7-year engineer, zero users ever — now building a social screen-time app in public
A software engineer with seven years of experience has tried building several s over the years, but every single one ended with no real users. Rather than quietly giving up again, this time the developer is — sharing the journey openly so there is accountability. The new app addresses a personal frustration: losing hours to YouTube Shorts and Reels despite trying existing screen-time apps that never stuck.
The app tracks how long you spend on each app, warns you when you hit your set limit, runs s, and sends a short, funny recap each night to make you actually want to check it. The standout feature is a social lock: when you go over your limit on an app like , you cannot simply tap 'ignore' on your own. Instead, a request goes to a friend or partner, and they decide whether to let you back in — removing the burden from willpower alone.
To make it memorable, the app wraps everything in a theme: your phone is a kingdom, you are the ruler, and the app plays the role of your Minister, watching as you slowly lose the kingdom to endless scrolling.
Key points
- Starting from a personal problem (short-video addiction) is a strong foundation for finding users who share the same pain
- The social unlock — where a friend must approve going over your limit — removes the one-tap that kills most screen-time apps
- (sharing progress openly) is used deliberately to find the first real users before launch
- The kingdom/Minister theme gives the app a distinct that helps it stand out in a crowded category
- Past failures were silent — going public this time creates external pressure to keep going