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Ask HN: Not a personal assistant, but a manager to get things done?
Imagine a dedicated manager, who calls you in the morning (or when you have planed during the week planning call) and checks how is your plan for the day, ensures that week goals are in the focus and if you need some help to unstuck.
Actually not joking, partially. Would such "service" help you get things done?
Reverse of concierge service that would push you whatever goals you set.
- ashryan 2y agoWould this be different than the concept of coach? I've worked with coaches before that will do this kind of thing.
- delopsu 2y agoYes, probably, thanks. Never worked with coach. Are there any services similar to those, where one can find therapist, but for searching coaches?
- delopsu 2y agoCoach's goal is to teach you. And manager just wants you to make things done, no matter what. You may learn something or not, but at least get through some troubled times and fix situation. Crisis management on demand
- kingkongjaffa 2y ago> And manager just wants you to make things done, no matter This is optimising for blind output instead of outcomes. You can’t rush a creative process and becoming a mindless ticket crushing machine will not make you add value to your business. You need to focus on high leverage activities that produce big impactful outcomes instead. Having someone stand on my toes and force output is the opposite of the headspace you need to do impactful work.
- JojoFatsani 2y agoThere was a time where these skills were considered baked in by the time you graduated high school
- spr3zi 2y agoWas this when they taught life skills in high schools instead of an endless treadmill of standardized test prep?
- throwaway11460 2y agoNah, there was just a time when the people who didn't have them didn't have a voice.
- MattGaiser 2y agoIsn't this just an involved personal assistant?
- delopsu 2y agoAssistant works for you, but you work for the manager. E.g. you owe them money, in case you fail
- codingdave 2y agoSo you are incentivizing them to not do their job, because they profit from your failure. That ain't gonna work.
- delopsu 2y agoBut you are free to change your manager and hire a new one
- p1esk 2y agoI used to have such a person. It was my boss at work.
- al_borland 2y agoIsn’t this the goal of the daily scrum and the scrum master?
- ipaddr 2y agoNo, the benefit managers give are control over a group that someone else can exercise.
- eddaross 2y agoInteresting idea, having someone check in regularly to review your progress is definitely great for people who have issues with self-motivation or time management. But the effectiveness would depend on the compatibility of the manager with the individual, if two people don't like each other, thing will not work out.
- delopsu 2y agoYeah. Check other responses now, there are a couple of solutions already
- setnone 2y agoSounds like a give-a-shit-as-a-service. I would try.
- delopsu 2y agoLol :) check comments, turns out there a couple of such services already
- marshmellman 2y agoReminds me of https://bossasaservice.com/ https://bossasaservice.com/, which I believe I first saw on HN.
- delopsu 2y agoWow, yes, actually something like this. Thanks!
- idontwantthis 2y agoYou want a mom?
- admissionsguy 2y agoAt this point, why not just get a regular job? (30% joking) A related concept, I now use Beeminder which requires me to pay money if I don't do what I've set to do. It seems perverse, but it kind of works.
- HenryBemis 2y agoWhy don't you set a recurring reminder on your Calendar app for things like that? (asking because I've been using Outlook for the past 20+ years and syncing it with my phone(s) - Nokia back in the day, then iPhone, now Android)
- admissionsguy 2y agoIt solves procrastination (emotional regulation) rather than organisation .. basically makes me more likely to follow through on my plans
- delopsu 2y agoCool! Thanks for sharing! didn't know that there is a number of such solutions already.
- cableshaft 2y agoMy SO decided to go freelance but was struggling to actually work on things without some sort of outside force to help her (and me lightly prodding her every day or going on library work dates didn't seem to help). But after a couple of months she stumbled upon a site that has like virtual coworking segments of time, that they call caves. Basically she signs up for 4-5 of them a day (I think they're an hour apiece), hops on the video meeting, everyone introduces themselves and hops into a private room and works on things. I don't think it would work that well for me (probably find it too distracting) but she's been doing it for several weeks now and she's been a lot more productive since she started. I do think for some people there is value in having some outside force pressure them into work, and some people would be willing to pay some money for that.
- theriddlr 2y agoLook into the neurodiverse community, they have this figured out. A personal assistant and coaches are keywords which sound like what you are looking for. And accountability buddies and body doubling
- theriddlr 2y agohttps://www.additudemag.com/virtual-assistant-adhd-benefits/ https://www.additudemag.com/virtual-assistant-adhd-benefits/
- mklepaczewski 2y agoSuch a service already exists, check https://workmode.net/ https://workmode.net/ (disclaimer: I'm a co-founder). We'll call you every morning to remind you to start your day and to connect with us for a body-doubling session. Your productivity partner will ensure you have a to-do list for the day, stay focused on your tasks, and that you won't procrastinate. If you go for lunch and it takes more than you planned, they'll call you to check on you. You always work with the same dedicated WorkMode partner so you can personalize your experience.