Why I built Your Dictator
Your Dictator* is a text messaging service that helps you be your most productive self. When you sign up for the service, you receive a text message from a fictional dictator asking you what you intend to accomplish during the day. The dictator makes sure that you are purposeful about your day and holds you accountable. He checks up with you at the end of the day.
His responses are both funny and sharp. You will enjoy communicating with the dictator while he also voices hard truths about how productive you have been. This combination will make you a much more effective worker.
Your Dictator solves a problem I’ve been thinking about for several years. I — and everyone else — wants to be effective in getting important work done, but there is always a distraction waiting to send me into the weeds.
As a front-end developer, I often find myself ping ponging from one minor ui fix to the next, all the while letting the most important problems sit idle. Or I find myself clicking from one article to the next and before I know it, I’ve waisted an hour or more not completing what I need to for the day. Few feelings are as demoralizing as walking out of the office without having accomplished anything of substance.
On the flip side, it feels amazing to check off an important task. When I complete all of the important tasks I identified at the beginning of the day, I feel amazing. Your Dictator helps you have more days where you complete important tasks and feel amazing!
The concept behind Your Dictator isn’t novel. Many productivity gurus push you to prioritize and focus on a small number (1–3) of important tasks. I’ve implemented this concept and find that it works extremely well. The only hangup is I don’t always do it.
It’s easy to let your inbox or requests from co-workers guide what you accomplish. You don’t have to do anything for that. Being purposeful requires focus and dedication. When it is just you fighting the good fight, it is easy to fallback to easier ways.
Your Dictator provides you with the notifications and social pressure to do the things that will make you more efficient. A strong personality keeps the process fun and interesting. Your Dictator has made me a better and happier worker and it can make you a better and happier worker too. That is why I built Your Dictator.
Your Dictator was built in less that three days for #StandardFeb, a competition between the team at Standard Code. Read about it here.
*I have subsequently rebranded Your Dictator as Meet Leon.
