The problem
The App Store has a thousand pomodoro timers, and most of them forgot what a timer is for. Gamification, streaks, accounts, guilt trips. A focus tool shouldn't compete for the attention it's supposed to protect.
I built takt. as a brain break during the seven-month grind of shipping Ripple. It was a chance to step away and build something with a single, finished idea.
About
A pomodoro timer that gets out of your way. No gamification, no streaks, no guilt trips. Just a timer that helps you work.
Set your focus time. Do the work. Take a break. That's it.
Screens
How it works
Set your timer
Pick a focus duration that works for you. Classic 25 minutes, or adjust to your rhythm. No wrong answers.
Do the work
The timer runs. You focus. No notifications, no distractions. Just you and the task at hand.
Take a break
When the timer ends, step away. Get coffee. Stretch. Your brain needs it. Then go again.
Key decisions
Design it like Dieter Rams would
takt. is built on the Braun design philosophy, the same one Apple borrowed in its early years. As little design as possible: one timer, big type, no settings to fiddle with. Every feature I refused to add (streaks, stats, accounts) was a design decision, not a missing one.
Charge new users, grandfather the old ones
takt. recently moved to a subscription for new users. Everyone who downloaded it before the change keeps full access for life, free. Early users took a chance on the app; they shouldn't get a bill for it later.
Results
- Every early user grandfathered
- when the app went paid. No paying subscribers yet, steady downloads, and a pricing change that cost zero goodwill.
Get it
takt is free to download on the App Store. New users subscribe; everyone who was here before the change keeps it free for life.