FirstFive is live

Over the weekend I built and shipped my 5-minute timer app. You can download FirstFive at firstfive.app.

The app applies psychological research about micro-commitments and the Zeigarnik Effect. Your brain sees 5 minutes as non-threatening, which bypasses the resistance that keeps you stuck. Once you start, your brain naturally wants to continue what it began.

I started using this method back in April. Before that, I had nothing but a vague idea about committing to 15 minutes, which never seemed to work. The switch to 5 minutes made all the difference. Building the actual app was a weekend sprint, but those months of testing the concept with basic phone timers proved it works consistently.

FirstFive is free forever with no ads or subscriptions. It’s iPhone only for now and designed with privacy in mind. The timer counts up silently after 5 minutes instead of creating pressure with alarms.

If you struggle with getting started on tasks you keep avoiding, the science suggests this approach can help. Sometimes the smallest commitment creates the biggest breakthrough.