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If WIP and Momentum had a child

I'm exploring if a product idea in the crossroads of WIP and Momentum could have any legs.

What do you think about the following? πŸ‘‡

Problem

Working alone has a few challenges that don't exist when you are part of a team.

Having experienced both types of work (13 years working in teams + 2 years working solo) I think the 2 most important issues when working alone are:

1. Lack of support.
Solving problems is easier when you can collaborate with other people who are fighting the same battle you are.

Getting feedback/support/advice/encouragement happens organically when you're part of a well functioning team.

When you are working alone, it's a different story. Even if you have people around that you can reach for help, they are, like you, busy working on their stuff.

Getting their help completely depends on your relationship with them, how much they want you to succeed, how much time do they have...

2. Lack of accountability.
When you are part of a team, having a common goal pushes you.

Even when your intrinsic motivation is small or non-existent, not failing others is most of the time enough to get you moving.

Working solo is different. Making progress depends on your level of motivation and confidence. Depending on your financial situation, the pressure of having to pay the bills might do the trick too.

Solution

A "multi-player" to-do app accessible as a browser extension that connects you with people working on similar challenges.

This is the type of experience I'm envisioning for a possible v1:

  1. Monday morning. You open a new browser tab and write down the main 5 tasks you want to accomplish this week.
  2. You start working on your first task: writing a post for your blog where you announce the new 2 features you've shipped for your SAAS product.
  3. Monday noon. You've completed a first draft. You open a new browser tab, mark it as completed and tag it as "Feedback welcomed!".
  4. Before starting task 2, you take a quick look at the to-do pages of your 2 contacts: John and Debbie. The three of you are working on bootstrapped SAAS products.
  5. You notice John is working on a new landing page and needs feedback ("Feedback welcomed!" tag). You click on the link, review the current version and add a few comments in the relevant to-do.
  6. You move to Debbie's to-do's page. She is working on her check-out page. You recommend her to take a look at Billflow. Debbie is editing the page so she thanks you in real time.
  7. You have your lunch break.
  8. You start your afternoon opening a new tab. You see Debbie's and John's comments about your 1st draft. They both think it's too long.
  9. You shorten the post and publish it.
  10. You move to your next task.
  11. ...

What do you think?

on February 6, 2021
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    This comment was deleted 5 years ago

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      Sorry for not answering before! I upvoted your comment but I didn't feel you were looking to open dialog.

      About your question: My hypothesis is that not having to type a URL removes some friction which can help establish the habit easier/faster. I could be completely wrong. This is just based on my experience as a Momentum user.

      Thanks for your feedback anyway :)

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        This comment was deleted 5 years ago

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          Agree.

          I don't know if I'm going to build this or not yet. I'd like to have a strong feeling that the problem is real and extended enough in a market I'd enjoy serving.

          The fact that WIP, Markerlog and PHMakers (https://www.producthunt.com/makers) exist and have a bunch of users is a good sign that there could be something here.

          It also shows that, like most niche products, there's room for multiple solutions to a similar problem :)

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            This comment was deleted 5 years ago