We've built a web and desktop app that tracks user-specified procrastination sources and allows setting of commitments to limit your procrastination. If you never procrastinate, then you wouldn't need it. But if you are like me, you spend hours on facebook or hulu during finals week or do other self-sabotaging things online when important deadlines loom close. Thus putting money on the line could help you stay productive.
TimeCarrot works by having you specify your procrastination sources (either a website or application). You then make a commitment to limit your procrastination to x hours for any period of time. If you reach your goal, you get your money back. If not, then either a friend or charity gets it.
I had a chance to meet Paul Graham at the last startup school event at Stanford, and chatted with him about TimeCarrot when it was just an idea. I told him I would like to apply to YC with this. He once wrote "Most people I know have problems with Internet addiction. We're all trying to figure out our own customs for getting free of it." (http://www.paulgraham.com/addiction.html) He said the idea was interesting but wanted to be convinced that users would stick with it and use it. Honestly, I don't know if it works beyond the small proportion of friends at Stanford. That's why I am posting it here in hopes that I will get honest feedback from people who don't care about our feelings. It is our first ever project and we would greatly appreciate your critique ranging from the idea itself to UI, user experience flow etc. It is still in beta and we are still working on it daily.
Thanks a bunch!
Bek
