Got my First User Feedback
TL;DR
Still looking for users to try out a reminders service which escalates/follows-up. Will provide free access to paid features: https://reminders.verysimple.systems
I got my first real user outside my direct network for Reminders, and their feedback was more useful than any generic landing page advice I’ve received.
I’m building a simple reminder tool for important life-admin deadlines: passport expiry, visa/work permit expiry, driver’s licence renewal, insurance renewals, health appointments, client follow-ups, mentor check-ins, etc.
The product lets users create a reminder, choose a reminder schedule, and get notified before the deadline. Paid options can add SMS reminders and backup contact follow-up.
The feedback I got:
From a UX perspective, the setup flow feels heavier than the mental model of “reminders.” Most people reach for a reminder tool when they want something quick and frictionless. Four steps to create a single reminder raises the question: is this simpler than just setting a phone alarm or putting it in my calendar?
This made me realize I may have a positioning/UX mismatch.
The product is not really meant for casual “remind me in 20 minutes” tasks. It is meant for important dates months away where a single calendar event is easy to ignore or forget.
But if the user sees “reminder app,” they expect setup to be almost instant.
What I’m considering changing:
- Make the default create flow just: title + due date + create
- Preselect a standard reminder schedule
- Keep email enabled by default
- Move notes, SMS, backup contact, and repeat into optional/advanced sections
- Simplify the dashboard around “what needs attention next” instead of showing too many sections
I’m trying to learn from this before I do broader outreach.
Question for other founders/designers:
If you were building this, would you:
- Simplify the create flow to match the “quick reminder” mental model, or
- Reposition the product away from “reminders” and more toward “important deadline tracking”?
Product, for context: https://reminders.verysimple.systems
I don’t think the four-step flow is automatically the problem.
It becomes a problem if users think they are creating a quick reminder.
If the mental model is “remind me to call someone tomorrow,” then four steps feels heavy. But if the mental model is “make sure I don’t miss an expensive deadline,” the same setup can feel reasonable.
So I’d probably separate the product in your own mind first.
Quick reminders should be almost instant.
Important deadlines can ask for more context, because the user is buying peace of mind, not speed.
The positioning may need to move away from “reminders” and toward “deadline protection” or “important life/admin dates you can’t afford to miss.”
That changes the expectation before the user even touches the flow.
Really resonate with this — I'm building in the founder tools space and the positioning vs UX mismatch is something I've wrestled with too. My instinct is option 2: reposition toward 'important deadline tracking' rather than fighting the mental model people already have for reminders. The escalation to a backup contact is genuinely unique and that feature alone signals this isn't a casual reminder tool. Lean into that differentiation. The four-step flow might actually feel justified once users understand what they're signing up for — the problem is they're judging it through the wrong lens before they get there.