If it was upgradable, then yes, spending more on top of it every year would make it future proof, but that's not the point. It's that spending 10 grand doesn't get you a future proof computer today.
1,563 karma · joined December 18, 2015
X: https://x.com/kushsolitary
Custom wellness reminders is already on the roadmap and it's the most requested feature so you can expect it in the next few updates.
The license gives you lifetime access to LookAway - you can keep using it forever. You only pay for updates after a year if there's something new you may want to use.
Right now I'm focused on the stats side. It already shows how much time you spend in each app, and I'm adding website tracking too, which should make the picture much more useful.
I'm also working on better break timing for dictation. LookAway already delays a due break if you're in the middle of typing, so it does not interrupt at a bad time. Now I'm trying to extend that same behavior to dictation as well, which turns out to be a pretty interesting detection problem because it overlaps with some of the other context signals I already use.
Most of the challenge is making it smarter without making it feel more intrusive.
At one point I even built a live sales dashboard[1] to keep my dopamine in check, but a year later I realized it was a mistake. It started shaping my motivation instead of supporting it.
I guess the main lesson is that the ups and downs are normal, and you get better at riding them over the years.
[0]: https://lookaway.app
I'm working on the next major update for LookAway. I'm improving the wellness reminders to be smarter - instead of nagging you on a timer, blink and posture alerts now only trigger when you actually need them.
Also adding productivity stats so you can see how taking proper breaks during prolonged screen time affects your work output.
My main challenge has been making meeting detection more robust -- it currently uses both mic and camera activity, which led to a lot of false positives. In the next version I’m switching to mic only (the camera caused most of the noise) and I’ve added a way to identify which app is using the mic, so users can exclude non-meeting apps.
I’ve also added plenty of small tweaks throughout to make LookAway even less interruptive. I’m excited for the next release!
Netflix has their content as their moat. Even if someone today builds a better version of what Netflix used to be, it wouldn't matter. They won’t have the rights and licenses to the shows and movies. That’s what keeps people from switching.
Porsche has to keep earning you as a customer with every new model. Netflix just needs to keep you watching.
You click a few things, move stuff around, and it feels like you're building something real. But then it gets messy. You try to change one thing, and ten other things break. It becomes frustrating fast.
But if you already know how to code, it's actually great. You can tell what went wrong, fix it, and keep going. It’s fun when you can fall back on your skills. Not so fun when you can’t.
Most great products start out for enthusiasts and often by enthusiasts. They’re opinionated, sharp, sometimes rough, but exciting.
Then VC funding comes in, and the product has to appeal to a broader audience. Things get smoothed out and the metrics rule decisions.
Eventually, the original enthusiasts feel left out. The product’s no longer for them.
So a new product comes out, started again by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. And the cycle repeats - unless someone chooses to grow slowly and sustainably, without raising, and stays focused on the niche.