The latest articles on DEV Community by TinyStart (@tolga_erdoan_272a72e6beb). https://dev.to/tolga_erdoan_272a72e6beb https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3987128%2F7f50a6c8-6d26-49fa-a77f-ec6c1036a51f.png https://dev.to/tolga_erdoan_272a72e6beb en TinyStart Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:51:32 +0000 https://dev.to/tolga_erdoan_272a72e6beb/i-cant-start-tasks-so-im-building-an-app-that-only-cares-about-the-first-2-minutes-47g1 https://dev.to/tolga_erdoan_272a72e6beb/i-cant-start-tasks-so-im-building-an-app-that-only-cares-about-the-first-2-minutes-47g1 <p>I have ADHD. My problem isn't managing tasks — I have six abandoned systems for that. Notion setups, Todoist phases, paper planners with four filled pages.</p> <p>My problem is the three hours of staring before I start.</p> <p>The worst one lately: a two-sentence email. Took me nine days.</p> <h2> What actually works (for me) </h2> <p>Every productivity app assumes I already know what to do and just need to track it.</p> <p>What works is when someone says: <em>just do this one tiny thing first.</em></p> <p>Not "clean the room." Pick up five things.</p> <p>Not "do your taxes." Put every tax paper in one pile.</p> <p>The wall isn't the task. It's the size of the first step.</p> <h2> So I built TinyStart </h2> <p>It's an iOS app for task paralysis. One job:</p> <ol> <li>Type what you're avoiding</li> <li>Get a stupidly small first step (AI breakdown, but strict — step 1 has to be a physical action under ~2 minutes)</li> <li>Hit a 2-minute timer</li> <li>Next step unlocks</li> <li>Stop early if you want — no streaks, no guilt</li> </ol> <p>That's it. No onboarding hell. No life dashboard.</p> <p>I'm not trying to replace todo lists. I'm trying to solve the moment before the moment — when you're staring at the thing and your brain treats it like a boss fight.</p> <h2> Early signal </h2> <p>I posted on Reddit (r/SideProject) last week. ~950 views, 4 waitlist signups in about 6 hours. I expected zero.</p> <p>One comment: "Claude does this in 5 minutes." Fair. I think people might pay for the <strong>flow</strong> — timer, momentum, mobile, no shame — not the breakdown itself. Beta will tell me if I'm wrong.</p> <p>Another builder reached out building something similar (waitingmode.com). We landed on the same thesis: <strong>make step 1 ridiculously small</strong> beats <strong>make the breakdown smarter</strong>. Asking someone to "narrow the task first" is just another decision they don't want to make.</p> <h2> What's next </h2> <ul> <li>Waitlist until ~20 signups, then TestFlight</li> <li>Iterating on feedback: vague tasks ("start a startup"), AI vs rule-based clarity, whether the 2-min timer actually changes behavior</li> </ul> <p>If this sounds like your brain:</p> <p><strong>Waitlist:</strong> <a href="https://tinystart.vercel.app" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://tinystart.vercel.app</a></p> <p>One email when beta opens. No spam.</p> <h2> Question for you </h2> <p>What's the longest you've stared at a task without being able to start it?</p> <p>And if you've tried something that worked — what was the first step?</p> ios mentalhealth productivity showdev