Reminders
that follow-up/escalate so you don't forget
I initially built Reminders as a broad document-expiry and persistent-reminder app.
The obvious feedback was: “Why not just use Google Calendar?”
I was leading with features instead of the problem, supporting too many unrelated use cases, and spending too much time strengthening the backend before proving that people understood why the product should exist.
The part people actually found different was what happens when a reminder is ignored:
> Set a care reminder. Get email or SMS follow-ups. If nobody responds, a trusted backup contact can be notified.
I am now focusing the product on important family-care dates: parent checkups, post-surgery follow-ups, children’s vaccinations and health forms, pet-care dates, and similar situations where one person should not carry all the responsibility.
The product now supports external recipients, email acceptance, SMS consent, acknowledgement, backup-contact opt-out, delivery-status visibility, and repair when a recipient becomes unreachable.
I am looking for around 10 people with a real upcoming family or pet-care date. I will help set up the first reminder personally and want honest feedback on the experience.
I will provide free Plus access: [https://reminders.verysimple.systems](https://reminders.verysimple.systems)
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
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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:
1. Simplify the create flow to match the “quick reminder” mental model, or
2. Reposition the product away from “reminders” and more toward “important deadline tracking”?
Product, for context: https://reminders.verysimple.systems
TL;DR
Looking for users to test a reminder service with SMS/backup contact. Value prop is that service follows up with you until you complete your task. Will provide free paid feature access. https://reminders.verysimple.systems
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Deadlines/dates which are >5 months away are easy to forget. For e.g.
Documents - passport expiry, visa/work permit expiry, driver’s licence renewal, insurance renewals
Life - cancelling credit cards/software trials, scheduling health appointments etc.
Networking - following up with clients, keeping connections warm etc.
My tool takes these far-away deadlines and follows up with you on a regular basis until you complete your task. It will not let you forget. There is also an option to add a backup contact(like your parent/friend) if you do not respond.
My current goal:
5-10 signups, with people creating real reminders. I will give free paid features access
3 specific pieces of feedback
Product: https://reminders.verysimple.systems
The product is intentionally boring: create a reminder, choose a reminder schedule, and get notified before the date. The unique aspect is that it follow up with you till you actually completely the task. It even reaches out to a backup contact(if you provide one) in case you are unreachable.
It is meant for things like passport expiry, visa or work permit expiry, driver’s licence renewal, insurance renewals, health appointments, client follow-ups, mentor check-ins, and other dates that are too important to leave to memory.
I’m currently focused on getting the first 5–10 real users, not a big launch. My goal is to find people with 2–5 real deadlines, have them create at least one real reminder, and learn whether the flow feels clear, trustworthy, and useful.
I’m especially interested in feedback on positioning. Does “important deadline reminders for documents, renewals, appointments, and life admin” make sense, or would you describe this differently?
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