We believe that most global problems would get solved if each of us could do our best work. Our mission is to make that happen. But we can't do it without you.

Focusmate snapshot:

• The workforce is more isolated and distracted than ever before in history—and the problem is getting worse
• Focusmate is building the digital workplace of the future—the digital environment where people will go to get things done 
• Focusmate's virtual coworking product optimizes remote work productivity via peer accountability

Deal highlights:

• Through our pilot, 96% of users surveyed say Focusmate improves their productivity by at least half
• 51% of tested users have converted to paying customers and active users book 11 fifty-minute appointments every week 
• Daily active users growing 20% month over month
• Originated from Taylor Jacobson’s executive coaching background, with clients like Yale, Wharton and Cornell 
• $350K in backing from top investors including CoVenture, Betaworks, Towerview Ventures, and Nir Eyal, “the prophet of habit-forming technology” according to MIT Technology Review

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Problem

It's never been harder to focus than it is today

Workers are more isolated and distracted
than ever before in history

Every day, more and more of us are faced with the challenging reality of working in isolation—remote workers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, students, side hustlers. 

Meanwhile distractions are at an all-time high, with procrastination and adult ADHD now at record rates, and still rising.

And yet, with technology automating more of what we do, the ability to do focused, creative work has never been more valuable. 

Seeking productivity, U.S. consumers spend $46B annually

A slew of solutions have proven ineffective at addressing procrastination—from task managers and site blockers, which skirt the problem, to pills and coaching, which are both expensive and inadequate.

Meanwhile, isolated workers attempt to stimulate social accountability by resorting to coffee shops, coworking spaces, and online chat-rooms, which often prove counterproductive.

Solution

Focusmate works when nothing else will

Focusmate provides accountability exactly when and how we need it to get things done—“in person” from another human

Our starting point is a virtual coworking product that induces what psychologists call flow: long stretches of intense focus.  

Two users, anywhere in the world, act as accountability partners, sitting side-by-side while doing their work, during a 50-minute video interaction. 

These sessions use an evidence-based format designed to optimize productivity.

How It Works

1. Decide when to work. Users select the times when they want to be productive.
2. Launch the video session. Users begin each 50-minute session by greeting their partner and declaring their goal, before getting down to work.
3. Get work done. Users work quietly in tandem and experience the power of human accountability.

Focusmate drives productivity using the same brain reward mechanisms as social media and games, which consume 44% of all app usage. 

Science

Powered by
tribal psychology

Our model has been applied successfully in other domains, e.g. Peloton for fitness, but not yet for productivity

Workplace research has proven that the most effective behavioral triggers are human ones, rooted in millennia of tribal evolution.

Because human development occurred in tribal societies where survival was dependent on those around us, humans are hardwired to respond to social triggers in ways that are almost impossible to resist.

Focusmate Behavioral Triggers

Case study: Peloton

This human model has been applied successfully in the fitness industry by Peloton, a Series F startup with a $4Bn valuation. Peloton offers group fitness classes that participants join remotely, to boost their motivation and accountability. 

Focusmate is applying this powerful and proven model to productivity.

Pilot Results

The numbers tell the story

The pilot results strongly validate our approach

• 5,000+ pilot opt-ins via guerrilla marketing (~1/4) and word of mouth (~3/4)
• Active users schedule 10.8 sessions per week
• Over 12,000 appointments scheduled in August
• Early monetization tests have converted 51% to paying customers

Growth in key metrics:

Daily Active Users Growing 20% Per Month

Monthly Active Users Growing 17% Per Month

Monthly Bookings Growing 17% Per Month

Opportunity

We're shooting for the moon

Planned features enable access to 4 large markets

Our pilot focused on the $1T freelancer economy, forecast to include 50% of the U.S. workforce by 2020. But that's just the beginning.

Target markets:

Freelancers. Forecast to include 50% of the U.S. workforce by 2020, freelance workers suffer from a lack of accountability and heightened at-home distractions, driving procrastination and income insecurity.

Remote workers. With 3 in 4 computer workers already working remotely at least 1 day per week, enterprise companies will use Focusmate's planned private channels to keep employees connected and productive while working from home.

We're preparing for an enterprise pilot with a global consulting firm in early 2019.

Online education. Online universities, MOOC providers and independent educators face a dire course completion rate of just 5-7%. These institutions will turn to Focusmate to help adult learners succeed through private study groups and office hours.

We're in talks with a leading publisher and a top expert on "learning to learn" to do education pilots in 2019.

Corporate training. As companies look for ways to engage employees and stay competitive, spending on corporate training is rising fast. Focusmate will help transform isolating online training into a "online study hall" with their colleagues.

Marketing plan:

Our strong word-of-mouth creates a path to growth with low acquisition costs. 

Our marketing strategy focuses on 5 pillars:

Revenue model:

Focusmate is pre-revenue, and will monetize in 2019 through a freemium subscription model. Here is an illustrative set of user plans:

Team

In it to win it

Founding team brings passion for productivity
and behavior change

Coach Taylor's story

After I left my corporate job, I spent several years struggling to build a life that allowed me the creative freedom to realize my potential, while still paying my bills.

I worked as a freelance writer and tutor, started a business, and pursued numerous side hustles before eventually establishing myself as a professional coach for entrepreneurs, growth company executives, and Fortune 100 managers.

Along the way, I tried everything I could find that promised to boost my productivity, and to stop myself from procrastinating and wasting time.

I found productivity apps that helped me organize my to-do list, stay off social media, and manage my calendar.

I also developed my own systems to set long-term goals, to plan my weeks more strategically, and to stick to a strong morning routine.

After helping my coaching clients implement some of these tools, I realized that today’s digital workers need a solution for procrastination that didn’t exist:

A community to connect with like-minded individuals committed to holding each other accountable, hour by hour, for actually doing the actions contained in those todo lists, productivity tools, and goal trackers.

I created Focusmate to help independent workers break free of the shame and anxiety caused by chronic procrastination, and to enjoy the same benefits of accountability as clients paying thousands of dollars for coaching.

Praise

Life-changing impact

Don't take our word for it—see what our users are saying

"Why I'm investing in Focusmate"

Nir Eyal
Author of "Hooked: How to Build
Habit-Forming Products"

Thatcher Bell
Managing Partner, CoVenture

What's Next?

Going big in 2019

We're planning aggressive product improvements
and business expansion

This crowdfunding campaign is the final piece of a capital plan that enables us to invest in product development and business growth.

The key milestones we plan to achieve in the next 18 months include:

• Full product launch of Focusmate Beta
• Pilot with online education partners and enterprise client
• Monetization and $100K in monthly recurring revenue
• Achievement of our next funding milestone

And this is just the beginning...

Join us

Invest in the future of
human potential

Join our journey—invest in Focusmate today