Focusmate
Virtual coworking for getting anything done.
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Nir Eyal

Focusmate - Distraction-free productivity via virtual coworking

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Focusmate virtual coworking provides accountability exactly when and how you need it to get things done—live, "in person" from another human being.

Users to work side-by-side, remotely over video, in structured 50 minute sessions.

Let a Focusmate hold your feet to the fire, just like your coworkers might in a real office.

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Stewart Fortier
I've been using Focusmate the past few months to complete tasks that I find "boring, but necessary," which for a procrastinator like me is a long list 😉. Focusmate is the definition of a product that sounds strange in theory, but is amazing in practice. It has had direct, measurable impact on my quality of life and I can't imagine getting work done without it anymore.
Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
@stewartfortier1 wow! thanks for sharing your story!!
Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
@stewartfortier1 @cindybisv agree this is a huge need and opportunity. We've limited access to 17+ so far to avoid some liability and complexity around serving minors, but we definitely want to tackle that audience. Remains to be seen whether we can serve that demographic within the same product or whether it makes sense to build something specifically for that audience.
Joshua Pinter
Neat product but I can't help but think that you might be working on the wrong thing if you really need this, especially if it's a side project. Your side project should be so exciting to you that you can't wait to work on it. You shouldn't need somebody hovering over you telling you to get back to work. And if this is for your main job, you might need to find a new job or new position. Am I alone in thinking this?
Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
Hi @joshuapinter ! Valid question! A few thoughts... 1. Procrastination is a part of life for a huge share of the population, agnostic of motivation levels. This shows up as having trouble getting started, working on easy tasks instead of hard ones, etc. For people who procrastinate, it's really not about how excited or not excited you are. (It's even worse for those with ADHD.) 2. We're incredibly distracted, and not wired to handle the constant stimulation in our environment today. Focusmate helps to kind of suck you into a flow state where you're not easily distracted. 3. Even for those with high focus and motivation, it still improves productivity. You might notice that while many users have ADHD etc., many are actually high performers using Focusmate to achieve more of their life's work.
Jake Baker
@joshuapinter I'd disagree. As a user, this is really about quality of life for me. I'm high performing in my life and my career, but procrastination is not a fun way of achieving goals. Focusmate helps me get into the groove and get things done quickly, rather than enduring some of the angst and suffering of my normal "process." It's less about my enjoyment of the work and more about the ease with which I get into flow. Separately, it's also about optimization --- if you're running a company, what would 1% or 5% or 10% greater productivity from employees be worth to you? I think that's a huge potential idea....
Erik Johnson

One of my favorite productivity tools of the last few years!

Pros:

Easy and super effective way of committing to get stuff done for remote work, side projects, and anything else that could use a nudge.

Cons:

Have to adjust to get in the habit of incorporating it as part of your project planning.

Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
@erikleejohnson thanks for the love ❤️
Jake Baker

I was one of the earliest users of Focusmate and have been passionately sharing it with friends and colleagues since. It helps you get immediately into the zone of productivity via the incredibly simple solution of having a partner, live and present, working alongside you. Try it once. If you don’t like it, fine. If it helps you, even better. Why not try something that potentially offers (free) massively improved productivity? Kudos to Taylor and team for building this.

Pros:

Works like magic. Bizarrely effective if you use it.

Cons:

You have to use it for it to work.

Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
Thank you @bakerjake !
Brian R. Stuckey
I love this service and use it regularly. It's kind of a quirky idea but give it a try at least once then it'll click.
Jake Baker
@brianstuckey +1 @brianstuckey -- it just becomes habit and then suddenly you're just magically in the zone.
Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
@brianstuckey 👋 agreed!
David Künnen
Couldn't help but notice that your website needs >10s to load with a 3.5MB bundle somewhere in between. That's at least for the landing page a no go. ;-)
Jake Baker
@kunnendavid Just loaded it in seconds.... Wonder if the issue is a connection thing?
Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
Hi @kunnendavid it's a known issue, thank you 🙏
Taylor Pearson
I stumbled onto Focusmate when I was working on a book project last year and my writing partner went out of town. It's been a huge help! I wouldn't have the manuscript finished if not for Focusmate!
Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
@taylorpearsonme thrilled to hear we've been able to help!
Will Card
Focusmate is awesome, weird (at first), and it totally works. Once you get that first session under your belt things just click and you really feel the power of social accountability in action. Sharing my tasks with my partner compels me to stick to my plan and it is pleasantly surprising how well that small act works for me. That light social pressure really helps avoid the unlimited distractions my brain can sometimes try to throw my way. My wife is also a user and logged over 100 sessions studying for and passing her nurse practitioner boards. Focusmate was the reason she was able to show up and study well ahead of time when she didn't really HAVE to do it yet. Anti-procrastination at its finest.
Jake Baker
@will_card Amen - love it!
Will Koffel
This is a systemic problem for knowledge workers of all types, all ages, all industries. @taylor_jacobson and team aren’t just playing around here, they are building a new kind of community for the long-haul. The net needs more positive communities, and there’s nothing more positive than the shared dopamine rush of checking an important task off your todo list!
Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
@wkoffel thank you 🙏
Fiona O'Donnell McCarthy

I use focus mate to tackle personal project that I just never seem to make progress on. The Focusmate team nails the psychology behind accountability and productivity.

Pros:

Best way to get forced accountability

Cons:

I’ve only integrated it into my life for my personal projects, haven’t been able to adopt it in the m work setting yet (but I should try).

Taylor Jacobson – Team Focusmate
Maker
Honored 🙇
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