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Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

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Re: Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

#11

Post by froh42 »

buboard wrote: post #7

Video surveillance is not the solution to this problem. It's outright creepy. I think a simple chat group or a game can better serve the purpose of providing a virtual "office environment". I think highfidelity is working on something along those lines, but you can already use an opensimulator/secondlife space as realtime hangout place. I'm also critical of their "behavioral triggers". For example, "Pre-commitment" h…

That might be true for you. For me just that - sharing a workspace over video - sounds great, as I've got the most problems with "emotionally challenging" tasks. (Like doing those things piling up for some time now).

In the past for some things that are hard to do I asked a friend to come over to my place and/or having them on the phone for some time.

So I'd not feel that as "video surveillance" but rather human company. (For video surveillance alone you wouldn't need a partner, it'd expect it is not to difficult to train an AI to detect whether you're working or slacking locally from video capture and desktop screenshots plus use a virtual call center of "central scrutinizers" to oversee the AI).

(Update: OH SHIT THAT ALREADY EXISITS: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2119734-ai-tracks-your-...)

Re: Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

#13

Post by op00to »

csomar wrote: post #9

I used Focusmate a lot and then dropped it. I think it serves its purpose well until you get used to it and then productivity starts dropping again. I also would like to highlight something which is not particular to Focusmate but rather a phenomena spreading to all these SaaS platforms: Focusmate is not free. It's a paying product that costs $5/month. There is absolutely no details of pricing on the home page. There…

When someone hides a measure of value for an ongoing service, there’s a concern that the actual value doesn’t measure up to the real value. I think that’s what’s going here, and it probably works because $5 is a small amount.

Re: Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

#14

Post by ebog »

csomar wrote: post #9

I used Focusmate a lot and then dropped it. I think it serves its purpose well until you get used to it and then productivity starts dropping again. I also would like to highlight something which is not particular to Focusmate but rather a phenomena spreading to all these SaaS platforms: Focusmate is not free. It's a paying product that costs $5/month. There is absolutely no details of pricing on the home page. There…

I would recommend you take a look at Sococo then (disclaimer -- I don't work for them but know people that do): https://www.sococo.com/

Much more upfront about their pricing structure.

Re: Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

#15

Post by buboard »

froh42 wrote: post #11
buboard wrote: post #7

Video surveillance is not the solution to this problem. It's outright creepy. I think a simple chat group or a game can better serve the purpose of providing a virtual "office environment". I think highfidelity is working on something along those lines, but you can already use an opensimulator/secondlife space as realtime hangout place. I'm also critical of their "behavioral triggers". For example, "Pre-commitment" h…

That might be true for you. For me just that - sharing a workspace over video - sounds great, as I've got the most problems with "emotionally challenging" tasks. (Like doing those things piling up for some time now). In the past for some things that are hard to do I asked a friend to come over to my place and/or having them on the phone for some time. So I'd not feel that as "video surveillance" but rather human comp…

i just find the surveillance part different than in-person: in person you know when you 're being watched or not, and being watched constantly is exhausting. I do like the AI idea, especially when it's client-side or not-very-invasive, as it gives you an incentive to not slack

Re: Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

#17

Post by Invictus0 »

csomar wrote: post #9

I used Focusmate a lot and then dropped it. I think it serves its purpose well until you get used to it and then productivity starts dropping again. I also would like to highlight something which is not particular to Focusmate but rather a phenomena spreading to all these SaaS platforms: Focusmate is not free. It's a paying product that costs $5/month. There is absolutely no details of pricing on the home page. There…

In fairness to Focusmate, they only added their paid plan a couple of weeks ago, and they sent a lot of emails trying to get user support for the move.

Re: Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

#18

Post by Invictus0 »

dgellow wrote: post #8

Could someone summarize what is a "virtual coworking" or "accountability partner"? I don't really understand the concept. Is it about having a video chat with a person who is watching you work?

No, you both do your own work and mostly ignore the other person. At the beginning you talk about what you plan to accomplish, and at the end you review what you did.

Re: Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

#19

Post by theon144 »

dgellow wrote: post #8

Could someone summarize what is a "virtual coworking" or "accountability partner"? I don't really understand the concept. Is it about having a video chat with a person who is watching you work?

I don't think a simple description will cut it; the idea is that with co-working, you meet up (physically) at some space, and all work on your projects. The simple fact of not being at your home and in the presence of other people with work to do helps a lot with productivity, even if you don't speak at all. This, I understand, is an attempt to virtualize this effect.

It may seem a bit silly but I honestly dig it, I have immense trouble getting myself to work at home, but co-working I can get into flow for hours at a time. I think that this sort of virtual co-workers might just work, because I think I'd feel really weird if I went all the trouble to set up a session, "meet" with someone and then just browse HN for 50 minutes. I'd be much more likely to feel "indebted" to the other guy's time, even though we have no professional relationship as such.

It's just a psychology hack, no more, no less.

Re: Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done

#20

Post by davideous »

I've been using focusmate for four months. It's been absolutely revolutionary for me. (I work remote at home, so YMMV.)

Here are some of the ways:

(1) I’ve been getting a ton more done and feeling better about it.

(2) It really does help me focus. I hardly ever get distracted from the task at hand. I used to get distracted a lot.

The focus does not come from being watched, but because I’m "working together" with someone else, and I don’t want to let them or myself down. And because of the built-in break/recovery schedule. It's like a hack for my brain.

(3) I schedule back-to-back sessions, so I have 50 minutes of 100% focus and then 10 minutes between. In the 10 minutes I use the bathroom, get coffee, clear my head, walk around, or stretch. These things I’m sure help enable the 100% focus for the 50 minutes. I don’t feel as worn out at the end of the day (and I get more done).

(3) Declaring my goal for the session at the beginning and then reporting on it at the end has caused me to become much more realistic about how long things take.

(4) Being more realistic about how long things take has made it possible to plan out my week. I’m now planning my day and week in "focusmate session sized blocks" of work. I do have to adjust the plan, but making the plan has been a huge help.

(5) Setting a focusmate appointment in the morning causes me me to get started at a constant time — for the first time in my life. Knowing that someone else is relying on me to be at the session makes me show up.

(6) The little bit of social connection helps working at home to not feel lonley.

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