The Story Behind Progressive Pomo
One developer. One focus problem. One app built to solve it — properly.
Traditional Pomodoro never worked for me. The rigid 25-minute sessions felt arbitrary. Some days I could focus for 90 minutes straight — and the timer would rudely interrupt. Other days, 25 minutes felt like an eternity. Why does a productivity tool fight against how your brain actually works?
I looked at how athletes train. A sprinter doesn't run the same distance every day forever. They use progressive overload — gradually increasing the challenge as their body adapts. Muscles grow stronger through progressive resistance. Why couldn't focus work the same way?
That question became Progressive Pomo. Instead of forcing you into fixed blocks, the app starts where you are — even if that's just 2 minutes — and grows with you based on real feedback. You rate your focus after each session. The timer adapts. Over weeks and months, what felt impossible becomes your warm-up.
I also rethought breaks. Traditional Pomodoro says "take 5 minutes" after every session. But if you just hit a flow state, a forced break destroys your momentum. If you're exhausted after a tough session, 5 minutes isn't enough. So I built smart adaptive breaks that calculate the optimal rest duration based on your actual session data.
I'm Md Rajibul Islam — a developer and productivity researcher from India. Progressive Pomo is my attempt to build the focus tool I always needed but never found. I build it under my indie studio Raji's Lab, with one rule: honest tools for honest work. No dark patterns. No data harvesting. No guilt mechanics.
"The goal isn't to work longer. The goal is to build the capacity to work deeply — and that requires a system that grows with you, not against you."
— Md Rajibul Islam, Creator of Progressive Pomo
Raji's Lab
Raji's Lab is my indie development studio — the home for apps built on science, respect for users, and honest design. Progressive Pomo is the flagship product. More tools for focused, intentional work are in development. Visit rajislab.com →
What I Stand For
Progressive, Not Perfectionistic
Start where you are. 2 minutes is a valid start. Progress over perfection. Every session — long or short — is a win.
Privacy as a Foundation
The app works 100% offline. Your focus data stays on your device. No tracking. No data selling. Privacy isn't a feature — it's the architecture.
Honest Design
No dark patterns. No forced notifications. No guilt mechanics. No streaks that punish you for rest. Focus tools should reduce stress, not create it.
Science-Informed
Progressive overload, flow state research, adaptive break algorithms — every feature is grounded in how your brain actually builds concentration capacity.
What's Coming Next
Progressive Pomo is actively evolving. Here's what I'm building:
Core Progressive Timer, Projects, Rituals, Analytics
The full adaptive focus system — smart breaks, project tracking, ritual builder, growth analytics, achievements, and focus sounds.
Timeline (Day Planner)
Plan your day hour-by-hour. Assign tasks and projects to time slots. Get notified when it's time for the next task. A focused daily calendar view.
B.R.I.O. — Brain Responsive Intelligence Organizer
AI assistant that analyzes your focus patterns, identifies peak flow hours, and helps you make smarter productivity decisions. Coming first to Pro and Pro+ subscribers.
Cloud Backup & Multi-Device Sync
Google Drive backup for Pro users. Real-time multi-device sync for Pro+. Your focus history, everywhere.
iOS Version
Bringing Progressive Pomo to iPhone and iPad. Follow on Instagram for the iOS release timeline.
Let's Build Better Focus Together
Have feedback, ideas, bug reports, or just want to say hello? I personally read every message.