Hey HN,
I keep building things and failing at launch. This time I built something that enforces the discipline I lack: a productivity system that physically blocks you from working when you've done too much focus without rest.
What it does: - Focus timer + meditation tracker + task manager in one terminal-aesthetic interface - Hard 10:1 focus:rest enforcement — work 100 minutes, you OWE 10 minutes of rest before the timer unlocks again - Task completion requires reflection logs (1 reflection per 5 tasks) — no backlog journaling allowed - ASCII progress bars, monospace everything, brackets for every action: `[ START_FOCUS ]` - No gamification, no streak anxiety, no "you can do it!" cheerleading Why I built it: I'd work 4-hour blocks, burn out by Wednesday, then doomscroll for 3 days....
Hey HN,
I keep building things and failing at launch. This time I built something that enforces the discipline I lack: a productivity system that physically blocks you from working when you've done too much focus without rest.
What it does: - Focus timer + meditation tracker + task manager in one terminal-aesthetic interface - Hard 10:1 focus:rest enforcement — work 100 minutes, you OWE 10 minutes of rest before the timer unlocks again - Task completion requires reflection logs (1 reflection per 5 tasks) — no backlog journaling allowed - ASCII progress bars, monospace everything, brackets for every action: `[ START_FOCUS ]` - No gamification, no streak anxiety, no "you can do it!" cheerleading Why I built it: I'd work 4-hour blocks, burn out by Wednesday, then doomscroll for 3 days. Every productivity app let me keep going. I needed something that would stop me and enforce recovery.
The aesthetic is intentional — brutalist terminal UI to strip out dopamine triggers. Black background, functional color (teal/amber/red), no rounded corners, no celebrations. Just discipline.
Current state: - 7-day free trial, no card required - Web app (Flutter + Supabase) - Works on mobile but designed desktop-first - I'm the only daily user (classic founder problem)
What I learned building this: - Enforced rest is controversial — some testers hated being blocked - People want "just one more task" overrides — I refuse to add them - The terminal aesthetic filters hard: developers love it, normies bounce - I have no idea how to market this without sounding preachy about discipline
Live demo: https://app.kensho.zone Source: Not open yet (will consider if there's interest)
This is my 5th failed business attempt. Usually I ship, post once, then wonder why no one uses it. Trying something different this time: being honest about the struggle and asking for brutal feedback before I give up.
What am I missing? Would you actually use this, or is it solving a problem only I have?
Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46409176
Points: 1
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