The Executive Function Assistant I Built Because I Couldn't Focus Long Enough to Finish Anything

Welcome to the Editor's Desk, where I build tools for the problems I actually have.

This isn't what you're used to seeing from me. It's not a workbook or a planner. It's my biggest and most ambitious product yet.

Tailor: A focus companion and executive function assistant built from the ground up for adults who need help focusing:

• Adults with ADHD (diagnosed, undiagnosed, self-diagnosed, suspected—we're not gatekeeping here).

• Remote workers.

• Creatives who have difficulty making time for creative work.

Spoiler alert: I am all of those adults.

Here's the problem: I work better when someone is in the room with me. Not talking. Not watching. Just present. But I work from home. My office mate is a parrot who screams during Zoom calls and a dog who sleeps under my desk. Neither is a great body double.

I tried coworking cafes. Too noisy. I didn't even try FocusMate—too much social friction. I tried pomodoro timers. They just count down. They don't help. I tried other productivity apps marketed for adults with ADHD, but they were just generic productivity apps with an ADHD label slapped on them, or worse—a collection of dark patterns in a trench coat hoping I'd forget I gave them my credit card.

So I built the thing I needed.

What Tailor Focus Actually Is

Tailor is an AI body doubling app. It's a focus timer, a to-do list, and an executive function coach all in one.

You choose a double (eight doubles available, each with a different personality). You talk with them about what you're working on. Not a form—a conversation.

Then you sprint. The screen clears. A timer runs silently. If you want, an ambient environment (coffee shop, rain, forest, fireplace) keeps you company without demanding your attention. If not, the timer slowly fills while you work. No numbers on the screen to activate your analytical brain if you're working on something creative: just a slowly filling circle.

When time's up, your double unpacks with you. No judgment. Just reflection. Then it writes a short summary. You review it, edit it, approve it. Nothing is saved without your okay. The memory card Tailor creates is saved to your library of memories.

This is where the real beauty of the app comes in. Over time, Tailor learns your patterns. It knows when you do your best deep work (for instance, Tuesday mornings). It knows when you need a gentler double (for instance, Friday afternoons). It helps you choose what to focus on based on what's in your backlog and what's worked for you in the past.

This is not a fancy pomodoro timer. This is an executive function assistant.

Who It's For

• Adults with ADHD who need body doubling but can't face a stranger on camera.

• Writers, designers, developers, and anyone who works alone and misses the hum of a shared workspace.

• Anyone who has ever wanted to try body doubling but is put off by the prospect of engaging with strangers.

You don't need a diagnosis. You just need to know what it feels like to want someone beside you while you work.

The Closed Beta

Tailor isn't ready for the App Store yet. But it's ready for you—if you're willing to break things, give honest feedback, and help shape the final product.

I'm recruiting 10–15 beta testers for a closed beta starting this month.

You'll get:

• Free Pro access (all eight doubles, custom double builder, full environment library, memory insights) for the duration of the beta.

• Free lifetime access to the Pro tier after launch (as a thank-you for your help).

• Direct input on features, bugs, and user experience.

What I ask in return:

• Use the app at least 3 times per week

• Report bugs and feedback (a simple Google Form or Discord channel)

• Be patient—it's a beta, things will break

How to Sign Up

Click here to join the waitlist. I'll email you when your spot is ready.

No spam. No commitment. Just a calmer way to focus.

Why I'm Telling You This

I don't usually write about my apps here. The Editor's Desk is for editing, revision, and the craft of writing. But Tailor Focus is the tool I built because I couldn't focus long enough to finish my own book.

And if it works for me—a person with ADHD, a loud parrot, and a tendency to have 47 emotional support browser tabs open at once—it might work for you.

Try it. Break it. Tell me what's wrong. I'll fix it. That's the deal.

—Catherine

P.S. If you want to read more about Tailor Focus, you can check out my dev blog.