Get Sh*t Done
We partnered directly with Robert Hohman (co-founder of Glassdoor) to explore and validate a productivity app concept inspired by David Allen's Getting Things Done.
The challenge:
Robert had a vision for a task management app based on organizational principles that transformed how he worked as a CEO. Before committing engineering resources or raising capital, he needed to answer: Would this resonate beyond his own workflow?
Our approach:
- Strategic foundation: Deep-dive into the GTD framework to identify which principles translated to software and which didn't
- Market positioning: Assessed the crowded to-do app landscape to find where a differentiated approach could win
- Information architecture: Mapped user journeys and defined the minimum testable version that would validate core assumptions
- Design system: Established guidelines that balanced speed with polish—designed for testing, built for learning
The outcome:
After 1 month and a half of strategic exploration and hands-on building, we delivered a functional V1 and the clarity Robert needed: the market timing and differentiation weren't there to justify a full build.
The value:
By testing the idea thoroughly in 6 weeks, we saved months of engineering time and prevented a costly build that wouldn't have found product-market fit. Knowing when not to build is as valuable as knowing what to build.
The design system began with color and type. A restrained palette and consistent typography scale give the product a calm, focused feel so the interface stays out of the way of getting things done.
Reusable components—buttons, cards, controls like radio groups, and calendar—were specified so we could move fast in the prototype while keeping the UI consistent and easy to extend later.
Navigation, drawer, and modal patterns were designed to support quick capture, project switching, and focused task editing without leaving the main flow.
The to-do experience is the heart of the app. We focused on clear lists, minimal friction for capture and completion, and a layout that scales from a few items to many without feeling noisy.