The Story of EchoInspirationEcho was born from the "VU" (Seen) problem. We noticed a psychological tax in digital messaging where one person is "too available" while others take hours to respond. We built Echo to automate digital boundaries and restore social reciprocity.
How we built itWe utilized Android's NotificationListenerService to track response metadata. The app calculates a "Reciprocity Buffer" using a weighted moving average: $T_{suggested} = (T_{contact_avg} \cdot \alpha) + (T_{last_interaction} \cdot (1 - \alpha))$. This ensures your reply timing matches the attention you receive.
ChallengesThe main challenge was navigating OS privacy restrictions. While Android allows notification interception, iOS is more locked down, leading us to focus on a high-performance Android MVP that minimizes battery drain while running in the background.What we learnedWe discovered that response asymmetry is a major driver of phone anxiety.
By delegating the "waiting" period to an algorithm, users felt an immediate sense of relief and reclaimed control over their digital presence.
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