Focusmate Media Kit

Hi! We’re thrilled that you’re considering featuring Focusmate in your story.

What is Focusmate?

Focusmate is a virtual coworking community on a mission to help everyone do their best work. Thousands of people in 150+ countries sit side-by-side, via video, to keep each other company, cheer each other on, and hold each other accountable to follow through.

On Focusmate, you choose a time to focus and get matched with an accountability partner to work quietly with during the session. At the end, you share and celebrate your accomplishments.

Our subscription-based model, priced at $6.99 a month (or $9.99 a month on a month-by-month basis), caters to a diverse user base consisting of students, freelancers, homemakers, solopreneurs, remote workers, and office workers.

We’re backed by Amasia, Betaworks, Upfront Ventures, CoVenture, Remote First Capital, Nir Eyal, Balaji Srinivasan, Cindy Bi, and other world-class investors.

Founding Story

Focusmate was founded by Taylor Jacobson in 2015. Here’s the story, in Taylor’s own words:

Focusmate was born out of my own severe need.

It was 2015. I was struggling to build a career as a solo entrepreneur. I was also secretly battling a creeping anxiety, a worry that I’d never be successful, never build a life I was proud of.

Jake was a former colleague of mine, and he was struggling with near-debilitating procrastination. He had a major investor presentation coming up, but he could NOT make himself sit down and work on it.

Jake and I set up a call to brainstorm solutions to his procrastination. We talked about holding each other accountable, but as we talked, we agreed that even checking in multiple times a day wouldn’t likely prevent procrastination.

We were on video call already, so I suggested simply leaving the call open for two hours to see if working “together” would be helpful. We muted our microphones, kept the video turned on, and got to work. To bump up the accountability even more, we agreed to specify each task to the other as we worked.

It was like magic. We both got in the zone right away, and we stayed in a productive “flow” state for the entire time.

I was thrilled, and Jake was over the moon. As a result, we scheduled these virtual coworking sessions on an almost daily basis. We kept them up until Jake completed the presentation that had been giving him so much trouble.

Almost by accident, I had discovered the life-changing solution I needed to overcome my own struggles with procrastination — and hence, Focusmate was born.

Focusmate in the Media

We’ve been featured in a number of publications over the years.

BBC
The video call apps linking home workers with strangers
The online ‘work gyms’ that help spur productivity
Tricks and tools for better working from home
Focusmate: Watched over while I work from home
Clickmas Special
The Emma Barnett Show [Segment Starts 2:43:27]

CNN
The benefits of ‘body doubling’ when you have ADHD, according to experts

Fast Company
Having trouble focusing? This service pairs you with a remote work buddy

Harvard Business Review
How to Stay Motivated When You’re (Still) Stuck at Home

New Yorker
Focusmate, the service that makes shame a productivity hack

The Guardian
Eleven strangers watched me write this article. Is this the answer to our productivity crisis?

The New York Times
Would You Pay $40 a Month to Have Strangers Watch You Work?

The Wall Street Journal
The New Trick to Getting Work Done: Have a Stranger Watch You

For more writing about Focusmate, you can check out our Press & Mentions page.

Focusmate by the Numbers

Our Research

Our research¹ shows incredible results for users’ productivity, job or school performance, mental health, and well-being, with neurodivergent users reporting especially staggering improvements.

Productivity

When it comes to productivity, Focusmate members reported a 143% increase, on average — that’s a two to threefold improvement.

In addition:

98% of respondents agreed that Focusmate helped them make good use of their time.
96% said Focusmate helped them follow through on their intentions and plans.

Performance

91% of respondents reported increased performance at work/school, and 76% said Focusmate improved the quality of their work.

ADHD and Neurodivergence

Our neurodivergent members report even stronger results than typical members:

Neurodivergent members (including those with ADHD) report an incredible 161% increase in productivity, 33% higher than neurotypical members.
98% of neurodivergent members reported being more focused and less distracted while using Focusmate.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Focusmate has a profound impact not only on people’s professional lives but also their well-being:

85% of respondents felt less lonely and isolated because of Focusmate.
77% of respondents agreed that Focusmate gives them a sense of connection and belonging.
83% of surveyed members stated that Focusmate helps improve their well-being and mental health.

Some Fun Bonus Statistics

5 members have logged over 10,000 hours of body doubling with us, with one of them having over 20,000 hours — that’s the equivalent of 800 days!
The longest streak of consecutive days with a Focusmate session by one member is 377 days.
One member has had coworking partners in at least 128 different countries.
One pair of members from the UK and Bangladesh, Sophie and Nausheen, have over 1,000 sessions together.
One member did 102 hours of Focusmate in a week! (While we don’t encourage this, it shows that if you need to buckle down, at any intensity level, someone will always be there for you).
Another member did 360 hours of Focusmate in a single month.