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Amazing Marvin — Customizable task manager and day planner
Amazing Marvin is a customizable task manager that is designed using behavioral psychology to help you get more done while feeling less stressed. Marvin separates where you store (Master List) and work off (daily todo list) your tasks and has tons of built-in tools to help you work better.
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Jason Dainter
I like your pricing model with lifetime option, very cool. This looks like a task planner I would actually use, looking forward to testing this.
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@jasondainter Great input on the pricing model! Very helpful. :) Looking forward to hearing your feedback. Thanks, Jason!
Just signed up today after seeing here on Product Hunt and I'm already really happy with it. Went ahead and got a year subscription.
I've tried hard to find just the right task manager but none of them seem to fit what I need. With as much customization is available in Marvin, I think this might finally be the one.
Gotta get some work done today, but I'm looking forward to really digging in when I have the time.
Pros:Hugely customizable, lots of options in their "Strategies" section, integrated pomodoro timer, great Best Practices documentation, nice UI.
Cons:None that I have noticed yet.
Thanks so much for taking the time to review Marvin and for signing up before your trial even ended! Truly grateful for the support. We won't let you down! ;)
@creatrixtiara Not in any automatic sense yet. But that is a planned feature (Check out our roadmap -> https://community.amazingmarvin....). :)
I think automatic scheduling has to be done really well for it to actually help people. The program needs to know what is actually urgent and important at any one moment to make good decisions. So I think Marvin will be ideal for an auto-schedule feature as the backend is quite smart and the overarching goal is for Marvin to get a real sense of what is is you are trying to accomplish and how you best go about it. But it takes time to make a really smart system that is why this feature is still months away.
What you can do is divide your daily list into the time blocks you created and then slot the right amount of tasks in there when you plan your day. Time estimates for each task help to make sure you schedule the right amount.
Excited to start trying this today. Looks like something I'm going to enjoy. Love the ability to set a cycle on the tomato timer.
@clintbuechler Looking forward to your thoughts! Definitely want to add more features connected to the tomato timer. Ideas and requests are always welcome!
@swapagarwal So glad you like Marvin! :)
Marvin already works offline (except time tracking). If you load the page and go offline you can still use it until you reload. Desktop apps are in beta and you can get them if you email us. They will be officially released this year.
This looks like it could end up being my absolute favorite todo app, because of its custom options.
However, two things I'm waiting on before I fully dive in. Both involve the ability to ubiquitously capture thoughts and ideas as simply and soon as possible before I forget them or become digitally distracted from capturing them somehow.
1. A dedicated mac app to allow universal hotkey to open new todo capture window. This could possibly be accomplished via an Alfred workflow instead of an app, but Ideally an app would be ideal. Although having tested a "web app" version with Fluid, I can say, it's troublesome to have "Esc" be a common function in the platform while also causing the app to exit fullscreen.
2. Integration with Google Home, to allow adding tasks by voice.
I didn't mention a native iOS app, but that would probably be a necessity too.
@drewallen Hey Drew! Thanks so much for your comment! 😊Stoked to hear Marvin might become your favorite todo app.
Good news! We have desktop/mobile apps and plan to add voice capture for tasks. Universal hotkeys for the capture window and some helpful desktop specific features are also something we will add for sure! 👍
Will likely add a customization option regarding the "Esc" key.
(To download the newest desktop apps see the latest changelog: https://community.amazingmarvin....)
I learned about this app via the r/productivity subreddit on Reddit. I downloaded it and gave it a try. I have to say I think this app has tremendous potential. I've been an Ominfocus user for years now and I feel it's getting outdated and the iPhone app version is not fun to manoeuvre around. Marvin feels like the answer to that. I love the innovate views, the way it helps you perform tasks (I love that the 'Eat That Frog' concept got in there), I love the project view with the percentages. I honestly look forward to seeing what Marvin will become.
I began to setup Marvin as my main tool for GTD however after playing around I did find myself getting frustrated. Perhaps I need to take more time to get to know the system better but I kept running into metaphorical walls with the product. I kept clicking on things that brought me somewhere else; I kept adding a task but for some reason, it'd type out elsewhere and would only work when I 'x' out of something else - I felt I kept having to re-do things. One of the more frustrating things for me was the calendar - I wanted to block out my day and schedule tasks but I couldn't allot time to something unless it was a project and afterwards I had trouble just dragging my projects onto the schedule. It kept asking for 'time blocks' and I couldn't find where to create those. I don't know - I may not be the intended target for an app like this but I just felt like I kept doing the same thing over and over and when I finally managed to get something I wanted done I couldn't recreate the result.
I will, however, take some more time with Marvin as I do feel that the app, the team, and the philosophy behind it are truly onto something interesting in the world of task and project management apps.
@anthony_imperioli Hey Anthony! Thank you so much for your comment.
I am really sorry you had a frustrating experience with Marvin. It's definitely gotten to a point of complexity where it is super important to have great resources to help the user find their way around. We updated our onboarding process and help center as a first step. But a lot of work to do still. The tricky part is that sometimes people use different words for things in productivity and since Marvin needs to function as one app while incorporating many different productivity methods we need a consistent paradigm. This paradigm needs to be understood in order to make sense of some strategies. Especially the time blocking, calendar, planning vs. scheduling, do date vs. due date leads to confusion. So in other words, it's not an app where you can just turn on strategies and click around hoping to just figure it out. We hope to add a lot more guidance into the app to make this all much easier to learn. In-app tips, guidance after turning a strategy on, videos for each strategy (although we can't make a user watch them first ;) ) and finally a workflow library where you can change setups with one click and try different workflows without any hassle.
In the meantime, please reach out if you need guidance on something. Always happy to make a video for you to show you how things work together etc.
Hey Product Hunters,
I know, I know… another task app. It seems like we get one of those every day around here. But Amazing Marvin has a really unique approach to productivity and fills a hole in the todo list space.
I originally created Marvin for myself. I was running an ecommerce business with my sister and I felt incredibly overwhelmed by the amount and complexity of work. And as a chronic procrastinator, no matter how many lists I wrote, I just wasn’t getting those tasks done.
The vision for Marvin is to create an all-in-one productivity tool that allows people to find a productivity system that works for their unique brain and life.
Marvin has a unique core concept that marries the traditional todo list with a daily scheduling approach. And there are tons of customizable features that are designed to help with specific productivity challenges (e.g. What do I do first? When should I do what? I feel too overwhelmed to get started! etc.)
We have a lot planned for Marvin. Our roadmap is public and growing. We also add new features nearly every week. Here are some things coming up:
- Calendar integration
- Habit tracking
- Gamification
- Built-in accountability
- Goal Mapping
If you have any questions about Marvin, fire away. I love talking about this stuff. :)
Christina
EDIT: Marvin is available as a web app, desktop apps (Mac, Windows and Linux) and there are reduced feature Mobile apps for android and iOS!
@christinawyvern First comment I've ever made on here - just wanted to say that I absolutely love this app - it is genuinely different from any of the other task apps out there and ticks a lot of the boxes that I have been looking for for some time (was thinking about self building at one point).
I'm not 100% sure it will work for me yet but testing it out, and more importantly - thats not important, as it will definitely work for many.
If I test and it works for my personal needs I'll be signing up for the lifetime plan.
One observation and two questions:
- The pricing is probably on the high side compared to others. Not a barrier for me as I will pay the extra for a product that works, but just a thought.
- The Calendar time blocking (brilliant concept by the way, I have been doing exactly this manually) doesnt reflect when you come to do a daily or weekly plan (i.e. its not shown in there) - it would be great if it could be in some way so that you can plan your day or week in line with your goals around use of time more seamlessly?
- Is there a bulk upload ability, in order to move quickly from my existing task app?
All in all - really really impressed, its no mean feat to bring something new to the task app space.
@scott_clennell Hey Scott! Thanks so much for your comment! Honored I got your first one (well, Marvin did). Super happy to hear you think Marvin is different, in a good way! :)
Definitely reach out after you have tried it some and share what is working and what isn't. We have a lot more things planned that will make the workflows even more flexible. It's always good for us to hear that kind of feedback so we can make Marvin better. I really hope we can find a workflow that is great for you! :) I don't give up on people! haha
- You are right, compared to other list apps Marvin is more expensive. Compared to time trackers and more complex project management tools, it is a great steal. :) Whether it is worth it depends on how much value you get out of it and we always say if another list apps works great for you, no reason to switch.
- There is a strategy called "Time Block Sections" That will section your daily todo list according to the time blocks in the calendar. You can then slot tasks into the sections. That is what you are looking for, right? BTW, there is a big update coming up for the time blocks along with the Calendar feature. We basically want to make the time blocks even smarter. So any requests and input on that is super welcome as we are working on that soon.
- Unfortunately, there is no bulk import yet. Very sorry! It's on our roadmap for the next few months though.
What an amazing app. I love everything. The design, the UX, the strategies.
I have tried many productivity apps and it seems nothing works for me... But Marvin seems different. Not too rigid, but not too flexible either.
I am hopeful I'll be able to tame my ADHD brain with Marvin's help. I'll post a review in a couple of weeks to say how it turned out. :)
@alexandra_martel Hey Alexandra! So happy to hear you love Marvin so far. Thanks for sharing! :)
That is exactly what we are going for: something flexible so you can make it work for you, but not too flexible so that you have some guiding principles to help with finding a good workflow and don't have to start from scratch. 👍
I will be doing some live demos soon that will go over the process of finding a good setup. Stay tuned! In the meantime always feel free to reach, happy to help.
Excited to hear how it's working for you! Best of success with it!
@alexandra_martel hehe nice! ;) Or you could schedule it directly to a day ~10 days in the future with a priority star if you don't want it to have a hard due date.
Two weeks ago, I decided to give Amazing Marvin a try.
Organizing myself and my schedule is THE biggest challenge in my life.
I have tried numerous tools to organize myself... Apps to manage tasks and projects, fancy calendars, journals (including the infamous bullet journal), ...
Name it; I've tried it. 📒🗓️📊
Nothing worked.
I could never stick with it for more than a few days.
And by "a few", I mean 4 days...
That was my personal record.
Here is the super-procrastinator-looking-for-a-solution-cycle :
1. Miss yet another deadline.
2. Find an amazing productivity app/tool/trick.
3. Use it for a couple of days.
4. Get overwhelmed.
5. Stop using the app/tool/trick.
As you can imagine, I was skeptical when I first met Marvin.
After having failed to regain control over my motivation and schedule so many times, using so many different tools, I kind of felt like a lost cause.
I was starting to believe I would have to deal with my random spurts of energy and multiple missed deadlines for the rest of my life.
Well. It's been two weeks, and Marvin and I are having a great time.
Actually, I've rarely been this productive. 🔥
What makes Marvin different, in my opinion, is its flexibility.
Since it's built on strategies, you don't feel like a failure when it does not work perfectly for you right at the start.
You can add strategies to your workflow slowly and get to know them.
A strategy does not work for you? Just deactivate it.
I also LOVE the masterlist, and especially the inbox.
I feel overwhelmed when I have to prioritize and organize everything immediately, which is often the case with productivity apps.
Now I just jot everything down, and prioritize things the next morning.
Now, I don't want to exaggerate...
Amazing Marvin is not a magic solution.
I did not become an amazingly productive person in just 14 days.
But I improved. A lot. 😉
And I'm confident I will keep getting better, since I still have many strategies to try out, and sticking with Marvin is so, so easy.
Exactly 14 days ago, when I started using the app, I entered this task in my masterlist:
"If you can see this, leave a review for Amazing Marvin on Product Hunt."
I had selected today as the due date, so Marvin started reminding me of the task a few days ago.
And since I'm on top of things this week, I had the time to write this great review, for a great product.
Give it a try! 😊
@alexandra_martel Alexandra! Thank you so much for this awesome review! 😊As someone with similar struggles it makes me so so happy to hear that Marvin has been helpful for you. You got a great mindset regarding the strategies! A lot more of those coming up, can't wait to have you try them! ;)
PS: I hope you will join us on our FB community group (Marvin will invite you after sign up) we talk about upcoming features and people share their tips and setups.
Really like the product :) Thinking of a lifetime subscription! Any coupon codes there haha?
Also, are you guys going to stick around the product for a while or do you plan to get acquired at some point? And if that happens, what happens to my lifetime subscription?
Thanks for your reply and good luck
@calvinginger We just chatted on our website, for anyone else wondering the same thing: Yes you can get a lifetime coupon too: use PHLIFE instead. 😊
And we have no plans on selling Marvin or even taking outside investment. We want to retain full control so we can build the best productivity tool out there with no compromises. I use Marvin every day and can't imagine my life without him. So in the rare event that we do sell our baby at some point, we would make an iron clad contract that Marvin has to remain available for users. So if they want to shut it down they have to open source it or similar.
Thanks! :)
Only just started a trial but so far, so very good. Smooth signup process, the training process (by using tasks already created) was smart. Genuinly excited to try the strategies and the timers are so handy. Good work people :)
Pros:Great sign up process, nice features lice timers and strategies, good value pricing and deals
Cons:None so far for me
Thanks for taking the time to review AM, Ian! Have fun exploring the strategies! ;)
Very happy with this
Pros:So many options you can customize it how ever you want
Cons:They don't have EVERY SINGLE option, even though they have so many more than every other productivity app.
Thanks so much for the review, Valerie! :) Any particular option you are missing? Write us anytime. We got tons of new options coming out within the next few months. 😊
I have tried so many productivity apps, and this one is fantastic. The best part is it can be whatever type of productivity app you want it to be.
@valerie_loveland Makes me so happy to hear that Marvin is working well for you, Valerie! :) Thanks for sharing.
Really excited to make Marvin even more flexible. Some really neat features coming up in the next few months.
I've came across marvin on reddit more than a year ago, and as usual for me decided to give it a go after being seduced by the product page arguments, but what tends to happen is very quickly i either get bored or the product doesn't deliver on what it promised, but Marvin was different, the "strategies" are really a game changer, and allow for trying many different workflows until you find the way that works for you, it makes it fun to use, and I also learned how the day planning approach would be efficient for me. To put it simply, Marvin has been amazing, and checks almost all the boxes for me, 1 year i've been using it and counting, and i'm sure it will only keep getting better!
Pros:the customization and strategies to beat procrastination is just unmatched by any other pm/todo tool I tried before.
Cons:lack of integrations up until the zapier integration a week ago, still a lot to do to improve how Marvin integrates with other tools
Thanks so much for that detailed review, Mehdi! 😊It makes me incredibly happy to hear that Marvin has been delivering on his promises for you. So glad to have you be part of the Marvin club and share your many great ideas with us on how to make Marvin better.
Might be right for others, but I went back to Todoist after a 30 day test.
Pros:- versatile - adapts to multiple productivity paradigms - multi-platform
Cons:- a bit confusing to use productivity systems that I already know how to use in other contexts
After trying a lot of apps, I finally found the perfect one for my use. The ability to customize the app with lots of strategies is fantastic: it's allowing me to delete procrastination. The app has nice UI, updates happen most likely every week and, last but not least, developers are so kind. Among all the apps available, Amazing Marvin is the best because it can give you tips and strategies to defeat everything that is harmful to everyone's productivity. Moreover, in Marvin there are many functions such as pomodoro technique, weekly review, time blocking and so on. All in one app! I can recommend this app to everyone and I can assure you that using it daily, you will find great benefits.
Pros:Customization, modularity, lots of useful strategies and functions, frequent updates.
Cons:None
Great app, the fact that its made by just two people is amazing
Pros:Highly customizable, surprisingly stable, with tons of useful, well-implemented features, this is the task manager to get.
Cons:Understating all the Strategies may be hard
I want to marry it. I have gotten enthusiastic about plenty of todo apps before, spent a long time setting them up, and then don't end up using them. Amazing Marvin actually made me stick with it and I actually have been more productive. Shocking.
Pros:Helps me hack my terrible brain
Cons:Literally none
Thanks so much for your review, Mya! I am soooo happy to hear you are more productive with Marvin. :) 💙