₦airaland Forum

Fellow devs, I built something and need real feedback.

I have been losing focus during work sessions for years
specifically at the moment of opening a new Chrome tab
between Pomodoro intervals. The blank tab was the issue.
Browser gives you an empty canvas; brain defaults to
distraction before you've made a conscious decision.

Built Ashdeck to solve it: a Chrome extension that
replaces the new tab page with a Pomodoro timer, site
blocker (auto-activates on session start), minimal
task list, and focus soundscapes.

The technical decision I am most uncertain about:
the site blocking uses Chrome's declarativeNetRequest
API. It works in most cases but has edge cases around
incognito mode and certain URL redirect patterns I
haven't fully cleaned up. If any devs here have
worked with this API and have opinions, I genuinely
want to hear them.

It's free and open source. No telemetry, no account
required, all data stored locally.

Try it: https://ashdeck.com

Honest feedback welcome — especially on what's broken.
Nigerian devs building in public: drop your projects
in the comments too.

Good people of Nairaland, greetings.

I want to share something I built and get honest feedback
from people who actually use Chrome daily because nobody
on the internet will tell you the truth faster than
Nairaland people. That is both a compliment and a warning
to myself.

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THE PROBLEM I WAS SOLVING

I am a developer and product builder. I know about
productivity tools. I have read the books. I use Pomodoro
technique — the one where you work for 25 minutes, rest
for 5, repeat. It is a good system.

But I kept noticing something. Every time I finished a
work session and opened a new Chrome tab to start the
next task, something strange would happen. Before I even
typed anything, my hand was already going to Twitter. Or
YouTube. Or worse I would open Nairaland and spend 40
minutes reading threads about things that have nothing to
do with my work.

I am sure some of you understand this exactly.

I started paying close attention to when it was happening.
It was always the same moment: the new tab. That blank
white page Chrome shows you when you press Ctrl+T. In
that half-second before you type anything, your brain
makes a decision about where to go. And if there is
nothing guiding that decision, the brain will go to the
most familiar, most comfortable option which is usually
not your work.

The blank new tab page was the problem. Not the websites.
Not willpower. The empty space.

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WHAT I BUILT

I built a Chrome extension called Ashdeck that replaces
that blank page with a proper work environment. When you
open a new tab, instead of an empty canvas, you see:

- A Pomodoro timer, right there on the new tab itself

- Your task list so you know exactly what you are
supposed to be working on


- A site blocker that automatically activates when
you start a session — no manual activation needed
- Focus sounds built in: white noise, binaural beats,
café ambience (I added this because I kept opening
Spotify between sessions, which defeated the purpose)


The idea is simple: remove the moment of emptiness.
Give the blank tab a destination before your brain
picks one for you.

The result shocked me. I thought I had a willpower
problem. I did not. I had an environment problem.
The moment I removed the blank state, the automatic
drifting stopped.

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WHY IT IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS

There are other Pomodoro apps and site blockers. But
they all have the same problem they live somewhere
else. A popup. A sidebar. A separate tab you have to
remember to open. They rely on you to activate them.

Ashdeck lives on the new tab itself. The moment you
open a new tab during a work session, you see your
timer and your task. You have to make an active
decision to ignore it. Most times, you don't.

It is also completely free, open source, and does not
collect any of your data. Everything is stored locally
on your browser. No account needed.

---

WHO BUILT IT

Me. A Nigerian-based product builder. I built this
because I had the problem and nothing available
solved it the way I needed. Been working on it for
about a year now.

I am not here to just advertise. I genuinely want
feedback from real users. Specifically:

1. If you try it, what is the first thing that
confuses you?
2. What feature is missing that would make you
actually use this daily?
3. If you are a developer — are there any bugs
you notice? The site blocking mechanism is the
part I am least satisfied with.

You can try it here: https://ashdeck.com
(Chrome extension, free, installs in 10 seconds)

And for fellow Nigerian developers who are building
things please share what you are working on in
the comments. Let us see what our people are creating.

Abeg, no let the thread die on one reply. I'm
counting on Nairaland people to give me real talk.

I start coding with a clear goal. Two hours later, I realize I’ve gone off track—fixing an unrelated bug, reading a deep dive on TypeScript best practices, or “optimizing” my dark mode settings for no real reason.

Tried Pomodoro, deep work sessions, and even a lightweight browser extension (https://ashdeck.com) that reminds me when I get distracted.

It’s helped a bit, but distractions still find a way in.

How do you keep your focus while coding? Any strategies that work long-term?