Inspiration
We’ve all been there: opening a document, closing it, checking social media, then coming back only to repeat the cycle. This "Execution Paralysis" isn't about laziness; it’s about being overwhelmed. Most apps help you track work, but none help you break the loop of starting it. We wanted to build a coach that doesn't just list what to do, but intervenes exactly when you’re stuck.
What it does
JIT (Just-In-Time) Coach, or The Focus Cutter, is a behavioral AI tool that detects when a user is "looping"—opening and closing tasks without making progress.
Pattern Breaking: Detects frequency of task interactions and triggers a full-screen pattern-breaker. AI Intervention: Uses Gemini 3 Flash Preview to ask one specific question and extract the single smallest physical action the user can complete in under 10 minutes. Monetization: Integrated with RevenueCat to manage Pro subscriptions for unlimited interventions and session history.
How we built it
Mobile: Native Android built with Kotlin and Jetpack Compose for a premium, dark-themed UI. Brain (Backend): A Python/Flask server that handles the intelligence layer. Intelligence: Google Gemini 3 Flash Preview with a highly constrained system prompt to ensure it remains an "Execution Tool" rather than a conversational therapist. Payments: RevenueCat handles the subscription logic, ensuring a smooth transition from the freemium model to the Pro tier.
Challenges we ran into
One of the biggest hurdles was fine-tuning the behavioral detection algorithm—finding the sweet spot between an accidental tap and a genuine procrastination loop. We also had to ensure the AI output was consistently under 120 words and strictly focused on a single actionable step, which required multiple iterations of prompt engineering.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We’re extremely proud of the UI/UX experience. The app feels alive and premium, with custom haptic feedback that makes the pattern-breaking intervention feel tangible. Seeing the RevenueCat paywall work seamlessly alongside the AI logic was a major milestone for us.
What we learned
Building JIT Coach taught us that Just-In-Time intervention is often more valuable than long-term planning for overwhelmed users. We also gained deep experience in integrating external AI APIs with native mobile behavior tracking and learned how RevenueCat simplifies the complex world of mobile subscriptions.
What's next for JIT Coach
The next step is moving the backend to a scalable cloud architecture. We also plan to implement advanced "Work Heuristics" using device sensors to detect focus levels even more accurately and expand the intervention to multiple devices (Desktop + Mobile) to ensure you can't hide from your productivity coach!
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