LazyMeter (My Startup) and Going Stealth

By now you are probably wondering what I’m working on. The product’s name is LazyMeter, and our goal is to help users balance the demands of life. We are a new approach to task management – a solution you will actually want to use.

Our landing page is up, which includes an option to sign up for our mailing list. If you join the list you will get updates on development, and you will be one of the first considered for testing. This list is strictly for providing updates and will not be used for any other purpose.

We have also launched our blog. The first post is our manifesto which provides more details on our vision.

You may notice we are being intentionally vague. Yes, I have read the TechCrunch article Stealth Startups, Get Over Yourselves. I understand that it’s important to be open about what you are building to generate interest for launch. At the same time, task management is one of the most saturated markets; if we’re too open, our competitors could quickly release the same feature to 2 million+ users.

Being a stealth startup is very awkward, especially in our space. When I attend the various Seattle startup events (hops & chops, open coffee), I get very strange looks since I can only say that we are working on task management. I’ve had reactions including “Are you crazy?” and “I’m worried for you”. But I have found this feedback and concern motivating. My cofounder and I know what we are getting into, and we wouldn’t be going into this space without something completely different. Task management is the easiest way to explain what we are doing, but in actuality it’s just the beginning of what we’re doing. We wouldn’t both quit our jobs at Micorosoft during a recession for another to-do list. Another reason I feel comfortable going stealth is that we are not trying to raise funding – in fact, we’re trying to avoid it, if that’s possible.

Fortunately, I have been able to turn around most of our skeptics. If you’re still skeptical because ‘task management has been done’, here are some thoughts:
1) People forget to do things all the time.
2) Despite all the available solutions, the market leader is still the sticky note.
3) Which solution do you use? If it is software, does it meet your needs?

The TechCrunch article pretty much says you are a stealth startup, or you are not. We’re trying to find a hybrid – we don’t want to hide from view, but we don’t want to give away our secret sauce either. We are seeking significant feedback from individuals close to us. We promise to be as open as possible with all those interested. The specific implementation will be a surprise, but worth the wait.

So what do you think? Are we crazy to go into task management? Are we crazy to go stealth?

(Photo by Katie Weilbacher)