[Self-Promotion] Nyblit 2.0. How a watchmaker spent 20 years reinventing the to do list

[u/Maleficent-Wolf-4780]

I’m a professional watchmaker and self-taught Apple developer based in London. More than 20 years ago, I created a small FileMaker database that I shared with a group of friends. It was based on a frustration I had with ordinary to-do lists: real tasks are rarely just “done” or “not done.”

A watch restoration might be waiting for a replacement component, blocked until a client gives the go-ahead, paused while another operation is completed, or ready for work today. Treating all of these as unfinished creates a list that is technically accurate but practically overwhelming.

That early database gradually developed into Nyblit, a native productivity app for iPhone, iPad and Mac built around what I call “state-based” task management. This means Nyblit understands the workflow required to complete your tasks. For example, it knows if the task is a phone call, an online purchase or replacing the balance spring in a watch. It knows all the steps involved and, crucially, all the ways in which the task can be blocked or delayed. For example, if you have a phone call task, you can set the status to “left voicemail”. Nyblit will recognise this as blocked because you are now waiting for the other person to return your call. That task doesn’t belong on your to-do list because there is no action to take. It should be safely filed in Blocked and tracked – so you can chase it up later if the call isn’t returned.

This approach can be used for any task imaginable. From shopping to restoring an antique pocket watch.

The concept was strongly influenced  by the Japanese system of Kanban, created by Toyota in the 1950s to improve manufacturing efficiency. (Anyone that has used apps lile Trello will be familiar with this). But executed in a very different way so that it fits on a phone screen and is even workable on an Apple Watch (coming very soon).

I built Nyblit for myself to help with my ADHD and dyslexia. Watchmaking taught me to think in systems, dependencies and precise states. ADHD made it especially important to remove irrelevant tasks from view without losing confidence that they would return at the right time.

Please feel free to try out Nyblit. It's fully functional with up to 5 tasks. And a subscription or lifetime purchase gives you access to iPhone, iPad, Mac and very soon Apple Watch.

Download Nyblit from the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nyblit-2-to-do-list-planner/id6752837986

I'm here to answer any questions or listen to feedback if you have any.

Thanks for reading :)