that I agree with: (1) Pronouns displayed with name. (2) Love the idea of matching based on mic on/off preference.

roeina

I wouldn’t be where I am today without FocusMate. I only wish I had found it sooner! I’m planning on having a few sessions today even to get through some work. I’ve also used it to motivate myself to clean the house. I’ve really appreciated the updates you’ve made so far and look forward to the ones you’ve got coming up! Best $5 I spend every month!

judy_o_myers

I L O V E F O C U S M A T E!!! It is a wonderful community of people who take the idea of accountability seriously and are comfortable with clear, concise parameters of engagement. I really value the fact that the rules and expectations are explicit and respectful and there is an expectation that people will treat one another well. I think the service is extraordinary and y'all have sprouted a *community*. Thank you for doing so. Judy

emily_hill4

Literally my #1 productivity tool--and I love getting to meet people from all around the world! It was awesome even when it was bare bones and the features they've added over the past year have made it that much more fun and easy to use. I'll be with them for life I'm sure! :D

pkme

I love Focusmate! I am an ADHD coach, and I recommend FM to my clients on a regular basis. It's a great concept and a valuable service - almost magical for some people! I also love the changes you've made, as well as the upcoming releases. I especially like the picture-in-picture and the favorites features. I wonder if it might be helpful to offer sessions for specific activities, such as exercise or cleaning/decluttering? I've had some clients tell me they'd like to use FM for those activities, but they are concerned that their physical movements would be distracting to their partner. BTW, it was a bit of an ordeal getting signed in through producthunt - I almost gave up, but I really believe in you guys, and I wanted to leave comments and support you.

yuzhou_bai

I have suggested this previously to the team. Sometimes life happens. After a no-show to a scheduled session, I'd love to send a apology message to the person I was matched with.

a____s

I've found that keeping a short record of my sessions has improved my Focusmate experience. I log the initial goal at the beginning, and then afterwards a rating of my productivity 0-5, what I accomplished, and whether I was off task. If there's no record, it's easy to let a few sessions go by without getting much done; writing it down increases my accountability to myself. And especially so if I then have a system to *go back and look* at what I've written down, or summarize it in some way. I'd be enthusiastic about a 'rate 0-5' prompt built in to FM at the end of a session, plus some graphs in your profile of your average ratings each day / week so you can see your progress. [edit to clarify: I mean 'rate your own productivity', not your partner or the video quality, etc]

daria_marschall

Hi Focusmate Team! I really love what you’ve built and that you’re interested in what the community wants to say ❤️ loving all the ideas above but want to add something to the preferential favorites matching: Would it be also possible to actively switch that on or off? I really love my favorite focusmates but sometimes I also enjoy meeting new people very much and having a variety in my coworking partners. That’s also what my adhd brain needs to not get bored 🙈 would be great if you could take that into consideration :)

spicko

It took my partner 3 reminders to get me onto FocusMate and I’m so glad he persisted. I’m actually obsessed. I feel like I could be in advertising for FM. 🙂 My ADHD brain is so dependent on this. I love meeting random people from all over. The new time additions are awesome. I like the option to wait if someone is running a little late. Perhaps an indicator if someone is willing to have a short chat post-session. My random little chats have been so cool. My faves were seeing a likeminded person try to make a skirt and another cleaning mushrooms they’d just collected from the forest. Soooo cool. Are there options for displaying languages? Might be cool to be able to connect with others who are speaking and learning languages. I think I’ve mentioned in an email to you that an indicator of who’s happy to introduce newbies might be good. Thanks for everything! Your website is life changing for some of us ND folk. I’m wondering what the rules are for underage users. I’d love for my students to use this or something similar, without any major risks.

danielle_abel

I absolutely love FocusMate. It has made my remote work way more productive and I DO NOT FEEL ALONE! I really had a hard time staying committed to my work due to the isolation of working by yourself. I am so thankful for this software! I absolutely love the 50 min sessions. I found that I get overwhelmed with the 75 min sessions. I would love if there was a pool for late people lol. Sometimes I'm rushing to my desk to book a last minute session (like right at 15 minutes past the hour and the have to wait 15 minutes to book another session. Possibly there could be a feature to connect people who book last minute (I think Taylor mentioned this in his post) where we could work a partial session if we booked within 2 minutes after? (Ie: by 8:17, 8:32, 8:47, etc.) They would still be 25, 50, or 75 min sessions, but we would just end up working slightly less because we booked last minute. I find that when I have those 15 minutes to wait between sessions I waste a TON of time... Again, thank you for this software!

r31

One of the most life-changing tools I've ever used! I wish I'd found it sooner! Incredible for motivation, with beautiful unexpected connections with people worldwide who are working on different things (and who are keen to hear about what I'm doing, too). I've only been using it a few months and already coworked with data scientists, software engineers, someone who took me along for their morning walk as the sun rose in Berlin (sharing the view on camera on their phone), someone playing cello, people doing food preparation, and others using it to get through life admin of paying bills and preparing notes for a medical appointment - with their cute cat sitting with us. It's simple and easy to use. I love that I can match with a random stranger or use the "favourites" functionality to schedule sessions with people I already know. I'm very grateful to the founders and all the staff who have been and continue to be involved with developing and maintaining this. You're changing lives. Thank you.

bananasoup27

Love love LOVE Focusmate! I've been using it for 18 weeks and am averaging 26.4 sessions per week. Wooo! Feature idea/request #1: Add the session countdown timer to the picture-in-picture pop-out window.

jorjgaidin

I'm relatively new to Focusmate but it's honestly been transformative to my work and my productivity. I do have a few suggestions: 1. Allow users to make their pronouns visible publiclly in a way that is meaningful. I shouldn't have to open a partner's profile to see their info before a meeting starts. Some people get around this by adding their pronouns instead of their last name. This is exactly what I would like to see. 2. Allow matching/exclusion of partners based on what type of session they want to have (e.g. chat only, mic on/off, screen share). Again people get around this by adding this info to their name field but it's not ideal. 3. The ability to trigger a rematch for a scheduled session without having to cancel and rebook (often just matching with the same person again). I don't always want to snooze the person -- I've never met them. but maybe I'm just not in the mindset to have a session with a particular type of person or maybe they already indicate they only do chat and that's not what I want at that moment. Again. LOVE the service. I recommend it to everyone I talk to these days.

dabogirl

I love Focusmate, ever since my (very late) ADHD diagnosis it has been a game changer. I would like to have a quick switch, like a drop-down menu, to choose every time whether I can talk or not during the session, without having to change my name. Is it at all feasible?

maura_kate_costello

I would love the option to work with more than one person at a time-- it could stay small, but like maybe up to 5 people? and once it goes beyond that, to split the group up evenly (so if there were 6, make two groups of 3; if there were 16, four groups of 4). It would also be nice to work in groups based on the type of work you're doing. For example, I'd love to have the option to find others who are working out, or house cleaning, or taking care of personal admin stuff like bills and scheduling doc appointments. Even if you could just indicate between active v desk work, that would be great. It's less important to me when doing "desk work" to find other people doing exactly my same kinds of tasks (writing, answering emails, social media maintenance for my company, etc.), but it still could be nice to find other writers and scientists can find other scientists, etc. I know there's a setting to show people in certain groups in your calendar, but this in particular doesn't quite fit the need when you're doing a more active task like working out or cleaning.

mrtunes

I love focusmate! I would say my biggest frustration or area of improvement is that on a 25 minute session, sometimes the person is just under 2 minutes late and then there is sometimes too much chit chat. I understand that these can be seen as the features and not the bug since you get the human element at the end of the day. And yes I’m happy to see rematching 2.0 because sometimes i sign up for a session close to the start time and it just can’t match me with anyone. I imagine this might get fixed in 2.0. Keep it up!

liz_bradley1

Focusmate has been such a game changer for me in both my work and personal life. I love being able to schedule time for whatever I need to get done and not worry about it until then. I love the idea of matching with people doing similar things like desk/non desk work as it helps me branch out to think about different ways I can use focusmate to help me get life things done. I would love for it to be easy to switch between these types of tasks or maybe assign different sessions for different categories in easy ways- I wouldn't ever want to have to choose just one style of work for my profile in general- some days I need to write, others, cleaning and organizing is on my schedule. I am a sucker too for color coding- so if that's anywhere in the future I'd be on board!

kasturi_patra

I completed 2 years and 2 months on Focusmate. To say that Focusmate changed my life would be an understatement. -It helped me build myself up--bit by bit. -I built my freelance writing business from scratch. I wrote one book, a second draft, and several short stories. -I didn't fall apart, changing countries twice in 14 months because of Focusmate. -It gave me the self-discipline that I never thought I possessed. I had all these dreams about how I wanted my life to look, but no real plan to get there. Focusmate taught me how to plan things out and achieve a tiny chunk in each session. It helped me on bad mental health days. Days, where I would have cried into my pillow, became days of journaling, meditating, self-care, and talking to friends on FM. 🙂 It gave me a tonne of like-minded friends from all across the globe. Since I am a freelancer working from home, prior to FM, I literally did not speak to anyone on most days. Focusmate not only changed that but also gave me the opportunity to know some amazing people and be a part of their journeys. I've cheered completed dissertations, celebrated job wins, and talked about the struggles of introverts, creatives, and neurodivergent folks. Focusmate helped me realize that I'm not alone. There are beautiful strangers right at the corner (or, maybe, on the other side of the globe) waiting to become friends. This platform is helping me become the version of myself I've always aspired to be. I don't know what I'd do without Focusmate. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 💖 Here's to many more years of getting life done together on Focusmate.

miesha_agrippa

1. ABILITY TO SET GOALS IN A SESSION 🎯: Not necessary, but I think it would be SUPER cool if there was a feature/prompt where each partner can more formally enter their goal(s) at the beginning of the session or even throughout the session. It can either be private or visible to the other partner (which I think might be more useful). I and many other folks already do this in the chat, but I think there's huge potential for a feature. I envision this feature encouraging (a little more formally) each partner to be intentional about what they want to achieve. There's just something about writing something down that brings it into reality and makes me feel more committed to achieving what I've declared I would do. Partner accountability is a plus! The result could be even greater progress and success for focusmate users. 2. ABILITY TO TRACK & CELEBRATE PROGRESS🎉: There's MASSIVE satisfaction in being able to "check off" my tasks as I'm going. I currently make a list and just add this green checkbox icon, which gets a bit redundant every time I want to update my progress. I've gotten so much positive feedback and so many folks asking me "how I do it." So I feel like that should be enough for proof of concept, haha. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe even a progress bar or some kind of feature to celebrate or encourage the other partner would be a really neat touch. I know Asana has a "celebrate" feature that makes me and my teammates feel so good. 3. EMOJIs IN THE CHAT BOX⭐️: I used to copy emojis from the iMessage app before I learned that I could access them through control + command + space bar. For all the folks who can't easily access emojis, it would be great to have the ability to use emojis. 4. ABILITY TO TAKE NOTES ON PARTNER🗒️: I've met so many incredible people on this platform. Sometimes, they will tell me their name and I'll write down the pronunciation on a sticky before sticking it on my wall. Or they will tell me amazing things about them and what they are working toward. As much as I would like to, I can't remember everything but it would be awesome for me to keep track of my interactions and budding relationships with the awesome people in this community. 5: TODAY'S GOALS / THIS WEEK'S GOALS IN SIDE PANEL📅: It would be lovely to keep an eye on the main goals I'm trying to accomplish in a day or in a week. Having the ability to see it on the focusmate platform (even if it's on the main calendar page right above or below "My Groups") would be helpful in keeping me focused. And maybe it's not an unlimited checklist. Perhaps, instead, there's only space for 3 goals at a time... 6: ABILITY TO SCORE SESSION AND/OR MY FOCUS DURING A SESSION. --- For reference, what my session checklist entries used to look like-- Session Goals: [ ] Task [ ] Task [ ] Task When I got smart with the emojis, they started looking like this-- Session Goals: ☐ Task ☐ Task ☐ Task and it's just the best feeling when they look like this by the end of my session-- ✅ Task ✅ Task ✅ Task

noor_a

Focusmate is a lifesaver for me! I struggle with depression and find it difficult to concentrate on studying without ruminating, crying, or feeling even more depressed that I have to study but don't feel like doing it. The irony, right? I tried finding study partners to help, which worked, but people can't always be available. Once I found out about Focusmate, I was on top of my game in everything, including my studies, chores, and sticking to habits like going to bed early and waking up at 5:00 am. I used all types of alarms for the latter, but they didn't help. Now I HAVE TO wake up at 5:00 to get ready for my 6:00 am session. I had always wished for an app like Focusmate. It's funny how I used to always search for an app with an accountability partner, and all the ones I found were either too expensive or didn't actually work. I'm so happy that someone who had the same idea was able to bring it alive in its best form! Thank you, Taylor and team! Special thanks to Nir Eyle, who was the reason for me being here. I totally recommend his book "Indistractble." P.S: I'm so excited for the Matching Preference feature! Now I won't feel guilty when I do chores on Focusmate :D!

thomas_from_hah

Focusmate is a huge improvement for my private activities. I absolutely recommend it to everyone who wants to achieve a goal or work on a project without the pressure of deadlines and responsibilities by universities or professional work environments. Against the common sense and sentiment in the discussion I would recommend to change nothing. Stay bare bone. Every further feature distracts from the idea of Focusmate and makes maintaining the platform complex and expensive.

hamza_abid

I love FocusMate. I’m enjoying the new features that come out, shorter sessions, longer, favourites etc. however please don’t make the app so complex riddled with a hundred different options. Simplicity was what drew me to FocusMate, click, click and click and you’ve got yourself into a 50-minute focussed zone. As time goes on, more and more features are great but let’s make sure simplicity stays at the heart of FocusMate. Although I enjoy the varied length sessions, before I used to just log on and I didn’t have to fiddle with the different minute sessions, now sometimes I do as you can’t always find someone doing the traditional 50 min. Of course, that’s a minor example but I hope what I convey makes sense.

will_koffel

Looking forward to trying last-minute booking and rematching queue, for those times when I reach procrastination panic state and just need to buckle down, or when I find a free hour in my day and need some accountability to make the most of it. Promising way to keep liquidity high for matches across the whole community.

gwp

Focusmate is hands down the app that has changed my productivity the most. I don't think I'd get anything done without it.

noureen_shallwani

Love Focusmate endlessly - the only reason I was able to write my dissertation, I swear! I think a useful feature would be maybe matching people with similar tasks in a category, for example: reading, cleaning, writing, coding Specifically because I think sometimes I want to use focusmate for non-desk reasons and I don't know if the person on the other side is okay with me being up and around? But if they know I'm cleaning or we both know we're cleaning, then it might make the other person feel more comfortable or together we're more motivated! Just to help bring focusmate's utility beyond academics/work for me :) (Also have ADHD, so the accountability of setting a goal and getting it done in those 50 mins is so helpful for any type of work!)

cooper_brown

I haven't noticed the "Picture-in-picture" feature yet. So this will allow me to minimize the focusmate browser so I can go full screen on my work document but still see a little 2 inch icon of my focusmate partner? Like how Zoom does it? if that's the case then that's awesome! I love focusmate. My business coach introduced it to me

bananasoup27

Love love LOVE Focusmate! I've been using it for 18 weeks and am averaging 26.4 sessions per week. Wooo! Feature idea/request #3: Give users the ability to book a session with a specific user *when that other user doesn't already have a session scheduled.* And doing so could trigger a tentative calendar invite to the invited partner, which they could accept or decline. For example, one of my favorites is named Matt; if he and I are in a session right now and agree "hey, this was great; wanna work together the same time tomorrow?", within Focusmate's current build, I would have to book a session first, then give Matt the green light to go in and book that session. But it would be super useful if I could just go ahead and book a session for both of us, even if the session is tentative by default for Matt.

ritta_m_basu

@taylor_jacobson @mgalanos , @david_augustus_lopes , @aodenep , @antonio_braga , @najwat , @aveltri , @natalieong I have expressed my love and appreciation for Focusmate in other shares in this discussion, and will just reiterate here -- this is a game changer. You are all changing the world and how we work together. One suggestion I have for change is when I match with someone and I see from their profile that we will likely not be a good fit -- the only way to change partners is to cancel the session and reschedule. If possible, it would be great to have a way to "request a new partner" in that instance instead of needing to cancel and reschedule.

lauren_juarez

Focusmate has genuinely changed my life for the better. I got divorced in August of 2022 and felt so lost as to how to get my things done without the support of a partner. I use Focusmate every time I am in office and it has helped me get those pesky tasks done, projects I have been putting off, even cleaning my home. It's allowed me to be able to move forward with my business and Im so grateful! I have a youtube channel and I even mentioned them in my last video because I just want everyone to know how incredible this tool is. https://youtu.be/VbmVyTwQga4

dinadm

Hello Focusmate community! Thank you so much for this platform and this service. I missed my first session last week and received the "Are you okay" notice when I logged in again. I was *not* okay and I found that you canceling my upcoming sessions with time enough for people to be rematched until I clicked the "I'm okay" button to be so helpful and allowed me to avoid feeling bad for leaving someone hanging, hoping to be rema.ched. I love Focusmate and its ease of use: Log in, book a session, work. While the upgrades have all been great, please don't try to make FM a total productivity tool able to manage task lists, and reminders, and group work, etc., unless you are confident you can keep it simple in its execution. While I like the favorites feature, I find even the Groups to add a layer of complication that isn't really necessary. For me, meeting people from all over who are all working in whatever way they need to is a helpful reminder that we're all just trying to get by in the world and a little patience and sacrifice (a very little!) can do so much for the whole community. I think a robust snooze feature and maybe encouragement for people to identify what type of work they're doing/want to be matched with in their profile would go a long way to addressing some of the issues I hear about from other users in the FM Facebook community.

anna_zenker

I am such a big fan of Focusmate! The past three years of using it have been incredible! I love all the new changes, especially the addition of shorter/longer sessions. All the upcoming updates also sound amazing. I'm excited for Rematching 2.0 and Last Minute Booking! Here are some additional recommendations I have: -10 minutes sessions -Option to be paired with those doing exercise who may not be on camera the whole time (i.e., someone who wants to start a daily walking routine, but not give their partner motion sickness) -A BRB button -Emojis in chat Thanks!

britt_joiner

Have heard great things about this! I've been using Centered.app for a while and like it quite a bit, but it doesn't have the same aspect of people really being there, so i can see how this would be quite different! Need to give it a try

sarah_mclain

Pretty much brand new to Focusmate, but I love it -the new updates will be awesome and I'm excited by the opportunity to add feedback here. 1. I'd love to have a little optional form that could be updated per session that could be downloaded automatically as PDF or calendar file (either per session, per day, per week) to track. With my ADHD brain, having the opportunity to time track this way can be really helpful beyond having the check-in at the beginning and end of the session. Something like this that could be optional to snag: Date/Time/Session Length Name: Initial Goal: Goal: Achieved/Partial/None Final Retrospective: 2. Maybe a 115 minute session that could be used as 4 Pomodoro blocks with 3 5 minute breaks. I've found that trying to do pomodoro blocks to be really complicated on Focusmate with having to sign up for individual sessions, one at a time, when I really just want to do Pomodoro block with brief breaks. 3. Accountability Pods - would love to find a small group of folks that we can be accountable to (perhaps extending out the groups piece and/or having a way to "slack" the pod at various times of the week with updates) 4. Love the idea of later sessions (I hate just missing a session by 1 minute) 5. Love the idea of bigger groups that being floated - would love to have the option to open a general session that could be open to everyone (maybe limit to 5) for a) morning routines, b) evening routines, c) monthly/weekly/daily planning sessions

raghu_kalyan_ghadiyaram

@taylor_jacobson and FM Team : This virtual co-working platform has completely transformed the way I work and has made me much more productive. The concept is simple yet brilliant. What I love about Focusmate is that it provides the structure and accountability that I need to stay focused and productive. Knowing that someone else is working alongside me, even if we're not working on the same project or task, helps to keep me on track and motivated. I've also found that the regular check-ins and prompts from the facilitator helped break up my work into manageable chunks and prevent me from getting bogged down in distractions or procrastination. And since the sessions are 25, 50 or 75 minutes long, they provide a perfect balance to plan a focused work time and built-in breaks. Overall, I've been extremely impressed with Focusmate and am actively recommending it to anyone who wants to increase their productivity while working from home. Plus, I've met some fantastic human beings on this platform & made some great friends !!

gavin_o_brien

I LOVE FocusMate SOO much!!! Thank you so much for posting and asking for your feedback :) It's really nice and just another reason why you all are amazing. First, I love the Favorites and I really like the blurbs that ask us to welcome "Newbies" to Focusmate! Two features that I'm really looking forward to (and would DEFINITELY improve my experience) are: - Rematching 2.0 — don’t lose your session even if your partner cancels at the last second - Last Minute Booking — find a match even if you book last minute by being added to the re-match queue I hope that the following suggestion could be optional since I enjoy connecting with my favorites, but I also love meeting new people in Focusmate, as well! - Favorites 2.2: Preferential Matching — automatically match with favorites when they’re available in your chosen slot The biggest comment I would make relating to the Matching Preferences 2.0 might be to allow this an optional field/choice for users to fill out only if they use FocusMate exclusively for one type of work (or just allow a mix to be an option). I do some deskwork and other activities (cleaning, exercises, etc.) so I wouldn't want someone to expect me to be at the desk and I'd be working out instead. I think expectation management would be helpful to ensure everyone has the best experience. Thank you for your AMAZING product! Keep up the great work :)

negar_neshat

Hi Focusmate team! I have been using focusmate for more than 2 years consistently now… more than 2000 sessions and I definitely can’t study as productively without FM! So my story is that I was living in Iran for the first year.. and it turns out that you have banned Iran to access your website because it was a nightmare for me trying to even load the website every time. I understand that the sanctions and my country’s relationship with the US may have led to this problem and I understand if you can not change it. But I know there might be people out there willing to try this website… I mean for me it was very very difficult to use it for the first year but I hung in there and survived lol :) now I live in the US. Thank you for the great work!

jonathanp

Wouldn't you agree with the following statement: Hydration is important to stay healthy, active and focused! That is why I am requesting a focusmate feature that automatically brings up reminders to drink & stay hydrated during sessions. What do you think?

aamir_quraishy

I have really loved having Focusmate on. It's helped me out a lot, and been a longtime user.

elsielr

Hi Taylor and everyone else on the focusmate team, first of all, thank you so much for this product. It's absolutely a lifesaver for me as a procrastinating PhD student. I also much appreciate all the new features and I'm excited about the upcoming ones. 1. Feature request: when I click on someone's profile, have it pop up in the same tab that I'm already in (by maybe squishing the calendar to the right) instead of opening up in a new tab. 2. Performance request: when I have focusmate up on my computer, sometimes it takes a lot of computer processing whatever (I am not a software expert) and so then the rest of the programs I'm running go a lot slower. I'm not sure if my computer is just old, but I don't have this problem when I'm on zoom or another video conferencing platform.

zirri

The upcoming releases sound so great! The matching preferences 2.0 are exactly what I was looking for, especially for working unmuted!

gripfin

I generally mute, and so do the people I work with, but in the past (when I only have 1 screen) the sound of a person that doesn't mute typing away has been good for accountability. Picture in a picture is of course a great solution for single screen working but I'd also love the option for something like "noises of a person working" to be streamed from a muted partner, to remind me they are there. Maybe even linked to when they move...

melk10

Focusmate has honestly been life changing for me. I have been using is very regularly since the beginning of the year and after playing around with a few things I now know how to use it to best benefit me. The new feature of being able to see all your favorite mates’ availability has been a huge win for me. One suggestion from me is that it would be nice if there was a way that I could put that I’m doing something not seated for a particular session and it would match me with people who are okay with that. I do a mixture and I honestly don’t care what my mate is doing as long as we meet at the beginning and end and focus, but I know some are more particular. I have some favorites who are in similar situations to me so I know I’m safe with them, but if a cancellation happens or I’m doing a session with someone random I always feel a little nervous when I know I really need the session to do food prep, housework, etc. Thanks for developing this life changing service and your continued support working to make it better!

alexandra_derderian

I would love there to be some kind of visible text box (in addition to chat) that each user states their goals in. The text box would be viewable the whole session, and would be separate from chat. I think this would help a lot to encourage people to state their goals clearly and measurably each session!

deedee_b

I have introduced at least 5 people to the platform who cannot believe how productive this app is! I am currently on the free version but honestly I believe in it so much and just don't require it more than 3 times a week. I really like that you're adding to the features for the users but IMO it works so I wouldn't complicate it too much.

emily_hughes1

I'm obsessed with Focusmate and recommend it to my team at work - we are all remote.

nausheen_eusuf

Focusmate has been a life saver for me. I've been on FM since July 2018 (coming up on my 5 year anniversary soon!) and have completed 3600+ sessions. Some of the folks I cowork with have become good friends, and one has become a close friend (she & I will soon reach 1000 sessions together). Before finding Focusmate, I had even tried Ritalin and Adderall -- but Focusmate is what finally worked for me. Thanks to FM, I was able to finish my dissertation and complete my PhD in 2019. Back then, I was using it for school -- now I use it for work. I simply can't get things done any other way. I also love all the new features that have been rolled out recently, such as the 25-min option, the snooze option, being able to keep a list of favorite folks to work with, and being able to see when my favorites are available. (I call them my FM buddies.) Thank you Taylor and team for this gift. Please keep doing what you're doing!! ♥ 🙏

chriswidner

Focusmate is a game-changer for someone like me who struggles with focusing at work. I've found it especially helpful for those nagging tasks that I don't want to do, but know I need to do. I'll schedule a session dedicated to it and often find it was far easier than anticipated. Still, I got it done thanks to Focusmate. I'm loving the 75 minute sessions and have met a few friendly faces that I work with frequently. I recommend it to anyone who works remotely, but it can be great for those who work in an office as well.

ma_haddad

Thanks for this life changing product! Focusmate has helped me do desk work, cleaning, exercising and go to bed on time!

samia_yasmin

All I have to say is that I absolutely love Focusmate, I cannot fault it and can't stop trying to convert others to the FM way of life. All of the new features sound fantastic, just a shame the referral program hasn't arrived yet as my proselytising has worked with a few friends and relatives! Thanks for continuing to improve the service and cultivate an incredible space. Also, the team have been super nice and helpful on the couple of times I've had to get in contact so massive thanks, it's another thing I always tell people!

amelia_ostroff

I absolutely love this app! It would be awesome if we could book a session based on the type of activity we intend to do - for example, chores with someone else cleaning, doing exercises while someone else is as well. I could see having desk work, reading, practicing an instrument, physical (yoga, PT, strength, etc.), chores, or meditation. And even though it’s not a networking app, it’s nice to work with peers! I love it when I’m paired with other marketing people who get my challenges and can share their ideas. Could that be an opt-in for our personal preferences?

trkitty

I'd love to have a static banner at the bottom or top of the Focumsate screen in which that I could type my task or intention on across the top of the window, so that there was a double-reminder. There'd be the Focusmate person themselves, and then what I said I would do. So, like - 20 Minutes practicing groove cello piece, or 15 minutes writing Software Test Cases (oh right, that's what I'm working on!). Or, let my mate know doorbell rang, I'll be right back, without them having to open the Chat box to see my message (thus interrupting their flow). I've used the "Reincubate Camo" software with template overlaying my video to add a banner across the bottom with my intention, but it would be nice if Focusmate had it built in.

tamaghna_h

Thanks for the wonderful job you folks have done with so little. I want to reiterate that 1) a well-executed Matching Preferences 2.0 would bring the Focus back into Focusmate - a commitment to stay at desk with mic-on means I'm less likely to get up and get a coffee or something and stick to the task unless absolutely necessary. 2) Rematching 2.0 and Last Minute Booking would incentivize me to join a session ahead of time, get into the zone, make a plan for the session, possibly with partner 3) sometimes, I carry a to-do item from the chat of the last session into the next one- It would be great if to do items could be checked off as suggested by others and the unchecked items carried forward into next session. Again, I find it truly amazing that you folks manage to provide the range of features that you do at this price point - and keeping prices low increases the liquidity of random partners. I would prefer fewer features at a low cost, if the alternative is a higher price that would shrink the community and make it harder to get matched at short notice.

creativeflowtv

Hey @taylor_jacobson & team, loving the latest updates! 👏👏👏 I’m now over 3k sessions and it’s fab to see favourites availability and different length sessions. Loving the sound of the favourites upgrades & rematching you mentioned. I still recommend Focusmate to all my business coaching clients and many of them have become loyal users too. Great work, keep it up. 👏 Úna Doyle

francesca_freeman1

Focusmate is LIFE. I literally can't get anything done without Focusmate (which is bolstered by the fact that I just completed my 2,000 session last night!). I've loved many of the new developments -- favorites, 25 minute sessions, and favorites combined availability have all been such incredible improvements. I'm also very excited to see the new adjustments you all have mentioned -- all really wonderful improvements! One thing I'd love to see is being able to set up 'co-working rooms' within the platform to be able to work with multiple Focusmateys at a time. I've been developing a really wonderful network of fellow women PhD students, and I would love to be able to bring us all together for some awesome productivity sessions on the platform that originally connected us!

dej_kay

I've been using since really early days and really appreciate the product even when I fall off the wagon and back into my unproductive habits for weeks on end. As soon as I log back on, I remember how amazingly productive I am when logged in. Love the planned changes - especially floating window so I don't need to move everything around to have the FM window peeking at the side and reminding me I am on camera. LOVE idea of being able to be queued for open slots /no shows if I happen to log in at 10:01. Auto favorites is good too and it would be fun to see the time for the person at the other end next to their name - I enjoy knowing it's a global experience and my day is starting when theirs is ending, or they are pulling an all nighter ahead of an exam in a country I have never been to - it's fun to be part of a big community with no borders. I don't mind when people have to chat to talk, but camera off *and* chat to talk feels like there is no one on the other end at all for me and defeats the purpose. I'd like to be able to not be matched with people who want to both be off camera and off mike - there aren't many of them but I have met a few for whole that is their default. I get sometimes off mike is preferred/needed, but I find it more time consuming to type a list than to just say what I'm planning to do so I'd rather limit those but it doesn't happen that often. I've only met one or two who *don't* mute and I think muting after intro should be default as it is distracting for the other person (though maybe some would. like a white noise/office sounds sound track while they work, there are other ways they can do that).

megan_blossom

I could not love focusmate more. It is life-changing for me. The one thing I would like to see is a group specifically for exercising. I know that people doing non-desk work is totally fine, but I (and others) are self-conscious about exercising specifically. I also would probably like to have a gender preference for exercising, but don't care for anything else. I personally don't think it's necessary for to have separate groups for cleaning, etc. I realize that dividing people up into groups limits the pool for matches, so probably best not to have too many groups. I have been lucky to find an exercise partner via the focusmate exercise facebook group, but we only exercise together a few times a week and I'd like to do more!

terryfarrah

I learned about Focusmate last summer and immediately loved the idea. Right away I used it to complete a personal project that I'd been neglecting. I don't think I'd ever have completed it without Focusmate; it would just have languished forever. I always book shortly before the session. I found that if I book ahead of time, it constrains the flow of my day too much. There are some new features I would enjoy having. However, what's most important to me is that Focusmate stay very simple and easy to use. I hate it when a favorite app gets overly complex and I end up abandoning it. Therefore I request that you add no more new features at all. Put your development effort into making the existing features work as smoothly and intuitively as possible.

bananasoup27

Love love LOVE Focusmate! I've been using it for 18 weeks and am averaging 26.4 sessions per week. Wooo! Feature idea/request #2: Allow me to put something in the session chat BEFORE the session starts. - I could start a list of session goals or to-dos ahead of time. - I could let my partner know (for example) that I might be a couple minutes late, or that I'll be up and moving so they can feel free to cancel with me if that would bother them. Yes, I know I can already do this by sending a message to their email, but I personally don't pay THAT close of attention to my own email, and I think putting it in the session chat would be ideal for short-notice messages--and the only practical option for capturing my session goals ahead of time.

booglelooga

I want to be able to create my own group, or join groups for specific types of tasks (like cleaning or workouts or getting ready for bed) and that's still not available. It would also be awesome to have a group for all my WFH friends so that if any of my IRL connections and friends-of-friends are online, we could be matched preferentially. So far it appears that groups are still private and unavailable to other people, which is a bummer. I thought it was a really cool feature.

nikita_maruvanda

Hey Focusmate team, honestly wow wow wow! Focusmate was introduced to me 2 months ago within my ADHD Whatsapp group, and it has truly changed my life. As someone who is constantly battling ADD, I cannot thank you enough for creating this product and building this community. I am a huge promoter and share using this with anyone I know who might be struggling with body doubling. As product features, some suggestions: a) Grouping people with similar tasks (e.g. people doing morning routines, or workouts, or yoga) - can help with increased accountability b) Providing the option for increased accountability support to enhance partner's productivity (e.g. I love to screenshare and have added it my name right now or if someone wants to be nudged to add specific goals for their sessions) c) I wonder if there is a way to group match (especially when either a partner drops mid session or your partner just don't show up)

jeremy_blanchard

One of my favorite tools! I don't think I use any other tech tool nearly as frequently. And the price is so hard to beat. I recommend it to all my friends.

georgekao

I have now logged more than 5,000 sessions on Focusmate, and it's absolutely helped my business grow. It's helped me work with more joyful productivity :) The upcoming features list are well prioritized!

alia_poonawala1

Focusmate has been a total gamechanger for me. I use it to get so many things done and have company while I do it :) So grateful!

sonia_satra

I LOVE focus mate....it's genius. A friend turned me on to it a few months ago and I was skeptical at first....how could working on mute, on screen with a total stranger help? But as soon as I tried it I was hooked....it was incredibly helpful and I am always super productive whenever I use it....which is a lot. I have been telling all of my clients and friends about it since. I highly recommend it!!

bunchoo

I've been off Focusmate for awhile because my shyness got to me; I'd love a way to filter my calendar to show people who are essentially willing to be extra nice to noobs and shy people. (Once I get back in the flow I can see myself being one of these people too). Thanks.

mari_1

Hi, Focusmate community Focusmate helped get to the best university programme in economics in my country. I am sure I wouldn't be enrolled without the help of more the 1500 Focusmate partners I had. I am very grateful. BUT since the start of the war in Ukraine I can't pay for Focusmate because I grew up and live in Russia. I would be very happy if I Focusmate included payment methods that are accessible for people in my country. That being said, even with all the problems with the payment, I am deeply grateful for the simple fact that Focusmate didn't abandon its users here and stayed with us in the most difficult times as situation here for ordinary citizens is very depressing.

lisa_mo

A feature I would appreciate is pre-written chat messages. Often, I'm doing desk work, but will get called into a virtual meeting while on FocusMate and I would love to click a pre-written message to easily tell my FocusMate that I won't be able to have a post-session chat.

thurees

Focusmate has been my work bestie since I joined. It has saved me from bouts of every kind of emotion that would otherwise render me immobile when I need to work. It has gone with me through the hardest of jobs and even the most mundane tasks. I'm so glad to be part of a community where we all want to support each other.

cynicus_me

Can I get a "To-do List" integration or native? Something I can update during my sessions will be great.

deleted-5370023

It's a bloody fantastic product. I find it so helpful as someone with ADHD and lots of struggles with procrastination. I tell everyone about it. All the new features sound fantastic. Sometimes I want to book many consecutive sessions and the same Focusmate might already have booked the same spots which means the calendar shows them as the match option for times I'd like to book. I love to have variety in who I match with so it would be good if there was an easy way to book with someone else in those cases. I'm not sure if I've missed how to do that but it looks like the only way to do that is to snooze someone???

zoya_kaufmann

Focusmate has had such an inconceivably enormous and positive impact on my life these past three years. I'm so thankful to everyone who has contributed to (and everyone who uses) the platform! It has served me as well on day one as it did today. My hopes for Focusmate are 1) far above all else, for it to be able to persist indefinitely and 2) to reach even more people who will love it. 💜

sining_chen

Hi I'd love to have the option to show my session goal with my partner, and the ability to have it show on my calendar, It helps to visualize all the goals at a glance on my calendar, and prompts my partner to keep me accountable, even without audio. A checkmark at the end of the session on whether or not the goal has been achieved (or a percentage) would be great to keep track of how realistic my goal setting is. Overall, love focusmate!

grace_carter3

I'm excited about your new launch. I have already used some of the new features and am looking forward to using the others. I often recommend it to others who need help focussing. I appreciate your responsiveness to customer suggestions and can see how that has consistently made your product better. Thanks!

tiffany_joyner

It was an essential tool for me during Covid-19 lock down. I still use it, though not as much.

masumimimi

Thank you so much for this fantastic application!! I'm obsessed! I feel like the changes coming up address this phenomenon, but I just wanted to address it directly, which is that there is a lot of noise in the name area. Many of us use the name feature for all sorts of things that are not our names: we share our activities, preferences, pronouns, etc. I would love to have actual spots for these things. Ex. an optional place for pronouns that are easy for people to see (not necessarily buried in the profile area). Or have an option for our goals for future sessions to be visible to others on the booking page, rather than as an area in our profile (it would also be great to see our goals reported back to us in the weekly report emails we get). It looks like you are working on integrating preferences into something that is sortable, which I really appreciate. I'm looking forward to less noise in the name area!

deleted-5367331

Focusmate has made a huge impact on my life. I tend to have issues with task inertia...FM has helped me get rolling as well as putting limits on the tasks that I get stuck in. I love the new Favorites availability, but I also love meeting new people. Someone mentioned the idea of turning that on/off. I was wondering if there could maybe be something at the time of scheduling where you could chose the availability feature. I have different tasks that I rely on "favorites" for focus, but others where it would be easy enough to meet new people. After all, our favorites were once random matches! I also have joined the FB rise/fall and exercise groups, but never really could make that work for me because I am rarely on socials. It might be nice to have those groups somehow linked to FM like some others are (ie. ADHD for Smart Ass Women) where it links people with similar availability. Or somehow designating if that's the task you would want your FM partner to be doing. I would imaging that there would need to be a caveat that it would not be guaranteed, but attempted. Thanks for being the people who "get" me!!

scotty_eckenthal

I've been using Focusmate regularly for a few weeks now and it's had a huge positive impact on day-to-day as a remote worker and as a contributor to software projects. Love the accountability. Love the connection. Love the way it helps me enforce a schedule and break up larger things into smaller ones. For me, things are always easier when tackled with others. Glad to hear that Preferential Matching / Rematching / Last Minute Booking are coming soon, as these are pretty obvious wins that I know I'll benefit from immediately.

sara_demers

Commenting a second time to say that I think a 10 minute session option would be awesome! Or 15. 5 give or take for talking before and after. Sometimes I just need to get up out of bed, or I need to do a 5-10 minute physical therapy exercise. Or I just need that time to get moving!

deepa_chari

I absolutely love Focusmate and recommend it to everyone. I use the Google Calendar integration pretty heavily. I would love if when I created a Focusmate session, I could title it and have the title auto-populate in the auto-created GCal event. Currently, the only way to change the title of the GCal event is through GCal, and you have to edit it in a browser, not the app, since the GCal app doesn't allow you to edit events created by someone else. I also think messaging could be easier - right now it's pretty cumbersome to find the feature, and it's impossible to message someone to apologize once you've missed a session with them. And by the way I am experiencing a weird issue where when I plug in my laptop charger, my video turns off. Probably a hardware thing on my end, but just wanted to flag.

jarrodjob

Idea - Editing Session Title (for Calendar) to set personal intention / time block Currently; when I book sessions it adds to my google calendar "Focusmate + Name etc". If I could edit those in the FM Dashboard and have those push to my calendar I'd love to be able to set better intentions ideally in both my FM Dash + push to my Digital Calendar.

marc_gelfo

Love focusmate. I think missing a session should be penalized. And what others said about handling a late session by being able to drop in at say 12:05pm would be amazing. Also upvoting the idea to better track what I do, I would love more formal inputting of what I'm doing, deliverables achieved, etc., and reporting and understanding of how long things took. Some combination of toggle, complice, ticktick...

rice_tong

I just LOVE Focusmate! I cannot express how grateful I am to have come across this tool, it helps me so much in my personal and professional life. It's probably one of my favourite platforms so far...thank you so much for this! Would love to work for a product like this one day. Was looking through some other comments and I thought it indeed would be cool to have a label that indicates what you're focusing on - professional work, personal life organisation, leisure, etc. so you can get to match with someone who are working on similar projects. Otherwise, just wanted to say a big thanks!

felipe_me

Hi! Love Focusmate. I'd love it if I could set a comitted session formyself where I'm not allowed to cancel it -- if I do it x times maybe my account gets cancelled or I get charged money, or something. I love that Focusmate helps me get stuff done but I really don't want to do anything I tend to just cancel the session shortly before it starts. Something like what was suggested would help, I think. Some kind of system to disincline people (myself included) from cancelling sessiosn with ten or fewer minutes to go would be great too. With 75 min sessions especially (I'm guessing it has the fewest amount of users) you often end up getting your session canceled if your partner quits on you shortly before the start time.

futureglenn

I've been using Focusmate for years. Although to be honest, have fallen off the past 6 months or so in favor of similar tools that allow me to easily work together with others WITHOUT needing to talk. I'd absolutely be 100% back if I could schedule chat-only sessions. Most of my day that's the only way I can work. Well, that and a built in checklist ;)

yulia_b_

Focus mate has been the key to practicing music almost everyday. During the pandemic I don't know that I'd still be able to play my instrument without it. Thanks for building this tool. I use it for work as well. Using 25 min sessions to encourage movement between sessions so I don't hurt myself by having a desk job

bebe_t_h

I'm a huge fan of all the proposed updates! Especially "Matching Preferences 2.0". Like others have mentioned, there are so many ways to use Focusmate, and having a partner who is mostly aligned with how you're using the session really allows for peak productivity, as well as enjoyment. I was a member of a Focusmate facebook group and brought up my frustration at being matched with people who are not only late, but who don't even apologize for being late, and was met with so much negativity that I left the group! Yes, it's virtual, but the manners that are expected irl should not be erased because we're virtually meeting. Moreover, just because focusmate has a large neurodivergent population does not mean that neurotypical expectations on politeness should be rebuffed. I was really dissappointed in that interaction and made sure to 'snooze/ block' anyone who thought being tardy without apologies was okay.

ab_tokiayu

Love the product, absolutely five stars rating, a few suggestions on the features. 1. I would like to have HD video and faster connection speed features for paid users. 2. Maybe give the user the option to choose which language they would like their partners to speak. 3. I think the pairing system could be improved, like shorten the waiting period for each session to 5 or 10 minutes, and also improve the last-minute pairing success rate if possible. 4. Encouraging users to add more profile/picture/introduction to personal profile. 5. Resources for ADHD recovery approach? Medical/therapy suggestions maybe? I honestly hope anyone has ADHD can have access to this product. On the other hand, I kind of fear what the Focusmate will become with influx of users. Awesome products overall!

r_bevan

Yes please to Rematching 2.0 and Last Minute Booking, including booking a couple of minutes after the session started. It would minimise the number of people who go unmatched when their partner doesn't show up. Also just to second the suggestion to have three people in a session - this would be better than just "can't find you anyone". I first got into FM through Flown, which is a group-working equivalent (I don't use Flown at all anymore since they changed their model and went a bit weird) and it totally works being more than two people, 3-4 is fine.

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FocusBox - Maximize focus and boost daily productivity

25 May 2023 Development Productivity Task Management

FocusBox.io is your ultimate productivity companion. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, it helps you maximize focus, eliminate distractions, and achieve your goals using Timers, Ambient Sounds and Insights to help you work smarter, not harder.

FocusBox is being lauded for its Pomodoro timer, ambient sounds, and analytics features, which users believe contribute to seamless productivity. The product is seen as simple yet effective in improving focus and efficiency.

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70
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Dive into Deep Work–Your Oasis, Your Way

13 Jun 2024 Artificial Intelligence Productivity

Elevate your productivity with Oasis, the AI-powered ambiance generator. Customize your workspace with notes, timers, focus music, and sounds—all tailored to your liking. Create the perfect environment for deep focus and creativity. Try it for free and discover how unique your background can be!

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5
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Focusdoro - AI assisted Todos, Pomodoros & Time Tracking in One App!

22 Aug 2024 Artificial Intelligence Time Tracking Task Management

Focusdoro helps you:- Prioritize and simplify: Helps you prioritize tasks and break them into small, actionable steps- Execute: Helps you stay focused using a Pomodoro or countdown timer- Introspect: Shows where you're spending(or wasting) time

Users appreciate the product as a useful time management tool that consolidates everything in one place, effectively boosting productivity. The overall sentiment is positive.

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Metawork - Boost remote productivity with AI driven virtual office

03 Dec 2023 Remote Work Productivity Time Tracking

Empower remote teams with a virtual office that offers real-time visibility, seamless communication, and customized productivity insights —all for free

Metawork's Product Hunt launch received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with users praising its virtual office, AI-driven productivity, and innovative remote work solutions. Many congratulated the team and expressed excitement about the product's potential to enhance team connection and real-time visibility for distributed teams. Several users highlighted the nice dashboard and impressive functionality. Some suggestions included implementing a Kanban setup and exploring Meta's speech architecture. Questions were raised about Metawork's virtual presence and replicating in-office experiences, as well as inquiries about a bug bounty program. There were also comments about globalization, employment diversity, and remote work opportunities.

Users criticized the product's lack of integration with popular project management tools and questioned the effectiveness of Zoom in replicating a real work environment. Suggestions included a Kanban setup for Trello users and a re-evaluation of the current remote work policy. There was also advice to remove 'AI' from the headline to minimize distractions.

frank_denbow

solid page, will give the app a try! https://youtu.be/bvIaYEzoqK8

bonvisions

This is exactly what we need right now. I am particularly fond of the 'Virtual Office' feature. We previously tried to simulate this kind of work environment using Zoom, but it wasn't very effective. Now, with Metawork, this process has become much smoother and more efficient.

michaelyuhe

Congrats on your launch! Excited to see such an amazing product helping us manage our remote works

rohan_singhvi1

Hey @iris_y congratulations on the launch! Really loved the idea of a ClickUp + Virtual Office...Personally for me I'm a Trello fan thru-n-thru for task management so if a Kanban setup can also be done would be perfect for me to take my team to Metawork!

matej_cabadaj

Wow this looks EPIC! As someone who works with teams where every single person sits in different country, this could enhance our team spirit! Definitely will be testing that! Super cool concept! Congrats on the launch!

aashish_peepra

This is super intriguing! 🚀 How does Metawork manage to create that sense of "virtual presence" in the team, and what features do you think contribute the most to replicating the in-office experience? Can't wait to explore the future of remote work with Metawork! 🌐

web3_antivirus

The Virtual Office Concept, Rethinking Communication, and Insights for Smarter Work are truly innovative solutions that will revolutionize the remote work experience, Iris, can't wait to check out Metawork!

yuxuan_lei

Great Product. Would definitely have a try!

pinkay_dey

Metawork sound is really good it's very useful

kanishka_wickramasinghe

The Virtual Office Concept, Rethinking Communication, and Insights for Smarter Work are truly innovative solutions that will revolutionize the remote work experience, Iris, can't wait to check out Metawork!

udit_akhouri

Solid product. Giving metawork a try now.

deb_dutta1

Very interesting product & may be helpful for the project also offers the real time visibilities.

alex_hernandez19

Iris, I can't wait to check out Metawork! The Virtual Office Concept, Rethinking Communication, and Insights for Smarter Work are incredibly creative solutions that will completely transform the remote work experience!

peter_kalu

Impressive innovation! Metawork's AI-driven virtual office is a game-changer for remote productivity. Excited to see how it transforms the way we work and collaborate.

0xjohnson

cool product！i need a virtual office

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TaskTimer - Simple productivity and time management

24 Jul 2024 Productivity Time Tracking Task Management

A simple task/study/work timer with Pomodoro features. Set task lists to complete and get audio notifications during completion. Helping focus intent on the task at hand for increased productivity and some personal ownership

Pomodoro timer is useful; addresses limitations, includes timings, and notes.

Don’t compare to others; every step counts.

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5
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Pogether - We can pomodoro together

10 Dec 2024 Social Media Productivity Time Tracking

Pogether transforms solitary work sessions into collaborative experiences. Join virtual work tables, connect with others while maintaining your own pace, earn achievement badges, and track weekly streaks. Make every work session more engaging!

Users appreciate Pogether's gamification and networking features for addressing remote work isolation. The Pomodoro timer and connection during remote work are seen as positive. There are requests for Apple Watch support and a long-term progress feature. Some users feel the app lacks a social aspect, resembling a regular Pomodoro timer. Information is requested on how the app handles different paces/breaks, and for a Playstore/Android link or QR code to test the platform.

Users criticize the lack of Apple Watch support and Android availability, hindering accessibility and testing. The app's social presence needs improvement to enhance user engagement. Suggestions include incorporating a virtual garden or city builder to visualize progress and provide a more engaging experience.

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192
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Deep Work Zone - Boost productivity with focus & time management

14 Nov 2024 Productivity Browser Extensions Chrome Extensions

Enhance your productivity with Deep Work Zone. Block distractions, track time, and improve focus. Perfect for remote workers, students, and professionals seeking better time management.

Deep Work Zone's launch is congratulated by multiple users, praising Mustafa. The tool is described as simple, straightforward, and cool. Users highlight its focus on productivity, distraction blocking, and tracking. The free access and merging of tracking and blocking features are appreciated. It's deemed essential for solo founders and entrepreneurs, with many thanking Mustafa for the product.

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55
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Pomodoro Focus - Task Management - Maximize focus & tasks across every tab

12 Aug 2023 Browser Extensions Chrome Extensions Task Management

Maximize productivity with an ever-visible foreground Pomodoro timer plus personalized task management on every tab. Experience uninterrupted concentration thanks to the Chrome Side Panel integration.

The product launch received positive feedback, with one user calling it "wonderful." Suggestions for improvement included adding themes, insights, collaboration features, integrations, and a mobile app. One user, already using a Pomodoro timer, expressed interest in trying the product.

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75
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Focusdoro(AI) – AI assisted Pomodoro task list

19 Sep 2023 Artificial Intelligence Productivity Task Management

Hi, I have always struggled with changing priorities and figuring out what to focus on a particular day. The actual priorities get missed amongst all other things in life.With the launch of Gen AI in almost all aspects of our lives, i decided to build something that can assist me in finding the right priorities and staying on them. This has helped me out for the past couple of days.I am using Openai apis for task breakdown and Daily planning bot and the rest of the site is built using Django, JS, and Tailwind.I have tried a lot of productivity tools throughout the years and Pomodoro and timer-based focused work has worked out best for me. If there are other techniques that have worked out for you, do let me know, I will try to incorporate those :)Would love honest feedback on this so that I can make this more useful to others and to myself.Looking forward to your feedback, thanks in advance :)

Seeks feedback to improve usefulness.

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Deep Work Room - Boost your productivity & get more done

27 Apr 2023 Productivity Notion Task Management

Experience the power of deep work with the Deep Work Room Notion template. From a comprehensive guide to a performance tracker, this tool is designed to help you prioritize tasks, stay organized, and achieve greater focus.

The Product Hunt launch received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many congratulating Jamel and the team. Users appreciate the product's focus on productivity, particularly the Deep Work Room template, which is considered a game-changer for dealing with distractions. The tool's interface, resources section, and habit widget were also well-received. Some users also highlighted the free availability and suitability for night routines. Overall, the launch is considered successful, with many expressing excitement and wishing the team continued success.

The feedback highlights two key concerns: the lack of integration with project management and communication platforms, which limits the product's utility for collaborative workflows. Additionally, users found the unsolicited promotion of a stock trading account to be intrusive and irrelevant to the core product offering.

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TaskPulse - Pomodoro Timer & Task Tracker

05 Oct 2024 Time Tracking Menu Bar Apps Task Management

Stay on top of your tasks with this powerful macOS productivity app. Whether you're using the Pomodoro technique or managing your time, the app helps you stay organized and focused.

Simple, useful app focused on reducing eye strain. Congrats on launch!

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12
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Podor - Pomodoro timer & tasks

24 Apr 2024 Android Productivity Task Management

Maximize focus with Podor, your personalized Pomodoro timer. Organize tasks with tags, access detailed stats, and customize your experience to fit your workflow. Streamline your day, one Pomodoro at a time. Try Podor and find your productivity rhythm!

Podor is a Pomodoro timer praised for its UI and task organization features. Users are requesting a browser version, especially for streamers, and an iOS version. There's interest in interval customization and how Podor adapts to different work styles. Questions are raised about what differentiates Podor from other Pomodoro trackers and its potential to save time for Pomodoro Method users, indicating a need for clearer unique selling points.

Users criticize the manual setup of Pomodoro timers as time-consuming. Some suggest shorter Pomodoro intervals. A key concern is the app's lack of clear differentiation from competitors. Users are also seeking more customization options for work intervals.

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