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 think the real issue is that “reminder app” creates the wrong comparison.
The moment users hear reminders, they compare you against phone alarms, calendar events, and quick task apps. In that frame, four steps feels heavy.
But for passport expiry, visa deadlines, insurance renewals, medical follow-ups, or client check-ins, the job is different. It is not “remind me.” It is “make sure this important thing does not quietly slip.”
That changes both the UX and the positioning.
I’d be careful not to fix only the form flow before deciding what category the product should live in. Otherwise you may make it faster while still attracting people who expect a casual reminder tool.
Happy to put the tighter positioning-to-create-flow angle in writing if useful. This feels like a decision worth making before broader outreach.