HourStream

• 

  HourStream dashboard interface

Inspiration

I've been doing consulting work for about a year now, and in doing so I've used a bunch of time tracking and invoicing products. The ones I tried were very clunky, confusing, and I felt there was space in the market for something way more simple, streamlined, and native.

What it does

At the core, Hourstream is a project based time tracker, counting your hours for you and logging what you are currently working on. With that you can generate time sheets or export to send your hours to your employer. Beyond that, Hourstream also includes a full invoicing suite, allowing you to track, create, and send invoices to your clients.

How we built it

I built this project with the help of Claude Code to nail down a lot of the interfaces, as the app tries to cover a lot of ground for a two month side project. The app is built in SwiftUI, and uses Supabase for the backend, RevenueCat for subscriptions, Amplitude for analytics and OneSignal for user messaging.

Challenges we ran into

The challenge for me, as always, is scoping. To be able to push out an MVP the scope always needs to be limited to what you can actually execute on. For HourStream I would have loved to simultaneously launched the mac app, but that is still a WIP.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

This is my first project using OneSignal, one of the main things I wanted to accomplish with HourStream was increasing engagement outside of the app itself. I accomplished this using widgets and live activities which bring your timers outside of the app and into the OS, but I am going a step further with OneSignal, adding an entire onboarding journey via email, to hopefully keep user interest and keep them in the experience after the first install.

What we learned

Your onboarding journeys should be designed alongside the app itself. Because they all contribute to the user experience, the difference is one part of it lives outside of the app itself, but people today are expecting full stack services, not just an app. So start thinking about user messaging early on!

What's next for HourStream

I've only released the iPhone app so far, but to make this the product I'm looking for the Mac version is essential. The Mac menu bar app will be coming soon, alongside the iPad interface. Invoice templates are also on the drawing board, allowing full customization to your invoices.

Built With

• amplitude
• onesignal
• revenuecat
• supabase
• swift
• swiftui