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Show HN: I will call your phone to hold you accountable (iwillholdyouaccountable.com)
35 points by hidelooktropic 5 months ago | hide | past | favorite | 13 comments
When we were kids, adults were always setting boundaries and keeping us on task. We thought this was annoying and relished the day when we'd grow up and get to do whatever we want. And here we are with that freedom only to find it's not that simple.

We try to stay off our phones but we keep picking it up in the bedroom costing us our sleep and making us late. We need to break through task paralysis but we end up waiting until the last minute instead.

Now we realize how privileged we were to have someone on the outside keeping us in check.

We try to solve the problem by beating ourselves up, setting up reminders, calendar events, notifications, and apps but our brains know we can just swipe away and ignore to give in to our urge to mindlessly scroll and waste time.

Research shows having an actual living human being keeping us accountable makes all the difference.

It's easy to let ourselves down, but harder to do that to someone else.

With this stupidly simple service, you and I discuss what you want to be held accountable for. For about 33¢ per day, I will personally call you on your phone once daily on as many days as you want at the time of your choosing. Each call is a minute, give or take, just enough time for me to ask if you did what you were supposed to do or are going to. If need be, I'll instruct you to text me back as a follow up. Whatever it takes to keep you accountable.




I think this could work for some people, but some of the more aggressive verbiage is immediately off-putting and unnecessary for me. Some people are more prone to a drill sergeant approach. Which, given your selection of an AI generated image, is apparently your preferred approach.

Personally, I could benefit from this exact same method - a real human being checking in, which is a neat idea. But with a more encouraging kind of accountability. Hopefully this is helpful feedback.

edit: as a sidenote there are several services where you zoom in with someone (often a stranger) and you check in with them about what you're working on, and they do the same, and then you work and at the end of the session you recap. Your idea is similar to that - different of course, but just be aware that this idea is already out there.


If I understand your description right, It's called Body Doubling

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_doubling


Most people cannot hold themselves (or their loved ones) accountable because we love ourselves and accept any excuse at all. This is the main appeal of personal trainers imo, to tell you to do what you already know you should.

Great idea. Also, thank you for making it human.


Cheers. Beautifully put. Can I quote you on that? :)


Sure :)


I think this could work for some people, but some of the more aggressive verbage is immediately off-putting and unnecessary. I think it's just that some people are more prone to a drill sergeant approach, which given your selection of an AI generated image, is your approach. Personally, I could benefit from this exact same method but with a more encouraging kind of accountability. Hopefully this is helpful feedback.


Thanks for that feedback. I have a website redesign that I think will touch on some of your points.

I agree that "drill sergeant" wouldn't actually be the proper metaphor to use in this case. I'm literally a program manager as my day job so I see this as exercising those skills of accountability.


I had a similar idea running but was AI based. Mirrored some workflows into a personal Product Manager and wanted to help people stay on track. Kinda upset I never pushed it seeing this full for $35 a month.


Beautiful and simple product idea!


Thanks!


Oh I really love this and am so tempted. Unfortunately my schedule is so erratic and unpredictable that it would be a nightmare to try to schedule anything meaningful. Kudos to you though for providing a service that can help others!


This is unique, love this


This is very fun. Solid idea lol




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