Product Updates – Focus101

Looking back…

Focus101: A Journey of Passion and Change

I launched Focus101 about two years ago. It took about two years to develop, from idea to running service. Building it was a massive investment of both time and money (I’m not secretly rich, so it was massive for me), and my vision was simple: a free, unlimited co-working platform that would rely on user support for sustainability. Why? Because I believe people are good and they will support us. We got lots of thank you emails, positive messages from people loving the platform (and one memorable one, not so positive). They all make my day better and I am grateful for them. But as much as I’ve appreciated every message of thanks, positive feedback doesn’t pay the bills.

I want to thank all the supporters who gifted Coffees, or upgraded even though they only do a few sessions a week. Like my friend from the US West Coast. Hope the beemer is still running. Or my friend from Arizona. Might take you on that “Arizona experience” trip to the desert. Or some of the others who constantly give me feedback on UI or report issues, give suggestions and help me debug. I appreciate each and every one. Can’t mention you all, though, you know who you are.

In the last two years, with little to no marketing (we spent all the money on development and I suck at marketing, but I do try), we reached a few thousand users and those users completed nearly 20,000 sessions—adding the time spent in Rooms, that’s around 20,000 hours spent together! For context, that’s enough time to watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy about 2,000 times. I personally funded everything—no investors, no shareholders, just a labor of love (I didn’t seek investors or shareholders). But now it’s time for Focus101 to become financially sustainable.

What’s Changing?

Starting soon, we’ll be adjusting our free and premium tiers. Here’s what to expect:

Premium for Early Adopters: If you’ve participated in at least 13 sessions by the end of the year (lucky number in Italy and I do love Italy), you’ll get premium access! This is a way to reward those who’ve been with us from the start. You’ll keep it as long as you do at least 5 sessions a month—plenty of flexibility, even if you take a vacation. If you do fewer, you’ll switch to the free tier automatically.
Buy a Coffee Supporters: Your premium access remains tied to your current plan. Once it expires, it expires. If you’d like to join the early adopter premium, just email me and we’ll make it happen.
Premium Tier: No changes here. Premium stays as is – thank you for supporting us! You keep us going.
Free Tier: The new free tier will offer limited sessions (5 per week), with unlimited room access (subject to change). Repeat sessions are becoming a premium feature – if you have them running, they stay, but new ones cannot be added.

When Will This Happen?

These changes will likely start with the new year, though the exact date may shift.

The date by which sessions need to be completed and attended to get the premium upgrade is December 31st, 2024

Announcing User Groups

Hey there, Focus101 Fam!

Exciting news! We’ve just rolled out a brand new feature: User Groups. Now you can create and manage your own groups right here on Focus101. Here’s what you can do with this new feature:

Create and Manage Your Own Group: As a premium member, you have the power to invite friends and collaborate more closely.
Exclusive Group Sessions: Focus solely on sessions with your group members for enhanced productivity.
Upcoming Feature: Stay tuned for user-group rooms coming soon, designed to further enhance your collaborative experience.

Join us in exploring this new addition to make your Focus101 experience even more personalized and productive!

A full guide… (with pictures!) available here.

Happy coworking!

Focus101 Premium launched (and other goodies)

Hey there, Focus101 Fam!

We’ve just completed a massive update. Along with the launch of Focus101 Premium, we’ve done a number of other updates:

You can manage your premium Focus101 subscription;
Since it’s (unfortunately) necessary, we’ve improved the blocked users feature;
Behold: colours (or colors if you’re American) on your session;
We changed the homepage – making it neater and better;
If you’re sick of us (who would be, right?) we’ve added the option to permanently delete your account;
We’ve listened to user requests and added a pomodoro time end buzzer (user feature);
Sessions card and calendar sidebar 12/24 time format (user feedback)
Custom participant tooltip on calendar feature;
We’ve added an educational campaign (a series of emails explaining common features. You can opt out in settings)
We auto merge sessions at the same time (ie: improved the match making mechanism)
Performance improvement changes
If you’re on premium, you can get a gift account for anybody of your chouice
and other Bug fixes;

More updates. Is anybody reading these?

Hello Focus101 Community,

Cris from Focus101 here.

Guess it’s another of those posts with some updates. Lots of backend goodness that makes things smoother and easier to manage. Mostly for us, so we won’t bore you with the details. You don’t want to know how the sausage is made, right? 🙂

In short

Bug Fixes: A smoother experience for you.
Call Noise Suppression: Enjoy distraction-free sessions. We’ve enabled the noise reduction option. Check it in the settings
12-Participant Public Rooms: More room for focus partners. We’ve increased the room sizes to 12. Why not, right?
Email Notifications Settings: Control your notifications. You can now control what types of emails you get.
Buy Us a Coffee Button: Support us and help us improve. So far, this has been a labor of love, but hopefully some of you will show some support.

Thank you for your support.

Exciting New Release: Supercharge Your Focus101 Experience!

Hey Focus101 Fam,

We’re pumped to bring you some fantastic updates and improvements with our latest release! 💥 Here’s a rundown of the changes that will take your Focus101 experience to a whole new level:

Verify Email Header: Now, verifying your email is a breeze, ensuring a smooth and secure onboarding process. This one is for us, we need to make sure our emails go to the right (and real) email
Titles for 101 Session Participants: Each 101 session participant will have their own unique title, making interactions more personalized and engaging.
Blur & Background Changes in Calls: Tired of boring backgrounds? Not anymore! Customize your video calls with blur options and stunning backgrounds.
Personalized Session Suggestions: After onboarding, we’ll recommend exciting sessions to book, tailored just for you.
Full-Width Calendar Option: Customize your home page by making the calendar full width for a better visual experience. As requested by one of our users
Readability in Dark Mode: Links in room chat are now easily readable, even in dark mode.
Create Session Actions: Experience a more streamlined session creation process with new, easy-to-use actions.
Meeting URL Passcode Fix: We’ve addressed the issue with meetings lacking a passcode in the URL, ensuring smoother connections.
Enhanced Translations: More updates for English and Romanian translations, making our platform more inclusive.
Session Counter Fix: The session counter inside 101 rooms is now accurate and reliable.
Mobile UI Improvements: Enjoy a more polished user interface on your mobile devices.
Calendar Session Tooltip Update: Get more context from session tooltips on the calendar for better planning.
Report Partner Option: Now, you can report partners, but only for 101 sessions for enhanced privacy.
Layout Customization: Choose between Mosaic or Sidebar layout for your rooms and adapt to your preferred view.
New Session Modal: Introducing a fresh and intuitive session creation modal for a smoother workflow.

We’re beyond excited to roll out these updates and make your Focus101 experience even more enjoyable and productive. Your feedback and support have been invaluable in making these improvements, and we can’t thank you enough for being a part of our journey.

Explore the new features, get creative, and keep the suggestions coming. Together, we’ll continue to build an exceptional community of learners and achievers.

Keep shining,
Cris
Focus101 Team 🚀

Introducing Exciting New Features and Enhancements

We are thrilled to announce a significant update to our service, packed with powerful features and enhancements designed to enhance your experience. We’ve been working hard to listen to your feedback and address your needs. Let’s dive into the exciting new additions:

Multi-Language Support: We understand the importance of catering to diverse user preferences. That’s why we’ve added support for multiple languages. We’re excited to introduce support for Romanian, and we have Spanish (Espano) lined up as our next language addition. Now, you can enjoy our service in your preferred language for a seamless experience. If you can help translate to a new language, we’d love to hear from you!
Leave a Message Feature: We value communication and collaboration. With our new “Leave a Message” feature, you can now leave a note for your accountability buddy when leaving a session. Whether it’s a reminder, an important update, or a word of encouragement, staying connected and informed has never been easier.
Public Rooms: Introducing “Public Rooms”! We believe in fostering a sense of community and collaboration. With Public Rooms, you can now join virtual coworking sessions with like-minded individuals from around the world. Share ideas, exchange experiences, and boost productivity together in an engaging and supportive environment.
Test Session for New Users: For our new users, we want to make it even easier for you to get started. We’ve introduced a “Test Session” option that allows you to explore and familiarize yourself with our platform’s functionalities. Take it for a spin and discover firsthand how our service can elevate your productivity.
Support Chat: We’ve got your back! We understand that sometimes you may need assistance or have questions. That’s why we’ve added a support chat feature. Our dedicated support team is just a click away, ready to help you with any queries or concerns you may have.
General Bug Fixes and Updates: We’re committed to providing you with the best experience possible. In this update, we’ve addressed several bugs, ensuring a smoother and more reliable user experience. We’ve also implemented various updates to enhance overall performance.
Filter Calendar Sessions by Duration: Finding the right session just got easier! Our new filtering option allows you to search for sessions based on duration. Whether you prefer shorter bursts of focused work or longer immersive sessions, you can now customize your calendar to meet your specific needs.
Leave Session Notes: We understand the importance of reflection and documentation. With our new “Leave a Note” feature, you can now jot down key takeaways, accomplishments, or thoughts about each session. Capture valuable insights and track your progress effortlessly.
Earlier After-Session Page: We believe in efficiency and providing immediate value. Based on your feedback, we’ve enabled the after-session page earlier, depending on the session duration. This allows you to review your accomplishments, reflect on your work, and plan your next steps without delay.

Conclusion: We’re excited to bring you these new features and enhancements, designed with your productivity and satisfaction in mind. Try them out today and unlock the full potential of our service. We’re committed to continuous improvement and providing you with a seamless and empowering experience.

Remember, your feedback is invaluable to us. If you have any suggestions or ideas for further improvements, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team. Stay tuned for more updates, as we’re always working on new ways to help you achieve your goals. Happy coworking!

May release with new goodness

Exciting Updates and Enhancements in Our Latest Release
We’re thrilled to announce the latest release of our application, packed with new features, enhancements, and bug fixes to provide you with an even better user experience. Here’s a highlight of what’s new:

Upcoming Sessions Scroll
We’ve introduced an Upcoming Sessions scroll feature that allows you to quickly navigate to the nearest available session. No more searching through a long list – find your next session with ease!
Enhanced Welcome Modal
For newly joined users, we’ve revamped the welcome modal to provide more information about our app and its exciting features. Get a comprehensive overview and make the most of your experience right from the start.
Share Screen Option for 101 Calls
Collaboration is key! With the new release, we’ve enabled the share screen option for 101 calls. Seamlessly share your screen during important discussions and enhance collaboration within your team.
Improved Home Calendar
Our home calendar has received a makeover! We’ve made updates to showcase more events at once, allowing you to efficiently plan your schedule. Experience the enhanced UI/UX and enjoy a more intuitive calendar interface.
Filter Calendar Sessions by Favourite Partners
Stay organized and prioritize your sessions with the new filter option. Now, you can filter your calendar sessions by your favorite partners, ensuring you never miss an important meeting.
Meeting Creator Enhancements
We’ve made it even easier to manage meetings. In this release, we’ve enabled viewing meeting details even if the meeting has already started. Stay informed and have all the necessary information at your fingertips.
Improved Repeat Session Functionality
Updating repeat sessions is now more flexible than ever. Along with dragging and resizing events, you now have the option to directly update repeat sessions, providing you with more control and convenience.
Customizable Date & Time Format
We understand that personalization is important. That’s why we’ve added the option to choose your preferred date and time format. Starting with the next release, you’ll have the freedom to customize the displayed date and time format across every page.

Bug Fixes
In addition to the exciting new features and enhancements, we’ve also addressed several bugs and issues reported by our users. Our dedicated team has been hard at work to ensure a smoother and more reliable experience.

We hope you’re as excited as we are about the latest release! These new features and improvements aim to elevate your user experience and streamline your workflow. As always, we value your feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts and suggestions with us.

Thank you for your continued support and trust in our app. Stay tuned for more updates and feature announcements in the future!

April release with new features

We are excited to announce the latest release of our platform, which includes several new features and fixes to enhance your user experience.

One of the most noticeable changes is the updated Session UI, which now offers a more streamlined and user-friendly interface. We have also made changes to the Session page calendar default view, which is now set to Week by default, allowing for easier scheduling and planning.

In addition, we are introducing the ability to listen to white sounds inside room calls, providing a more calming and relaxing environment for your sessions. We are also happy to announce that focus sessions will no longer automatically end when the allotted time is up, giving you the flexibility to stay longer if necessary.

We have also added support to reconnect to room calls after getting disconnected, ensuring that you never miss a moment of your session. And, after rating your partner, you can now easily book another session with just one click, making it easier than ever to continue your progress towards your goals.

Finally, we have made general bug fixes to improve the overall stability and performance of the platform.

We hope that these updates will enhance your experience and make your sessions even more enjoyable and productive. As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for further improvements.

Thank you for being a part of our community!

New features

It’s been too long since we wrote one of these. And it’s not because we didn’t do anything, but mostly because we’re busy building this thing, making it better and better.

So long story short (promise), we’re releasing a new version, which among other things has:

We improved the homepage, so your sessions are more clearly visible
Better control in meetings (ie: kick bad people)
Since not everybody uses Gmail or Facebook to register / authenticate, we’ve implemented email validation. Not that we don’t trust that’s your email, but mistakes happen
You can now book a session with your favourite partner in one click. We’ll send you an email when they created a session and then you can just click a button and BOOM, you’re booked
Lots and lots of other bug fixes and small improvements

New major release

It’s been months since we’ve gone live with our very first version.

Since then, we got some feedback from the (handful) of users and our own testing. Lots of work went into improving things and adding new features.

New feature: register an organisation and group calls

We’ve been asked by our partners to enable group calls for their companies. So, we built that, too.

Simply choose to register as an organisation and hey presto, you’re an owner!

Fill in the rest of your organisation details, upload your logo and start inviting your team(s).

And please don’t hesitate to send us your impressions and suggestions for new ideas! We’d love to hear from you.

And we mean it!

Until next time!