Building a calm “what should I watch?” app looking for builders
I’m building a small consumer app called Project Flow to solve a problem I kept running into: opening Netflix excited… and closing it tired.
Not because there’s “nothing to watch,” but because choosing now feels like work. Everything feels like a commitment. Too long. Too heavy. Not the right mood.
Before writing a single line of code, I started doing user interviews. The pattern was immediate and emotional:
• “I open Netflix excited and close it tired.”
• “I just rewatch something because I don’t have the energy to decide.”
• “I want something new, but not risky.”
So instead of building another recommendation engine, I’m building a calm decision layer something that meets you in the moment (tired, cozy, distracted) and offers one good, low-friction choice.
I’ve:
• Run 35+ user interviews
• Built a landing page
• Shipped a tiny MVP around mood-based picks
• Validated that this isn’t just “my” problem
Now I’m at the point where I’m looking for thoughtful builders, especially technical folks who are excited by human-centered products and who care about reducing cognitive load, not increasing it.
This isn’t about perfect algorithms. It’s about giving people back a little bit of their evening.
If you’ve ever thought, “I just want something to watch without thinking,” I’d love to hear how you’ve approached similar problems or connect with others building in this space.
Feedback like this is exactly why I shared early. Still learning what actually reduces decision fatigue vs what just recommends content. Appreciate everyone taking the time to test it.
Love this idea!! good luck on your project!
Thank you, I really appreciate it. Still early, but I’m actively learning from real user feedback and iterating quickly based on how people actually use it. Excited to keep improving it.
Hi Myeshah, I have checked the app, but honestly, I first read the thread and then checked the app I would like to add here that the "idea" is good and after reading most of your perspectives on it in the comments and then eventually trying it. I would say it doesn't yet resonate with what you eventually have in mind.
a lot of questions like how would it be usable? like will it going to be an extension? or like, how would you think of incorporating it in the TV devices? Or do you just plan to ship it for laptops and Windows?
also like the idea here, right on the page doesn't exactly take the load off. I mean, the flow is good, I tell it what I think, and they choose a movie right, but it doest give any description of the movie or why the system chose it.
also then if I don't like it, it choose next one, and then I have to go on until I find one. so doesnt it really break the idea at that point?
Honestly I really appreciate you taking the time to write this, your feedback was actually super helpful.
You’re right that the current version doesn’t fully remove the decision load yet. Right now it’s more of a proof of the flow, not the final experience.
The goal isn’t just recommendations it’s eventually a continuous “Flow mode” where you don’t keep deciding at all, it just keeps guiding you based on mood, time, and energy.
I’m also working on adding why a pick was chosen so it feels more trustworthy instead of random.
This stage is mostly about learning how people interact with the idea before building the deeper automation layer. I really appreciate you calling this out 🙏
I’ve had over 35 user interviews before even coding that part, and honestly, I wish I had done that before my 8 months with zero customers.
I spent 8 months building a SaaS that launched with zero paying users because I didn’t validate early enough. So, your approach feels way better.
Keep validating continuously as you build. Don’t assume that initial interviews cover all edge cases. Consider simple metrics to track engagement early to know if the calm approach really sticks.
Try to get some non-technical friends involved to test the MVP for fresh perspectives.
How are you measuring whether users actually reduce decision fatigue using Project Flow?
Thank you for this.. I really appreciate you taking the time.
Honestly, I’m still really early and haven’t gotten much direct feedback yet, outside of a few people who’ve tried it and shared thoughts. Right now I’m mostly looking at basic analytics and learning as I go.
I’m actively working on getting more structured feedback and better ways to measure engagement. If you have any simple tips for doing that early on, I’d love to hear them 🙏🏽
Happy to share what's worked for me:
For structured feedback early on:
almost stopped you from finishing?" The answers are gold.
do?" when someone leaves. You'll spot patterns within a week.
For measuring if the calm approach sticks:
them, the vibe works.
users get faster, your UX is teaching well. If not, calm might be reading
as confusing.
Honest take from my 8-month mistake: I built for months assuming I knew
what users wanted. Turned out I was solving a problem that wasn't painful
enough to pay for. The fix wasn't more features — it was validating the
pain first with real data.
That lesson actually led me to build dontbuildyet.com — it pulls real
conversations from Reddit, Indie Hackers, and HN to show you if people
actually care about the problem you're solving. Not AI guesses, actual
evidence.
You're still early enough to course-correct. If you want, you can join the
waitlist and I'll get you early access — would be cool to see what the data
says about the "calm project management" angle.
Hey Myesha!— if it helps, I can do a quick login + auth flow check and tell you if anything looks risky. Takes me a few hours usually. If everything is solid, I’ll tell you that too 👍
Hey, thank you so much for this, I really appreciate it honestly 🤍
I actually have a working MVP already, so I’d definitely be open to your feedback if you’re still down. That means a lot.
That’s honestly a really thoughtful problem to solve — decision fatigue around content is very real.
Love that you did interviews before building. That usually shows up in much stronger products.
Yeah, I’m still happy to give feedback. Since you mentioned MVP, is it currently a web app, mobile, or both? And do you already have user accounts/login?
Thank you so much 🙏🏽
Right now it’s a lightweight web MVP, no accounts yet. I’m focused on validating the core experience first and keeping friction low. Would really love your thoughts if you get a chance:
https://flomedia.netlify.app
I went through the flow — honestly, the step-by-step mood → energy → time selection feels really smooth and low effort, which matches your goal well. It doesn’t feel overwhelming, which is probably why it works.
Since you’re keeping it account-free right now, the security risk surface is naturally very low — which is actually a smart early-stage move.
The only places I’d think about later (not now) are:
• If you store mood/history data → think about data isolation per user
• If recommendations become personalized → trust boundary between client and backend matters
• If you ever add accounts → auth + session design becomes important early
Right now, the simplicity is actually a strength.
If you want, later, when you start adding user state or accounts, that’s usually the best time to sanity check auth + data boundaries.
Happy to share more thoughts anytime 👍
Thank you, this is incredibly thoughtful feedback. I intentionally kept things account free early to keep the experience lightweight while learning how people naturally use it.
Really appreciate the notes around auth and data boundaries for later stages that’s exactly where personalization will start to matter more. Thanks for taking the time to go through it 🤍
If you think about the security risk of your website, feel free to reach out to me!
Hello Myesha!
That's a great idea! I love that you're already doing user research - that's perhaps one of the most important things, especially at the early stages.
I have a question regarding the interaction with the user - how would it recognize how the person feels? Would there be any quick questionnaire on the user's current feelings? Would it immediately play the movie or just recommend it for manual search?
I wish you the best with your project!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate this 🙏🏽
Right now it’s pretty simple. It’s just a quick mood, energy, and time check-in, nothing heavy, just to see how someone’s feeling in the moment. Then it gives one calm pick instead of throwing a huge list at you.
It doesn’t auto play yet. It just recommends and links out, because I’m not trying to replace the platforms. I’m really just trying to take the stress out of choosing.
Still learning and experimenting as I go, but I’m excited about where it’s headed. Really appreciate the support 💙
Hi Myesha! What you’re building is wonderful. This really resonates; the way you frame “choosing feels like work” nails a feeling a lot of people don’t articulate well.
I love the idea of a calm decision layer instead of another optimization engine — it’s refreshingly human. If you ever want a second brain on MVP scope, validation, or just to jam with someone who cares about reducing cognitive load (not adding to it), feel free to reach out. Happy to help however I can.
My apologies for the late response but wow, thank you so much for this. That really means a lot to me 🙏🏽
“Choosing feels like work” came straight from my own experience, so hearing that is very encouraging.
I’d honestly love to connect and get your perspective as I keep building. Really appreciate you offering to help.
This framing really lands.
What you’re describing isn’t a recommendation problem, it’s a cognitive load problem — and those show up most when people are tired and just want friction to disappear.
The fact that the same phrase came up in interviews is telling. Meeting users in the moment instead of asking them to decide feels like the right instinct.
Thank you, this really captures what I’ve really been seeing. Most people don’t naturally say “I’m low-energy and cognitively overloaded,” but they do describe it in human terms: “I’m tired,” “I just want something easy,” “I don’t have the energy to decide.”
So instead of asking them to analyze their mood, I’m experimenting with meeting them where they already are simple, gentle language that mirrors how they actually feel in that moment. The goal is to remove the thinking, not add another decision.
Hello, Myeasha, that’s a great idea! To be honest, I run into the same issue all the time)) Please write to me at my email alexandr.lahutsin@ftech-it.com I’d really love to schedule a call with you in the near future. We are exactly the people you’re looking for and can help bring what you want to life.
Thank you, I really appreciate the kind words and the resonance. Right now I’m staying very close to the problem and the early product, but I’m always open to thoughtful conversations with people who genuinely connect with the human side of this. I’ll keep your note in mind as things take shape.
This feels like a really thoughtful take on recommendations. Modeling mood and energy level instead of preferences alone seems like the right abstraction for this problem. Are you finding that users articulate their mood clearly, or are you inferring it implicitly through behavior?
Good question… Right now I’m leaning toward making mood explicit rather than inferred. In interviews, people actually articulate this really clearly ‘I’m tired,’ ‘I want something cozy,’ ‘I don’t have the energy for something heavy.’ The act of naming the feeling is part of the relief. Long-term there’s room for subtle inference, but early on I’m optimizing for felt understanding, not prediction. I want people to feel seen in the moment, not analyzed.
I love that you are doing user interviews and I share the pain. But have you thought of a business model yet? I find this idea potentially hard to monetise.
That’s a fair concern and one I’m thinking about early. My first priority is proving that this genuinely reduces friction and becomes part of people’s nightly ritual. Once that’s true, there are a few natural paths subscription for a calmer, ad-free layer, partnerships with platforms, or even B2B use cases around wellbeing and cognitive load. The value isn’t in ‘better recommendations’ it’s in restoring time and energy. If it earns a place in someone’s evening, it earns the right to exist as a business.
And why wouldn’t I open just the first series/movie instead of picking? Does your solution guarantee any match from for the first pick
That’s a really good question. And honestly, a lot of people do exactly that open the first thing they see just to escape the spiral.
What I’m exploring is the space between “scroll forever” and “give up and pick randomly.” The goal isn’t to guarantee a perfect match on the first try it’s to make the act of choosing feel lighter and more intentional.
Instead of everything, you’re met with one option that fits your moment: your time, your mood, your energy. It’s less about precision and more about relief.
So it’s not “this will always be the best show for you,” but “here’s one good place to land when your brain is tired.”
I would like to see the concept. Do you have a demo?
Not in a polished, public way yet I’m in the very early MVP phase and actively building the first version.
The core experience I’m testing is that “one good place to land” moment when your brain is tired and you don’t want to scroll or think anymore.
If you’re open to it, I’d love to loop you in as an early tester once it’s usable. Feedback from people who genuinely feel this problem is exactly what I’m building around.
Would be glad to try
That means a lot honestly, thank you. I’m getting the first usable version ready now, and I’d love to have you in the early group.
I’m collecting early testers here so I can loop people in as soon as it’s ready:
https://gforms.app/p/pJp4oLm