App

Duly: my own app for tasks and routines

Own project · 2 min read · Otto Boström

Duly is the biggest thing I have built: a complete app for tasks and routines that runs on the web, as a program in Windows and as an app on Android. I use it every day.

Why build something that already exists?

There are many good task apps. None of them did exactly what I needed, and all of them wanted a monthly fee and my tasks on their server. Duly started as a test of how far you can get on your own, and the answer was: all the way.

What it does

• Tasks, lists and recurring routines with reminders on both computer and phone.
• Time tracking and focus sessions per project, with a timesheet.
• Habits that are ticked off day by day.
• Apps that update themselves. Both the Windows program and the Android app fetch and install new versions with one tap.
• The phone is paired with a QR code, with no accounts at anyone else's service.

How it is built

Duly runs on its own server at a cloud service where the running cost is next to nothing for a small business. All data sits in a database of its own. The app is made of a core and add-ons, so new parts can be added without affecting the rest.

What I learned

The hard part of an app is rarely the first version. It is everything around it: updates, reminders that actually arrive, backups and what happens when two things change at the same time. Having solved that for my own app is the reason I can promise upkeep and updates to a client.

For your company

Most companies do not need a task app of their own. What you may need are the same building blocks: an internal tool that lives on the phone, sends reminders, works for several people and takes care of its own updates.