Pomodoro Timer: El Tomate

I built El Tomate for my wife after she tried pomodoro apps that felt boring or paywalled. It’s a playful focus timer with a tomato mascot, free core features, and pro upgrades such as stats & themes

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Inspiration

A few weeks ago, my wife was searching for a Pomodoro timer to help her focus. She tried the popular apps, but most either locked useful features behind paywalls or just weren’t pleasant to use daily. One night she said she wished there was something simple, fun, and nice to look at so I decided to build El Tomate.

What it does

El Tomate is a playful Pomodoro timer with a tomato mascot that cheers you on as you work. It blends productivity with personality, using Mexican-inspired design elements like cactuses, skulls, and warm tones to make focus feel enjoyable instead of a grind. Core features like timers and basic customization are free, with optional pro features powered by RevenueCat.

How we built it

I relied heavily on AI help throughout the process, using it to generate the mascot, images, and different poses for the character. The app is built in React Native and Expo, utilizing Live Activities on iOS for a fun lock screen experience. RevenueCat powers subscriptions, allowing seamless in-app upgrades without complex backend work. The app stores data locally, keeping it lightweight and fast, and the architecture makes it easy to iterate on design and features quickly.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was running the timer in the background. Battery usage was high and phones heated up a lot. We mitigated this by adjusting the implementation approach, but it required extra time and testing. Another challenge was implementing native iOS features like Live Activities - it was my first time building something custom on the lock screen. Seeing the timer live there is super fun, though, so it was totally worth the effort.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • My wife actually uses El Tomate every day - the ultimate validation.
  • We shipped a polished MVP within a week.
  • Reddit post about the app going live was #1 post in the React Native subreddit

The post.

What we learned

  • Sometimes solving a personal need leads to the best product ideas.
  • Personality and “vibes” really do matter in productivity apps - it’s not just about features.
  • Sometimes, a week is enough to build something meaningful

What's next for Pomodoro Timer: El Tomate

Next up: expanding customization (themes, mascot animations), adding detailed focus stats, and releasing on Android. The goal is to keep El Tomate lighthearted while making it the most approachable Pomodoro app out there.

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