About
Built by a high-school student,
shaped by real classrooms
FocusMate grew out of work with students at Puddletown Chess. The goal: build something calm that actually helps.
The story
How FocusMate came to be
Working with students at Puddletown Chess
Many students understood the game, but struggled to stay engaged. Not because they did not care, but because focus was hard to hold.
Beginning to experiment
First with small prompts, then with voice interaction, then with ways to make reflection feel natural instead of forced.
FocusMate grows
FocusMate grew out of those experiments. I am still learning. The product is still evolving.
The goal remains simple
Build something that actually helps. Something calm that respects how students learn.
Values
The principles that guide our work
These values shape every decision, feature, and interaction in FocusMate.
Curiosity over certainty
Questions lead to better solutions than assumptions.
Care over speed
Slow, thoughtful work beats rushed releases every time.
Clarity over complexity
Simple, clear design helps more than feature-heavy tools.
Learning over launching
Every version teaches us something. We build to learn.
Responsibility to the people who use it
Students trust us with their attention. We take that seriously.
Want to know more?
Learn how FocusMate works, see who it's for, or get in touch with questions.