Flowsavvy

How Two Brothers Built A Productivity App to 60K+ Signups

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About
Business

Lucas Barnes

Founder, Flowsavvy

Founders

Flowsavvy

flowsavvy.app

from Salt Lake City, UT, USA

started November 2020

Founders

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Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2020

Customer

B2C

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2020

Customer

B2C

Who is Lucas Barnes?

Flowsavvy was founded by brothers Lucas and Jacob Barnes, who developed the app to manage their academic schedules more efficiently while they were students.

What problem does Flowsavvy solve?

FlowSavvy helps students and busy individuals manage overwhelming schedules by automatically organizing tasks into a calendar, eliminating the stress and chaos of manual planning.

How did Lucas come up with the idea for Flowsavvy?

As busy students anticipating the stress of looming midterms and assignments, Lucas and Jacob Barnes experienced firsthand the challenges of managing time effectively. Faced with a daunting list of tasks, they began manually employing a strategy known as "time blocking," which involved scheduling specific times to complete each task. While this method proved highly effective in balancing workloads, the repetitive nature and susceptibility to disruption made the process cumbersome and inefficient.

It was during a casual conversation about the manual inconvenience of time-blocking that the idea of FlowSavvy was born. Jacob suggested, "Dude. We could build that," sparking their journey to create an app that could automate the tedious task scheduling process. Despite limited technical knowledge, they committed to learning the necessary skills, ultimately creating a solution that dynamically adjusts task schedules based on current needs.

The development of FlowSavvy was informed by their own experiences and needs, underscoring the importance of staying adaptable and receptive to real-world feedback. Their initial challenge of creating an automated system from a manual process reinforced the value of perseverance and the practical benefits of solving a problem directly relevant to their lives. The brothers' experience highlights how personal challenges can ignite innovative solutions that resonate with a broader audience.

How did Lucas build the initial version of Flowsavvy?

Lucas and Jacob Barnes built FlowSavvy to streamline the time-blocking process with an efficient and user-friendly approach. They began with only introductory programming knowledge and embarked on creating an automatic scheduling program that could intelligently allocate time for tasks. The initial development took about three years, during which they heavily iterated on their software, integrating features like automatic calendar scheduling and workload balancing. Synchronization with major calendar services like Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar, and Outlook.com was crucial, allowing for a seamless experience across platforms. The development process involved challenges in simplifying the user interface and ensuring the auto-scheduling feature could quickly adapt to shifting priorities while maintaining reliability and ease of use.

What was the growth strategy for Flowsavvy and how did they scale?

Product Hunt Launch

FlowSavvy utilized a focused launch strategy on Product Hunt, a platform known for engaging tech enthusiasts and early adopters. The makers actively engaged with the community, addressing questions and receiving feedback. They provided a half-off discount for Product Hunt users, a common tactic to encourage initial sign-ups and create a sense of exclusivity. This approach was effective because Product Hunt's audience is often interested in productivity tools, aligning with FlowSavvy's features.

Why it worked: Product Hunt is ideal for reaching tech-savvy users and those seeking productivity tools. Engaging with the platform's community and offering exclusive deals helped generate buzz and increased visibility among potential users who value innovative solutions.

Integration with Popular Calendars

FlowSavvy's integration with Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar, and Outlook.com Calendar was a strategic move to attract users who already rely on these services for their scheduling needs. By seamlessly integrating, users could easily adopt FlowSavvy without disrupting their current workflow.

Why it worked: The integration reduced friction for users who wanted to experiment with FlowSavvy while still needing their existing systems. It provided convenience and ensured that users could maintain their usual calendar practice while benefiting from FlowSavvy's advanced features.

Word of Mouth and Referrals

Much of the growth for FlowSavvy came from word of mouth and user referrals. Satisfied users often recommended the app as a powerful scheduling tool, especially among students and professionals juggling multiple commitments. The app's unique features, like automatic scheduling and workload balancing, provided practical benefits that users were eager to share.

Why it worked: Word of mouth is potent, especially when the product delivers tangible benefits that solve real problems. As users experienced reduced stress and improved time management, they naturally shared their positive experiences, leading to an organic growth channel driven by genuine user satisfaction.

What's the pricing strategy for Flowsavvy?

FlowSavvy offers a free version with limited access to all features, alongside a Pro plan, typically priced at $40 annually, with occasional discounts available.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Flowsavvy?

Automate to Alleviate Stress: FlowSavvy succeeded by automating the time-blocking process, reducing the mental load and stress for its users. This taught the founders that streamlining processes can significantly enhance productivity and user satisfaction.
Pivot Based on Feedback: Initially built for students, FlowSavvy expanded its appeal by listening to user feedback and refining features, demonstrating the value of remaining adaptable and open to change.
Focus on Core Strengths: The founders focused on perfecting their scheduling algorithms and user interface to meet specific needs effectively, showing the importance of honing in on what makes your product unique and valuable.
Embrace Flexibility with Scheduling: By offering features such as workload balancing and quick recalculation, FlowSavvy highlighted how giving users control and flexibility can cater to their diverse and changing needs.
Build for Your Needs First: The creators developed FlowSavvy for their own use as students, illustrating the benefit of solving personal pain points as a method to ensure authenticity and effectiveness in product development.

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