Key Facts
- ✓ Shimmer was founded in 2022 following a co-founder's adult ADHD diagnosis.
- ✓ The company has facilitated over 80,000 coaching sessions since its inception.
- ✓ Indy distinguishes between 'cool' executive function (planning) and 'hot' executive function (emotional regulation).
- ✓ The app tracks wins, effort, and insights separately to validate progress even on difficult days.
- ✓ Shimmer positions Indy as an affordable alternative to expensive weekly human coaching.
A New Tool for ADHD Management
Shimmer, a health technology company, has officially launched Indy, a new application designed to assist adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The app aims to bridge the gap between knowing what needs to be done and actually executing those tasks consistently.
The launch comes from a company deeply familiar with the challenges of neurodiversity. Founded in 2022 following a personal adult ADHD diagnosis, Shimmer has spent years iterating on support systems. They have previously deployed 1:1 coaching, web tools, and AI-assisted coaching, accumulating data from over 80,000 coaching sessions.
Through this extensive experience, the team identified a specific constraint that existing tools failed to address. While many apps focus on execution or general advice, few successfully support the user through the fluctuating nature of attention, motivation, and emotional state.
Bridging the 'Cool' and 'Hot' Gap
The core philosophy behind Indy is rooted in a distinction found in psychological literature: the difference between "cool" executive function and "hot" executive function. "Cool" executive function involves future-oriented planning, direction, and values. In contrast, "hot" executive function deals with in-the-moment emotions, urgency, impulse, and overwhelm.
Most productivity applications lean heavily into managing the "cool" side by pushing execution. General chatbots often provide advice but fail to account for the emotional context. Shimmer observed that neither approach reliably supports the interaction between these two modes over weeks and months.
Indy was built specifically to support both aspects simultaneously. It functions as an AI support system that adapts to the user's current state while keeping long-term goals in view. This dual approach aims to prevent the common cycle of starting strong and losing momentum when emotional states fluctuate.
"The harder problem is actually doing it consistently over time, especially when attention, motivation, and emotional state fluctuate."
"The harder problem is actually doing it consistently over time, especially when attention, motivation, and emotional state fluctuate."
— Chris, Co-founder of Shimmer
How Indy Works
The application utilizes several key features to provide continuous support. The process begins with Guided Future Mapping, where users create a structured map of meaningful past experiences, current priorities, and upcoming future moments. This serves as the foundation for personalization, ensuring that daily actions align with broader goals.
Users engage in daily and weekly check-ins via low-friction chat flows. A popular use case involves users "brain dumping" their priorities, after which Indy helps sort and organize them. Crucially, the system does not enforce a rigid routine; instead, it adapts prompts based on prior behavior, acknowledging that linear progress is rare.
Over time, the app surfaces longitudinal insights. It identifies patterns in effort, focus, and blockers, helping users counter the common ADHD experience of forgetting what works or feeling like nothing has changed. When a user feels stuck, the app offers problem-solving prompts to identify barriers—such as energy levels, clarity, or environmental factors—and narrow the focus to a concrete next step.
- Guided Future Mapping: Aligns daily actions with long-term goals.
- Adaptive Check-ins: Sorts priorities without enforcing strict routines.
- Pattern Recognition: Surfaces trends in effort and blockers over time.
- Effort Tracking: Wins and insights are tracked separately from objective outcomes.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence
Shimmer utilizes Artificial Intelligence to solve two main problems: affordability and personalization. While continuous human support is often preferred, it remains cost-prohibitive for many, even with weekly coaching sessions. AI allows for a level of support that is accessible to a wider audience.
Furthermore, AI enables a system to maintain continuity and respond to context without relying on static templates. However, the developers acknowledge the challenge of preventing the AI from collapsing into generic advice or productivity pressure.
To mitigate this, Shimmer views Indy's AI as a tool for scaffolding and capacity-building. It is designed to support reflection and accountability while keeping agency firmly with the user. The company emphasizes clear boundaries around non-medical use, positioning the app as a support tool rather than a replacement for professional care.
Availability and Feedback
Indy is currently available to try for free, representing Shimmer's latest step in applying AI to applied behavioral health. The company is actively soliciting feedback from the community to refine the user experience and effectiveness of the tool.
They are particularly interested in hearing from individuals building in the applied AI space or those living with ADHD. Feedback focuses on the onboarding process, the user experience, and how the app compares to other tools currently on the market.
By addressing the specific friction points of ADHD management—specifically the interplay between planning and emotional execution—Shimmer hopes to provide a nuanced, supportive resource for a community often underserved by generic productivity software.
