DEV Community: Joel Patrizio

After 1 year working on my app, I'm giving away a free month of personal coaching for creators and founders 🎉

Joel Patrizio — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 19:53:53 +0000

TL;DR: check it out here, use the coupon code NEWYEAR22

Hi everyone! I'm Joel, the founder of GoalsWon, masters in Computer Science and also studied psychology.

After a year of iterating the app with real clients, we are now celebrating our full release! 🎉

To mark this milestone and as it’s the new year, we’re offering a free month of personal coaching to start 2022 on a high note!

To take advantage of this offer:

Go to the our landing page
Click Redeem Your Free 30 Day Pass
Enter the promo code NEWYEAR22

GoalsWon connects you with an experienced human coach giving you personalized accountability for your projects, your health, your life.

Set your goals and habits that drive you to your long term targets. Your coach will review results and keep you accountable.

How it works: you’ll be assigned an accountability coach from our team who you’ll connect with in the app.

Your coach, an experienced accountability professional, will get to know you, your background and the areas you'd like to work on, agreeing short and longer term targets. Then your day-to-day support begins:

Each day you'll be prompted to enter your top daily goals.
At the end of the day, you mark which goals and habits you accomplished with any notes, pictures or videos.
Your coach will check in to see how you did, give you feedback and help plan the next steps.

They'll also help you implement science based behaviour techniques to drive lasting change.
You can use it to keep track of your daily goals and exchange feedback, advice or support with your assigned coach.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Sharing my Free Open Source Anti-Procrastination app made in React Native & Firebase (⚛ + 🔥)

Joel Patrizio — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 22:50:05 +0000

TL;DR: check it out at https://dontwaste.today/

Short intro

After 45 days and 176 hours in total, I'm finally done with my side-project app: A procrastination tracker that will randomly ask if you're procrastinating or not.

I started this mobile app as a learning project, and decided to release it as a free open-source thing. I've been working on it daily since the beginning, and thought it was going to take me just 2 weeks, but well... seems I'm not that good at estimating 😅

About the app

Don't Waste Today! is a free and open source app that will:
💡 Help you understand how often you procrastinate
🎯 Tell you why you procrastinate
📊 Give you the insights to take action to "unstuck" your life

The process is simple:

Set the days and time when you want to focus on your tasks
You'll receive a notification asking if you are procrastinating
If you are procrastinating, answer why
Then you'll see an analysis and daily report of your performance and main reasons why you procrastinate.

Tech stack

⚛ React Native 0.63.4
🧩 Redux
🧩 Redux Persist
🧩 Redux Thunk
🔥 Firebase Auth
🔥 Firebase Analytics
🔥 Firebase Crashlytics
🔥 Firebase Firestore
🔥 Firebase Functions
🔥 Firebase Remote-config

Main Libraries

Some Links

👨‍💻 Source code
🤖 Google Play
🍏 App Store
💻 Website

I made 2 marketing microapps: one failed, one didn't. What did I learn? 🦧

Joel Patrizio — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 18:52:26 +0000

After an initial failed launch of my new accountability coaching app, I decided that I really needed to take marketing more seriously if I wanted this to work, and brainstormed a bunch of different tactics.

One that appealed to my product side was marketing microapps: little free side projects that would hopefully generate traffic and qualified leads for my service.

I settled on two to begin with, and they performed radically differently. In short, one bombed and one didn’t:

Micro-app 1: iplan.to

First I coded iPlanTo, a 30 day habit streak app.

It lets you set a goal and tick whether you got it done or not each day - basically the Seinfeld "don't break the chain" concept.

I build in a way it could be used without needing to register or download anything, basically to make the friction as little as possible with users able to enter an email if they wanted the security of the link being sent to them (eg- to be able to access it on different devices or in case they cleared cookies on their browser).

Microapp 2: moreproductive.me

Next I created MoreProductiveMe, a 30 day "productivity bootcamp" where users are sent a daily tip on productivity, supported by scientific research and encourage users to apply them to their own lives.

How did they do? Let’s break it down:

👨‍💻 Development effort

iPlanTo took well over a full week to create, test and iterate. In contrast, MoreProductiveMe took only one to two days to develop (being a limited life email newsletter) with content writing adding an extra day’s worth to the effort.

Winner: MoreProductiveMe by a lot

🤹‍♂️ Marketing effort?

Both projects were shared in similar forums and communities online, and roughly around a full day's worth of sharing each.

Winner: a tie

🚌 Traffic?

iPlanTo launched on 18th of Jan and has received 620 visitors so far:

MoreProductiveMe launched on 23rd Feb and has gained 551 visitors so far:

Winner: a tie (iPlanTo gained 12% more visitors, but over a longer time)

💌 Email subscribers

iPlanTo gained only 33 emails, a miserly 5% conversion rate of site visitors. On the other hand, MoreProductiveMe gained 247 subscribers, a conversion rate of over 40%, 8 times better than iPlanTo!

Winner: MoreProductiveMe, by a long shot.

💸 Revenue leads

I had links to my main project GoalsWon in both microapps. So far iPlanTo has gained a grand total of 0 leads to my paid service. On the other hand, MoreProductiveMe has already directly led to one paying subscriber (potential annual revenue of $720 to $1200 depending on plan) with one other warm lead that has a good chance of closing.

Conclusion

I learned a few lessons from first two marketing microapps:

Less is more.
The microapp that took a lot more time to code bombed.
Next time I’ll try out simpler ideas first before moving to more complicated ones.
Microapps still need marketing.
The idea that you can build something and it'll instantly go viral might work for some, but so far they both took effort to try to spread and get traffic.
Microapps are dangerous for builder types.
I naturally prefer to spend time coding or coaching than having to do promotions. I found myself wanting to spend more time to keep building these microapps, and had to stop myself. Next time I’ll apply a firm time limit so I am forced to a simpler scope.
Make the link back to the main service more prominent
iPlanTo had a weak tie back to the main project, with email being optional to use, and only a few subtle links on the site. No wonder it performed so badly. MoreProductiveMe was a bit better with email being mandatory, and inclusion of links at the bottom of all emails. Next time I’ll work backwards from the link and pick concepts I know can directly lead back to GoalsWon.

Overall, worth it both for the new revenue and even more so for the lessons learned.

Onwards!

More Productive Me: A science-based tip each day to overcome procrastination 🚀

Joel Patrizio — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 21:25:13 +0000

TL;DR check it out at https://moreproductive.me/

Short intro

I've been researching during the last few months about tips and techniques to improve productivity, mainly based on positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy.

I decided to organize all the gathered material into a final list of 30 tips. I'm sharing this tips for free in a newsletter, where you can receive a tip a day for a month.

Hope this helps other people to reach their potential and motivate them to get the most out of their efforts!

You can subscribe and start receiving this tips for free here

Content

I'm including the content of the first email, so you can get a glimpse of what to expect:

S.M.A.R.T. goals that actually work

You've probably heard them, maybe even used to some degree in the past.

To refresh, we're talking about reworking bland, meaningless statements of desire into honed high-performance goals by applying the framework:

Specific - a crystal-clear action that will be taken
Measurable - something that can be quantified and tracked
Attainable - an action that can be achieved within your current * skill, resource and time limits
Relevant - something practical that works towards your larger goals or mission
Time limited - constrained by a deadline or schedule, so things aren't left hanging around a to do list forever

Let's bring this to life in a couple of examples:

👎 Dumb goal: "Get fit again"
🙌 S.M.A.R.T. goal: Run 5 miles before breakfast, except for Wednesday and Sunday

👎 Dumb goal: "Feel less stressed"
🙌 S.M.A.R.T. goal: Write my gratitude journal for 10 minutes after my shower each night

Feel the difference?

One last thing - some folks take up S.M.A.R.T. goals but still struggle to hit them. Remember that a goal, no matter how well crafted is useless without a feedback loop of measurement and learning. To quote an infamous boxer, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face".

So set a time in your daily schedule to review your goal result, what worked, what didn't and apply what you learned to improve your goal-setting in the future. Deliberate iteration is key here.

More to come...

Full list of tips:

S.M.A.R.T. goals that actually work
The magic of “just 5 minutes”
Building a foundation of anchors & chains
Keep that cue, replace the routine
Rewards that help not hinder
The paradox of temptation bundling
Change of scene
Don't break the chain
Divide and conquer
Know thyself
Plan like a pro
Frame as positives
Forgive yourself
Drink water!
Visualization
Power of poms
Establish a sleep routine
Measure your progress
Automate the grind
Forcing functions
Friend your past and future self
Implementation intentions
Be accountable
Be grateful
Move more!
Storytelling and rituals
Digital detox thyself
Bouncing back from failure
Have a system
Invest in the meta

Thanks

Happy to finally launch this little side project, really hope you enjoy it 🚀

TL;DR check it out at https://moreproductive.me/

14 sites to submit your app (updated list)

Joel Patrizio — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:15:26 +0000

Hi everyone 👋, I've been working on iplan.to during January and spent the last week researching how to launch it.

I documented the process here on DEV, where you can check the resources and tips I found.

Today I'm sharing the updated list of all the sites where I posted my app (you can do it in all of them for free).

Full list

I decided to separate them based on the time it takes from submission until it gets accepted.

Immediately

It's immediate, but I suggest you create an account on these sites as soon as possible, so you don't have a newly created one when you really need it. Better if you start interacting and networking before your launch!

✈ Product Hunt

✈ Hacker News

✈ Indie Hackers

✈ Reddit

✈ DEV

✈ Makerlog

Took a few hours

🚗 AlternativeTo

🚗 Launched!

Weeks or even months

🐌 10words

🐌 AppRater

🐌 BetaPage

🐌 Startup Buffer

🐌 Startup Stash

🐌 Launching Next

Bonus track!

If you can also write an article, these are some sites where you could consider posting:

📰 Mashable

📰 TechCrunch

📰 MakeUseOf

📰 Netted

📰 ReadWrite

📰 Listly

Thanks, I'd really appreciate your feedback!

If you want to leave some feedback, you can do it on my Product Hunt post:

👉 Leave a review 👈

Thank you and good luck with your own projects! 🚀

5 Free resources to prepare your app for a Product Hunt launch

Joel Patrizio — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 01:20:09 +0000

Short intro

This post is part of a series about getting an app ready for a release. Focusing on Product Hunt now.

It's my first time doing it, so I just decided to document the process and the resources I found.

If you're curious, this is my app: iplan.to, a free habit tracker.

The Hunt Checklist

This website allows you to check 3 key things for a successful PH launch:

Check which is the best time to post in your local timezone.
Preview how your app will look on the site.
Prepare your first comment using this template

500 Makers

An updated list of the top 500 PH Makers, useful if you are trying to find a hunter.

When To Launch

This is an an analytics platform based on Product Hunt to let makers know the optimum time to launch their product to receive maximum traction based on data.

Gyazo

Gyazo is an open-source and free screenshot program for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It allows you! It allows you to quickly create screenshots or GIFs and upload them to the web, producing a unique URL to the screenshot.

You can use it to quickly create the GIFs you'll need to submit your app. They are not required, but suggested!

Kapwing

If you are preparing GIFs, you'll probably appreciate this free online tool. You can resize, crop, trim, edit and add effects to your captured videos. Super useful, and you just need to register to remove the watermark!

Thanks

I hope these tools also help you to prepare your launch. Any feedback or suggestion is appreciated! 👋

8 additional sites to launch your app for free | Preparing for a launch series [Day 4/7]

Joel Patrizio — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 14:30:09 +0000

Short intro

I'm releasing my app (iplan.to) next Monday, targeting Product Hunt and Hacker News as the main sites.

However, I'm trying to also post it on several sites to boost visibility before the official launch.

List of sites

This is a selection of the active sites I found, where it's possible to submit your app for free:

🔸 10words: Describe your project in 10 words or less.

🔸 AlternativeTo: Submit your app and explain why it is an alternative to other existing apps.

🔸 Launched!: Simply post your product name, description and a screenshot.

🔸 AppRater: Get featured on a daily list of new apps.

🔸 BetaPage: Submit your startup or product and appear on the Recent list after receiving 5 upvotes.

🔸 Startup Buffer: Get discovered through the website, mobile apps and social networks.

🔸 Startup Stash: List your product for a chance to appear on the site and weekly newsletter.

🔸 Launching Next: Community of tech startups that daily showcases the latest ones.

A final thought

The requirements to post on these sites are very similar, so it shouldn't take a lot of time to just do it in all of them at once.

Look forward to seeing how it goes! 🤞

Thanks for reading!

Preparing to launch an app [Day 3/7]

Joel Patrizio — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 02:28:22 +0000

Short intro

Third day, this time I decided to focus my research on Product Hunt.

Next Monday I'll release iplan.to, a simple web app that allows you to track a habit for 30 days, without requiring an account.

Disclaimer: This is not a tutorial, I'm just journaling my progress and learnings.

What do I need to launch on Product Hunt?

I was reading a bunch of articles about it, and here is my ToDo list:

⬜ Write a tagline of the product: Avoid slogans, optimize for how users search.
⬜ Make a 240x240 GIF for the thumbnail
⬜ At least 2 screenshots (635x380px): Make sure they are "tweetable"
⬜ Write a 1–2 sentence description: short and to-the-point!
⬜ Prepare the first comment: Introduce yourself, the team, and the problem that you’re solving.
⬜ Find a hunter: Try to find someone whose posts are related to your product.

Some tips

📌 Post right around 12:01am PST to maximize visibility time
📌 Use Top 500 Makers to find a potential hunter
📌 Post on social media about the launch, make it personal and directly link your product page

Thank you

I look forward to see how it goes 🤞
Any feedback is appreciated!

Side-project launch preparation: What did I achieve in two days? [Day 2/7] 🛫

Joel Patrizio — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 02:49:16 +0000

Short intro

This is the second part of my full week researching how to launch a product:

iplan.to, a simple habit tracker, that you can use for free!

Disclaimer: This is just some kind of journal, don't expect a tutorial.

Some numbers

I'm finishing the second day, and I have a few results:

Time spent:
⌚ 9 hours spent on marketing so far
⌚ 72 hours took developing the app

Results by community
✅ 1 post and 7 interactions on DEV
✅ 6 posts and 4 interactions on Makerlog
✅ 3 posts and 2 new followers on Twitter
✅ 2 entries waiting for approval on Indie Makers
✅ 5 posts and on Reddit 52 interactions

Total results
📈 155 new users in 2 days
🤝 3 people sharing feedback and interested in collaborating in a future

Some reflections

Still lot of things to learn and work to do. It's taking more time than expecting, but I would say it's working (just need to be patient and consistent...)

Reddit seems to be the winner for now, followed by DEV. It's not enough info to make conclusions tho, just initial impressions.

Next in the list

Quora
Linkedin (I forgot about this one yesterday)
Write an article and see where to submit it

More cool resources

📑 Guestra: a community of guest authors helping each other grow audience and build stronger SEO through content marketing collaborations.

📑 whentolaunch.app: check historical data to know when to launch your app on Product Hunt.

Thanks!

I would love to hear your feedback, let me know if you have any suggestions 🙂

Building in public: how I'm preparing for a side-project launch [Day 1/7]

Joel Patrizio — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 23:57:57 +0000

Short intro

I made a simple don't break the chain online tool, that let you track a habit in a calendar view.

It's called iplan.to

I'm planning to launch it in a week, so I'll be researching and investing time on it these days. I thought it could be a good idea to make this in public. Hopefully it can help someone else in the same boat, and I can get some early feedback 🙂

Disclaimer: I'm quite new with this thing, don't expect a tutorial, it's just some kind of journal.

Main goals

Found two main sites to launch the app:

🎯 Product Hunt

🎯 Hacker News

It seems you have one shot in these sites, so better to prepare in advance.

Start building momentum

A list of other communities where I'll be posting content:

✅ Reddit: multiple subreddits that are a good fit to gather some feedback (eg- r/startups, r/growmybusiness, r/Entrepeneur, r/design_critiques, r/indiebiz)

✅ Makerlog: you can log your daily dev-related tasks and share your progress

✅ DEV: you're here 📌

⬜ Twitter: post gifs, quotes and follow people

⬜ Indie Hackers: share stories about your startups

⬜ AlternativeTo: does your idea work like an alternative to another one?

⬜ 10words: submit an startup in just 10 words

⬜ Quora: Google the problems your product solves, find the questions and answer honestly why you think your idea can help

I'll update later how it goes, and if it was worthy or not to spend time on them.

Cool resources

📑 GoGoGrow.It: ton of directories, blogs, magazines, investors, advertisors, and communities. It has some cool filters and tags!

📑 Directory of business strategies: lot of short summaries about startup articles

Thanks!

That's all for now, I'll continue working on it and update tomorrow. Any feedback will be appreciated!

DEV Community: Joel Patrizio

After 1 year working on my app, I'm giving away a free month of personal coaching for creators and founders 🎉

Sharing my Free Open Source Anti-Procrastination app made in React Native & Firebase (⚛ + 🔥)

Short intro

About the app

Tech stack

Main Libraries

Some Links

I made 2 marketing microapps: one failed, one didn't. What did I learn? 🦧

Micro-app 1: iplan.to

Microapp 2: moreproductive.me​

How did they do? Let’s break it down:

👨‍💻 Development effort

🤹‍♂️ Marketing effort?

🚌 Traffic?

💌 Email subscribers

💸 Revenue leads

Conclusion

More Productive Me: A science-based tip each day to overcome procrastination 🚀

Short intro

Content

S.M.A.R.T. goals that actually work

More to come...

Thanks

14 sites to submit your app (updated list)

Full list

Immediately

Took a few hours

Weeks or even months

Bonus track!

Thanks, I'd really appreciate your feedback!

👉 Leave a review 👈

5 Free resources to prepare your app for a Product Hunt launch

Short intro

The Hunt Checklist

500 Makers

When To Launch

Gyazo

Kapwing

Thanks

8 additional sites to launch your app for free | Preparing for a launch series [Day 4/7]

Short intro

List of sites

A final thought

Preparing to launch an app [Day 3/7]

Short intro

What do I need to launch on Product Hunt?

Some tips

Thank you

Side-project launch preparation: What did I achieve in two days? [Day 2/7] 🛫

Short intro

Some numbers

Some reflections

Next in the list

More cool resources

Thanks!

Building in public: how I'm preparing for a side-project launch [Day 1/7]

Short intro

Main goals

Start building momentum

Cool resources

Thanks!

Microapp 2: moreproductive.me