In today’s fast-paced digital world, staying informed without feeling overwhelmed is a significant challenge. Enter Tidyread, a revolutionary AI-powered information summary tool that promises to transform the way we consume content. Launched by Jared, the visionary founder, Tidyread is designed with love and a deep understanding of the struggles faced by individuals, especially those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
“Hello Product Hunt friends , we are excited to introduce Tidyread to you all, which we have crafted with love ,” Jared announced enthusiastically on Product Hunt. His personal battle with ADHD drove the development of Tidyread, aiming to combat the distractions and anxiety caused by an endless stream of information.
Jared shared his personal story, highlighting the unique challenges he faced. “Algorithmic recommendations exploit my vulnerabilities, triggering FOMO and catering to my impulses, which leaves me feeling out of control and overwhelmed,” he explained.
Traditional RSS readers provided a partial solution, but they introduced new issues like truncated summaries, the psychological burden of catching up on accumulated content, and the overwhelming torrent of information from multiple subscriptions.
Diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Jason constantly grappled with maintaining focus, often feeling bombarded by the relentless flow of information.
His story is one of turning personal struggles into innovative solutions, culminating in the creation of Tidyread, an AI-powered information summary tool designed to help people read more efficiently.
From his school days, Jason’s attention deficits were evident. “I often got distracted easily, especially by sounds,” Jason recalls.
In high school, he even requested to wear headphones during exams to filter out distractions, once resorting to covering his ear with one hand during a critical college entrance exam. This struggle to maintain focus left him feeling deprived of essential information and overwhelmed.
After graduating from university, Jason joined Netease, a prominent Chinese internet company, as a front-end developer. Surrounded by exceptionally talented colleagues, he often felt outpaced by their rapid exchanges and intricate thought processes.
This environment intensified his information anxiety, propelling him to seek ways to manage his symptoms and optimize his information intake.
Jason initially turned to meditation and psychological practices, but these were not enough. He began experimenting with news apps to expand his information sources, only to find their algorithmic recommendations aggravating his ADHD symptoms.
“The apps often exploited my weaknesses, triggering FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and leaving me feeling out of control and frustrated,” he explains.
Discovering and Leveraging RSS Feeds
Jason’s breakthrough came with the discovery of RSS (Really Simple Syndication). Unlike traditional news apps, RSS allowed him to aggregate information without ads or algorithmic interference. He started with popular RSS reading services like Jike, Feedly, and Inoreader, but soon realized that these tools also had limitations.
“Many sources only provided titles or truncated summaries, forcing me to click through to see if it was content I wanted,” Jason notes. “Often, I would realize halfway through that it wasn’t, which wasted my time.”
Despite these setbacks, Jason persevered. He built his own RSS-based information retrieval system, using tools like rsshub, rsshub radar, freshrss, fluent reader, and unread.
This system gave him more control over his information intake but also presented new challenges, such as accumulating unread articles and the psychological burden of managing them.
The advent of ChatGPT and OpenAI’s API opened new possibilities for Jason. In March 2023, he spent a weekend writing a script that fetched a specified list of RSS feeds, summarized them using the OpenAI API, generated a Markdown list, and pushed it to his company’s group via webhook. “On Monday at 9 AM, I manually triggered the program, and it sparked a lively discussion in the frontend group,” he recalls.
The tool quickly gained popularity among his colleagues, leading Jason to refactor the code to support multiple topics. The tool became a company routine, significantly reducing his information anxiety. “Apart from social media, I only needed to read Readhub (a tech news digest service) in the morning and my information digest at 9:30 AM, which almost eliminated my information anxiety for the day,” he explains.
Turning an Idea into a Product
Six months later, Jason faced a career crossroads. Due to funding issues, his company had to downsize, giving him the opportunity to pursue his passion project full-time. “I followed my heart and transitioned from a novice leader to an indie developer noob,” Jason says.
He took a month off and then began researching and discussing ideas with friends. By December, he had designed the first version of his MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Developing a Raycast extension, Jason created a tool that could subscribe to RSS feeds and generate AI summaries into a daily digest. This initial version received positive feedback and sparked interest from users.
Recognizing the limitations of the Raycast extension, Jason decided to develop a more robust browser extension. He formed a team of seven, including three developers and four operations staff, and joined the Chuhaiqu Accelerator. By late April, they introduced the MVP version of the Tidyread Chrome extension, and on May 5, it passed the Chrome Web Store review.
With over 300 users and growing, Jason and his team are now seeking angel users globally. “If you face information anxiety, information overload, or inefficient news reading, Tidyread might be for you,” Jason says. The first 100 beta users will receive a lifetime discount, and all participants will get 1 million free tokens.
The Tidyread Solution
To address these pain points, Jared and his partners developed an ADHD-friendly reader that benefits everyone seeking to manage their information intake effectively. Tidyread’s standout features include:
AI-Powered Summarization: Tidyread uses advanced AI to filter, summarize, and translate interesting sources, delivering a daily digest that helps users maintain a reading routine.
Comprehensive Filtering: Combining powerful AI with traditional filters, Tidyread ensures users only receive content that truly interests them.
Customizable Flexibility: Users can pause Tidyread at any level—be it the entire tool, a specific topic, or a particular source.
Tailored Content: The platform allows users to plan topics and customize summary prompts, offering a more personalized reading experience.
Efficient Reading Mode: Designed to keep the reading flow smooth and uninterrupted.
Additionally, Tidyread is cost-effective, with features that minimize unnecessary AI usage and allow for dynamic prompt adjustments to handle large content efficiently.
The Product Hunt community has warmly embraced Tidyread. Amadike Mezieuzor praised the tool, saying, “This application is durable and helps humanity, making hectic jobs easier and faster.” Business Marketing with Nika appreciated Tidyread’s potential to enhance her engagement with her growing community without solely relying on AI-generated comments.
Jared responded to user feedback with enthusiasm, addressing questions about the tool’s functionality and promising further improvements. “Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that you find Tidyread amazing and that it resonates with your needs,” Jared replied to Amadike Mezieuzor.
To celebrate their launch, Tidyread offers a custom Product Hunter Recipe. Users can remix it to receive a filtered and summarized product inspiration digest daily, or they can customize their exclusive digest.