Why I Built Intent

I built Intent because I was tired of lying to myself about how focused I was.

I'd sit down to work with a clear goal: finish an essay, ship a feature or edit a video. But three hours later I'd realize half that time went to Reddit threads, YouTube rabbit holes, and tabs I couldn't even remember opening. The worst part wasn't the wasted time. It was that I didn't notice it happening.

So I tried every app blocker out there. They all had the same problem: they made me decide upfront what to block. Firstly it's impossible to manually list out every distraction, and even if I could, distractions aren't that simple. YouTube isn't always a distraction (It taught me how to code). And not every Reddit thread is a waste. These tools were as dumb as a rock.

That's the insight behind Intent. Instead of blocking apps, Intent understands what you're working on. You tell it your goal (E.g:"study for biology exam") and it determines if what you're doing is aligned with that goal. If you drift, it nudges you back.

It's not a blocker. It's more like a mentor who taps you on the shoulder when you've been staring at the wrong thing for too long.

I built this because I needed it. And once I started using it, I couldn't go back. I hope it helps you the same way it helped me.