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Qasim Khan

I built a focus app that roasts you when you get distracted

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I’m building CogniFocus, a bootstrapped Android focus app.

The idea came from a simple problem: I could start a focus timer and still end up switching apps mid-session.

The timer kept running, but my focus was already gone.

So I built CogniFocus around a different loop: start a focus session, block distracting apps, get pulled back when you drift, and let a Goblin roast or praise you depending on how you focus.

The goal is to make focus feel less passive. Not just “track time”. More like: bro, stay here.

CogniFocus launches here on Product Hunt on May 31.

Would love feedback on the companion angle. Does a reactive character make focus more motivating, or would it get annoying over time?

If this sounds interesting, you can follow the launch page to get notified when it goes live.

Focus better with a timer, blocker and Goblin | CogniFocus | Product Hunt

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Susanne Ertl

Love the idea.

I think customizable personality helps, but the bigger differentiator is probably task awareness.

The feedback becomes way more meaningful when the goblin reacts to what you’re actually doing instead of giving generic encouragement.

“You stayed focused on that report for 30 minutes” hits differently than “Good job.”

That’s probably the key to preventing it from becoming background noise after a few weeks. Harder to build, but very worth it IMO.

Qasim Khan
@susanne_ertl That’s a really good point. I already use a large variety of contextual/reactive messages so the companion doesn’t feel too repetitive, and there’s some level of task awareness already built in depending on focus behavior and progression. But I agree there’s still another level to it where the reactions become deeply tied to what the user is actually doing, not just whether they stayed focused or drifted away. That’s something I definitely want to improve over time