Building Mory: Why SMS Beats Every Productivity App I've Tried

I have a graveyard of productivity apps on my phone.

Todoist. Notion. Habitica. Streaks. Way of Life. Forest. Productive. I've tried them all. Downloaded with enthusiasm, used religiously for 3-4 days, then... forgotten.

The pattern is always the same:

Download the app with big ambitions
Set up elaborate systems and trackers
Check it obsessively for a few days
Miss one day
Feel guilty about missing
Avoid opening the app because guilt
Forget it exists

The problem isn't the apps. The problem is that apps require me to remember to open them.

The Core Problem: Apps Live in App Land

When I want to check my progress or log a win, I have to:

Remember the app exists
Find it among 100+ other apps
Tap it
Wait for it to load
Navigate to the right screen
Do the thing

That's six steps of friction. And that's if I even remember the app exists in the first place.

Apps compete with Instagram, Twitter, Email, Slack, and everything else screaming for my attention.

They always lose.

Text Messages Are Different

There's one app I check constantly without thinking about it: Messages.

When my phone buzzes with a text, I check it. Always. Within minutes.

Text messages don't live in "productivity app land" where I have to remember to go look. They come to me. They interrupt me (in the best way). They demand a response.

What if accountability worked the same way?

Enter: Mory

Mory is my AI accountability partner that lives entirely in text messages.

Here's how it works:

Morning (9 AM):

"Good morning! What are you working on for offer.guide today?"

Me:

"Going to run 3 manual analyses and write a blog post"

Evening (8 PM):

"How'd it go today? Did you get those analyses done?"

Me:

"Got 2 done and outlined the blog post. Didn't finish the third analysis."

Mory:

"Nice! Two analyses is solid progress. The blog post outline sets you up well for tomorrow. What's the plan for that third one?"

That's it. No app to open. No dashboard to check. No elaborate tracking system.

Just text messages that show up at the right time, ask the right questions, and keep me accountable.

Why This Actually Works (For Me)

1. Zero friction

I'm already looking at my phone. The message is right there. I can respond in 10 seconds without opening a new app or context switching.

2. It meets me where I am

I don't have to remember Mory exists. Mory reminds me by showing up in my messages.

3. Conversation feels natural

Typing "got 2 done, working on the third" in a text message feels normal. Logging "2/3 tasks complete" in an app feels like homework.

4. Accountability through check-ins, not guilt

Apps show me all the days I missed with red Xs and broken streaks. Mory just asks how today went. No shame. No judgment. Just "what happened today?"

5. It remembers context

Because it's AI-powered, Mory remembers what I said yesterday, last week, last month. It can say things like:

"You mentioned wanting to finish that blog post by Friday. Today's Thursday—how's it coming?"

That kind of contextual memory makes it feel like talking to a real accountability partner, not a dumb reminder bot.

The Technical Build

I built Mory using:

Twilio for SMS
Claude API for the AI conversations
A simple database to track projects and check-in history
Next.js backend to handle the logic

The magic isn't in the tech stack (it's actually pretty simple). The magic is in the medium—using SMS instead of an app.

What I'm Learning

I've been using Mory myself for about 6 weeks now, and here's what I've noticed:

I actually respond. When Mory texts me, I reply. When a productivity app sends a push notification, I swipe it away.

The act of typing builds clarity. Saying "I'm going to run 3 analyses today" out loud (via text) makes the commitment more real than mentally noting it.

Small wins compound. Mory celebrates every little thing. "Nice! Two analyses is solid progress." That positive reinforcement keeps me motivated in a way checklists never did.

I miss fewer days. With apps, I'd go weeks without logging anything. With Mory, I might skip a day here and there, but the daily text brings me back immediately.

Who This Is For

Mory works for people who:

Ignore productivity apps but always check text messages
Work on projects without hard external deadlines (side hustles, personal goals)
Need accountability but don't want to burden friends/family
Prefer conversation over dashboards and tracking

It's NOT for people who:

Love detailed analytics and tracking (Mory is intentionally simple)
Need team collaboration (it's just you and Mory)
Want elaborate project management (it's accountability, not task management)

Current Status: Seeking Beta Testers

Right now, Mory is live and I'm using it daily for my own projects (offer.guide, this blog, house hunting tasks).

I'm opening up beta access to a small group to see if it works for others the way it works for me.

If you want to try it: Join the waitlist at moryhq.com

I'm looking for people who:

Have a side project or personal goal they're working on
Struggle with self-accountability
Are willing to give feedback on what works and what doesn't

Beta testers get free access while I'm validating and building out features.

Why I Built This For Myself First

I didn't build Mory because I identified a market opportunity. I built it because I was frustrated with my own lack of follow-through.

Every evening I'd think "I should have worked on offer.guide today" but there was no structure, no check-in, no accountability.

I needed someone to ask me: "What are you working on today?" and then follow up: "Did you do it?"

But I didn't want to burden a friend with daily check-ins. And I wasn't going to pay for an expensive coach. So I built an AI version.

It worked so well for me that I figured others might want it too.

The Bigger Vision

If Mory gains traction, here's what I'm thinking for future features:

Weekly reviews: "Let's look at your week. You committed to 5 days of work and did 4. What got in the way?"
Goal tracking: "You said you wanted to launch offer.guide by January. You're 2 weeks away—on track?"
Customizable check-in times: Some people want morning + evening. Others just want end-of-day.
Voice notes: For people who prefer talking over typing

But right now, I'm keeping it simple: daily check-ins via SMS with an AI that remembers your context.

Try It (If You're Like Me)

If you've tried every productivity app and they all ended up forgotten, give Mory a shot.

It's free during beta, and worst case, you're just ignoring one more text message thread.

But best case? You finally have accountability that actually sticks.

Join the waitlist at moryhq.com

Building in public? Follow my journey at SelfCEO Strategy where I'm documenting the process of building Mory, offer.guide, and other projects.