In today’s fast-paced work environment, distractions can easily derail productivity and lead to a stressful workday. Berlin-based startup Beams aims to solve this problem by providing a solution that helps product teams regain focus and work in a healthier and more productive way. Co-founders Jana Schellong and Mihri Minaz created Beams to tackle the issue of distraction and context switching that plagues many product teams.
Key Takeaway
Beams, a Berlin-based startup, offers a productivity app that helps product teams regain focus and reduce distractions. By integrating with tools like Google Calendar and Slack, Beams provides personalized suggestions to optimize workflow and enhance productivity. The founders plan to explore seed funding and adopt a freemium model to monetize their product in the future.
The team at Beams understands that product teams rely on a multitude of productivity tools, each sending multiple notifications throughout the day. This barrage of distractions hampers productivity and increases stress levels. To combat this, Beams has developed an app that integrates with popular tools like Google Calendar and Slack, with plans to add more integrations in the future. By analyzing data from these integrations, Beams provides personalized suggestions on how to work better, with less distraction and more focus.
Enhancing Focus and Collaboration
Beams divides the workday into three parts: collaboration, meetings, and focused work tasks. The app allows users to seamlessly navigate between these different modes, optimizing their workflow. For example, when it’s time for a meeting, Beams automatically opens the correct meeting tool. When it’s time to focus, users can indicate their availability in Beams, which blocks off their calendar and sends a notification to Slack to indicate their busy status. This helps ensure that notifications are limited to only the most important contacts. Beams also reminds users when it’s time to take a break, promoting a balanced work-life routine.
Beams is initially targeting product teams in early- to mid-stage startups, focusing on developers, designers, and product managers who rely on tools like Google Calendar and Slack. However, the company plans to expand its compatibility with other tools important to this audience, such as Notion and Linear.
As a native Mac application, Beams benefits from insights into how users work. It analyzes factors like application usage, task switching frequency, and adherence to the user’s calendar. Leveraging real-time information, Beams adjusts its recommendations to match the user’s current working context. For instance, if a user is working on a high-priority task, Beams will limit distractions from colleagues until the task is completed.
Future Plans and Funding
Beams, founded in 2021, has already raised close to $1 million in pre-seed and angel investments. The founders plan to explore seed funding early next year to further develop and expand their product. Currently, the app is offered for free as they experiment with various payment approaches. They are considering a freemium model, where the individual user version remains free, while team subscriptions with additional features could be offered at a cost.
The story of Beams began when Mihri Minaz from Turkey moved to Berlin and was introduced to Jana Schellong through a mutual friend. Their shared passion for product-driven startups and their desire to build a helpful and innovative solution brought them together. Being aligned in their values and ambition, the duo embarked on the journey of creating Beams in order to provide a product that truly supports and enhances the work of product teams.
