Firefly - ADHD focus app

Firefly helps ADHD users overcome task paralysis by turning goals into 60-second starter steps with AI guidance and a big visual timer, so they can start meaningful work in seconds.

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Inspiration

Firefly started with my own struggles. Living with ADHD means I often freeze when I see a big task. Either I overestimate how much effort it will take, or I underestimate the time and end up frustrated. That cycle leads straight to procrastination and guilt.

I tried a bunch of productivity apps. Some were decent, but most either locked key features like sync and stats behind a paywall or didn’t really help me with the core problem. I didn’t need another checklist. I needed something that could help me start, right now, with one small step. That idea became Firefly.

What it does

Firefly is a web app designed to help people with ADHD get moving when tasks feel impossible. It focuses on three things:

AI task breakdown: Type in a big goal, and Firefly gives you an immediate first step you can take in under a minute. It also generates an editable action plan with realistic time estimates.

Visual focus timer: A shrinking disc timer makes time visible, tackling time blindness head on. Breaks are built in to keep momentum steady.

Dashboard and analytics: Signed-in users get a simple dashboard that tracks focus time, streaks, and session history, offering encouragement without judgment.

How I built it

The frontend runs on Next.js 14 with Tailwind CSS. Supabase handles the database and Google authentication. For the AI, I used Gemini to power the task breakdown feature. A big shoutout to Kiro, the agentic IDE I used. Its structured workflow helped me stay on track and actually finish this within the hackathon window, even while working solo.

Challenges I ran into

Wearing all the hats at once was tough. Getting the timer to run with perfect accuracy took more debugging than I expected. Crafting prompts for reliable time estimates was also tricky, since small wording changes made a huge difference.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I’m proud that I shipped this app on my own. The AI breakdown feature in particular feels like a personal win, because it directly solves the problem I’ve wrestled with for years. Seeing it actually work gave me a lot of confidence that Firefly can help others too.

What I learned

This project taught me a ton about Supabase and Gemini, but more importantly it taught me how to build with neurodiverse users in mind. Designing something that lowers friction for people with ADHD was eye-opening, and it’s a lesson I want to carry into future projects.

What's next for Firefly - ADHD focus app

I want to keep developing Firefly beyond this hackathon. First up is improving the dashboard with more useful analytics. Long term, I’d like to grow a user base, collect feedback, and eventually turn Firefly into a sustainable product that supports itself while helping more people.

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