Inspiration
Most productivity tools are built for neurotypical brains. ADHD affects over 15 million adults in the US, and the tools they're handed are long task lists, rigid schedules, and willpower-based systems that actively work against how their brains function. Unstuck was built around one insight: executive dysfunction isn't laziness, it's neurological. It deserves a tool designed specifically for it.
What it does
Unstuck helps people with ADHD get started and follow through. A 3-tap daily check-in captures energy, time, and mood. Users type any task and Gemini AI breaks it into small actionable steps. A live timer tracks progress with gentle nudges, and a wins tracker records every completion, turning "I'm always behind" into concrete evidence of showing up.
How we built it
SwiftUI for iOS, Gemini 2.0 Flash for AI task breakdown called securely through Firebase Cloud Functions, and UserDefaults for local persistence. All user data including check-in history, completed tasks, and streak information is stored on device.
Challenges we ran into
Designing for ADHD meant cutting features that added friction. We removed a time estimate preview card after realising "60 minutes" was enough to make users close the app. We replaced a multi-input check-in with a single sliding question flow. Emoji confetti required a UILabel-backed renderer to fix a SwiftUI rendering bug on device. Securing the Gemini key required migrating to Firebase Cloud Functions with Secret Manager.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Building a genuinely ADHD-informed UX, not just a task app with a label on it. Every decision was grounded in research: one question at a time, one task at a time, burnout pattern detection, and a reset activity system informed by real ADHD coping strategies.
What we learned
The barrier for ADHD users is almost never knowing what to do, it's starting. Every feature had to answer whether it lowered the cost of starting or raised it. Simplicity turned out to be harder to build than complexity. Removing the right things required more thought than adding them.
What's next for Unstuck
User authentication with Auth0, Firestore sync for cross-device persistence, and a body doubling feature with live focus rooms where users work alongside each other with a shared timer and silent presence, no chat.
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