Testing launch channels for my Goblin-led focus app
Small build-in-public update:
CogniFocus got added to a RankInPublic weekly tournament today
The main idea behind CogniFocus is the Goblin companion.
Most focus timers just sit there counting down while you drift. I wanted focus to feel less passive, so CogniFocus has a Goblin that reacts when you start, switch apps, recover, or finish a session. Sometimes it roasts you. Sometimes it praises you. The goal is to create that tiny bit of pressure that makes you think: bro, stay here.
Under the hood it also has a focus timer, Distraction Shield app blocking, streaks, goals, and recovery nudges, but the Goblin is the part that makes the app feel alive.
Right now, I’m testing small launch/discovery channels before the Product Hunt launch to see what actually brings useful traffic vs just founder-to-founder votes. Curious if anyone here has tried tournament-style launch sites before.
Did they bring real users, or mostly just temporary votes?
Here’s the match if anyone wants to see how the format works:
https://rankinpublic.xyz/vote/jn76m0ngzx71k4phpys01pkjvs8643fx?ref=m17c9vtm0e009bmqypcbmzadx985tta1
The Goblin is the right wedge.
Most focus tools sell discipline.
The stronger angle is social pressure without another human involved.
That is what makes this interesting.
People do not fail focus because they forgot to start a timer.
They fail because the timer has no consequence once ignored.
The Goblin gives the loop a little shame, a little accountability, and a little emotional friction.
That is the actual product.
Everything else is commodity.
The thing I’d validate hardest is not whether RankInPublic sends traffic.
It’s whether users come back when the Goblin annoys them enough to change behavior.
That is the real retention test.
Also, CogniFocus is functional, but it explains.
If the Goblin remains the actual product, something like Vroth.com would carry the personality and edge much better once you move past “another focus app.”
Extra context: I’m trying to see if the Goblin is strong enough as the main hook.
The app has the timer, blocker, streaks and nudges, but the real bet is that a character reacting to your behavior makes focus feel less passive.
Would you position it more as:
“a focus app with a Goblin that roasts distractions” or
“an app blocker with a reactive focus companion” ?