Direction
One promise, five situations, one set of words
Decided with Andrej on 18 Oct 2026. Everyone who writes, designs or sells for StartKick works from this chapter. Where an older chapter below disagrees, this one wins.
Who it's for
People who keep putting off something they want or need to do.
What they get, in this order
- What's stopping you: what tends to get in your way, and what to try next. Free.
- One small first step for a real task. Free.
- A coach and a 28-day plan to keep going. Paid: 3 days free, then $29 for the first year, then $59 a year.
Five situations
Each one is a home-page card, a quiz entry and an ad angle.
| Situation (their words) | What they want | Our line | Quiz entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| “I want to make a change, but I haven’t started.” | Understand what’s in the way, take a first step | Find what’s stopping you—and where to start. | ?context=change |
| “There’s too much to do.” | Shrink it to one action | You don’t need the whole plan today. Start with one small step. | ?context=too_much |
| “I keep looking for advice instead of acting.” | Stop second-guessing, pick an action | Less advice to sort through. One clear next step. | ?context=overthinking |
| “I start, then stop.” | Keep going after motivation fades | A small start. Support to keep going. | ?context=restart |
| “Plans never seem to fit my life.” | A way forward that fits | Start with what works for you—not what you think you should do. | ?context=fit |
Words: one name per thing
Everywhere users read: site, quiz, app, mails, ads and store listings. Internal ids and event names stay as they are. The right-hand column is replaced and no longer used.
| Use | Instead of |
|---|---|
| What's stopping you (the result), explained as “What tends to get in your way—and what to try next.” The result has no label of its own (22 Oct). | Start Snapshot, or any other label for the result (see Words we avoid) |
| first step / next step / today’s step | First Move, move, Your move, Get my move |
| 28-day plan | Your path, 28-Day Start Reset, 7-Day Start Reset |
| Your goal | Big Move, Big Start |
| Easier reading | Low-friction mode |
| What worked | What works for you, What Worked |
| 2-minute check | 16 questions, 3 minutes |
| Coach | Personal Coach, Coach Plus |
About
What StartKick is, in one breath
A small web app for people who keep putting off something they want or need to do. It shows what tends to get in your way, then gives you one small first step to start with.
Promise
Know what's stopping you. Find your next step.
Not a habit tracker, not a to-do app, not a coach, not a diagnosis. The gap between knowing and starting is the whole product.
Strategic thesis
You don't need more motivation. You need a start that fits.
Most advice assumes you can't be bothered. Most people care so much the first step gets huge.
Replaced on 18 Oct
The category line "A personal starting system" and the promise "Understand what stops you. Find your way into action." are history. The promise on the left is the first line of the brand now.
Who it's for
Working adults 30–55, both genders: managers and specialists with the report open since 9:00, founders and freelancers, parents who put everyone else first. People who have tried every app. People who are neurodivergent and people who have never thought about it.
How it works
- See what's stopping you. A free 2-minute check shows what tends to get in your way, and what to try next. One of six, shown as a hypothesis, with the answers that led to it. It describes how starting goes for you right now, not who you are.
- Take one small step. Free. Type the task you keep putting off, say how much time and energy you have, and get one small first step to start it. Before any payment.
- Keep going. A coach and a 28-day plan (paid; 3 days free, cancel in one tap): a short session each day, a quiet timer, Habit Builder, Your goal, Capture notes, lessons and calming resets, Tonight and Bedtime Kick, Co-op (work next to a friend), XP and ten levels, three games, What worked memory, reminders, Easier reading, a personal report.
Six ways people get stuck
| Name | One line | Strength | What gets in the way | How you start best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Standard-Setter replaces The High-Stakes Start | You start when you know you can do it well. | You care about quality, and people can tell. | The first step has to be good, so it waits. | A rough first version, on a timer. |
| The Juggler replaces The Crowded Start | You keep a lot of plates in the air. | You hold a lot together, for a lot of people. | With everything open, nothing gets to go first. | Pick one. Park the rest on paper. |
| The Protector replaces The Heavy Start | You steer around what feels uncomfortable. | You see risk early and keep things calm. | The unpleasant task keeps moving to later. | The smallest, least scary piece first. |
| The Spark replaces The Flat Start | You light up at the start of something new. | New ideas and fast starts come easily. | Once it turns routine, the energy drops. | Short bursts, with something new in each. |
| The Strategist replaces The Foggy Start | You think it through before you move. | You see the whole picture and plan well. | More planning feels like progress, so the first action waits. | Decide the next action, not the next plan. |
| The Powerhouse replaces The Drained Start | You get a lot done, and you’re running low. | You show up, for work and for other people. | There’s no energy left for your own task. | Five minutes, at your best time of day. |
produkt/pattern-profiles-2026-10-18.md.Why StartKick
Five things the apps people already tried don't do
From the product teardown of 19 competitors and 2,947 App Store reviews (3 Oct 2026). Each claim below is checkable.
Value before payment
A real result (what's stopping you) and a real first step on your real task, free. Liven and Brainway give nothing before the paywall; "pay before seeing value" is one of the top complaints in the category.
3 days free. Cancel in one tap.
We remind you before your plan renews. Billing traps, renewals and cancellation are the number one complaint in 1–3 star reviews of the category (about a quarter of hand-coded complaints), so the terms are said up front and cancelling takes one tap.
It finds what stops you, not just the steps
Goblin Tools and a free chat split a task. StartKick shows what keeps you from starting it, then fits the step to it. "No blank prompt."
Works in the browser, on any device
No app store, no install, no lost data when the native app crashes (the number two complaint). Phone in the evening, desktop at work.
Built for working adults. No diagnosis.
Competitors reach 18–34 and mostly women with clinical vocabulary. StartKick speaks to 35–55 at work, both genders, and gives no diagnosis: the result is just how you tend to start. Easier reading serves people who need less on screen.
Side by side
| Capability | StartKick | Liven, Brainway (quiz funnels) | Goblin Tools | Tiimo, Inflow (ND apps) | Free chat (ChatGPT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable output free, before paying | what's stopping you + first step | labels only, no action | all tools | trial then subscription | yes |
| Names how you get stuck | six ways people get stuck, explained | long quiz, generic plan | no | no | only if you ask well |
| One small physical first step | yes | no | partly (steps) | no | if prompted |
| Dated plan, timer, memory of what worked | 28-day plan, quiet timer, What worked | daily lessons | no | planner | no memory of the loop |
| Money model | 3 days free, then 29 the first year and 59 a year after; cancel in one tap | intro price then auto-renew (€39.99–52.29 a month) | free; Pro $3/mo | $54–96 a year | free |
| Medical vocabulary in the pitch | none | heavy (CBT, "executive dysfunction") | "neurospicy", ADHD | heavy (ADHD) | n/a |
| Platform | web, any device | iOS + web funnel | web, iOS, Android | iOS/Android | web, apps |
The package
What 29 buys
3 days free. Then 29 for the first year and 59 a year after that, in USD, EUR or GBP by location. Cancel in one tap. We remind you before your plan renews.
Free, before paying
- The 2-minute check: what's stopping you
- One small first step on your real task
- Your result by email, so you can come back
- Instant first step for a task, no quiz (startkick.app/start)
- Two daily puzzles, Steps and Ladder, at startkick.app/games, and Boss Mode at startkick.app/boss: no account
- Chrome extension "StartKick: First Step": five first steps a day, live in the Chrome Web Store since 21 Oct
With the yearly plan, 3 days free (as live on 21 Oct)
- Your full report on what's stopping you and a personal guide written from your answers
- First steps for any task, whenever you ask (fair use)
- 28-day plan: a short session each day, sized to the time you have; a quiet timer
- Coach: listens first, then one small step; 30 messages a month, a pack of 500 for $5; it knows what's stopping you, your habits, goal and notes
- Habit Builder: up to three habits at once, fix or build, 60 days each
- Your goal: one bigger goal, broken into steps you can see
- Capture: notes with the time, each with "Talk it out with your coach"
- 28 lessons and calming resets in the Toolkit
- Tonight and Bedtime Kick: tomorrow's first step before bed, a wind-down, a buddy who nudges you
- Co-op: work next to a friend or a stranger in a live session, with chat, joint tasks and joint habits; invite a friend for one free session
- XP and ten levels, a 30-day leaderboard under nicknames and the club at level 10 (no streak nags, no pushes about points)
- Games: the daily puzzles Steps and Ladder, and Boss Mode; levels count them too
- Refer a friend, get $10, after the friend's first paid year
- What worked memory; Easier reading: bigger text, one decision at a time
- Help & ideas: a human answers
Voice
Say less. Mean more.
StartKick sounds like a calm, bright person who notices the real friction and doesn't need a long motivational speech.
| Dimension | StartKick is | StartKick is not |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | calmly decisive | hyperactive, "hustle" |
| Intelligence | clear, practical | clinical or academic |
| Empathy | respectful, normalising | pitying or saccharine |
| Authority | explains the mechanism | proclaims miracle results |
| Humour | light and rare | sarcastic about the user |
| Action | one doable thing | a long list of tips |
The structure of almost every message
1. Recognition
"You've been thinking about it all day. You still haven't started."
2. Reframe
"This isn't about being lazy. The first step is too big."
3. Action
"Open the document. Write one rough heading."
Words we use
start, stuck, first step, next step, what's stopping you, task, clear, smaller, lighter, try, notice, choose, what worked, right now. Supporting lines: A start that fits. Make it smaller. Lower the pressure. Find a way in. You can stop after the first step.
Words we avoid
unlock your potential, transform your life, crush your goals, rewire your brain, fix yourself, eliminate procrastination, life-changing, scientifically engineered, lazy, broken, normal brain, superpower, AI-powered journey, revolutionary. Creator jargon ("wall of awful", "doom pile"): buyers don't say it. "Start Pattern" (retired 22 Oct 2026: say what's stopping you).
Lines that are fixed
| Promise | Know what's stopping you. Find your next step. |
| Supporting line | You don't need more motivation. You need a start that fits. |
| Primary CTA | Find my next step |
| Under the main button | 2 minutes. Free. No card needed. |
| Activation CTA | Get my free first step |
| After a step | I did it |
| Price card | $29 for your first year (regular $59). Then $59 a year. |
| Price line | 3 days free. Then $29 for your first year, $59 a year after that. Cancel anytime in one tap. Tax included. |
| Trust line | 3 days free. Cancel in one tap. We remind you before your plan renews. |
| Instead of "not a diagnosis" | No diagnosis. Just how you tend to start. (19 Oct; replaces "No labels") |
Tone by surface
| Surface | Job | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad | catch a recognisable moment | "You've opened the document three times. You still haven't written a word." | "Discover the revolutionary productivity solution." |
| Landing | reframe the problem | "This may not be a motivation problem." | "Take control of your productivity journey." |
| Quiz | get honest answers | "What usually happens when you try to start?" | "How badly does procrastination damage your life?" |
| Result | recognition, not verdict | "What's stopping you: The Strategist." | "You are a Strategist." / "Our AI has diagnosed…" |
| Paywall | transparent | "3 days free. Cancel in one tap." | "Only $0.49 a day" / a countdown |
| Error | no blame | "That didn't load. Try again." | "Invalid user input." |
| Support | short, warm, accountable | "You're right, this should have been clearer. Here's what happened." | "We apologize for any inconvenience." |
Visual identity
Loud outside, calm inside
Klein blue carries the brand in ads and on the landing page. Inside the app the page is paper, blue is for actions and structure, orange is a dot. One light theme; the brand has no dark mode.
Colours
Proportion on a typical app screen
Type
Atkinson Hyperlegible Next for everything; Atkinson Hyperlegible Mono for labels and code. Chosen for legibility, including for people who find reading hard. Base 18 px in the app; nothing under 15 px.
Logo
The wordmark is a logo, not a font
Never set text in the retro lettering. "StartKick" in running text is plain Atkinson, capital S and K.
Unchanged
No stretching, recolouring, outlines, shadows, gradients or effects. Clear space around it at least the height of the S.
One primary action per screen
Full-width pill buttons on phones, 56 px high, targets at least 44 px. Klein with cream text on paper; cream with ink text on Klein.
Flat, friendly, legible
Corners 16 px on cards, 20 px on the first-step card, pills for buttons and tags. 2 px borders, no drop shadows, no gradients.
No faces on the six
The marks for the six names are abstract: cream for friction, one orange element for the start. Photos of people only in articles and ads, never as illustrations of one of the six.
Easier reading
Bigger text, orange off, no descriptions, no motion. If a screen doesn't work without colour, it doesn't work.
Claims and rules
What anyone may and may not say
Applies to the team, partners, creators and ads. Most of it is law in the US and UK; the rest keeps the domain out of the health category so ads keep working.
| Allowed, because true | Never |
|---|---|
| 3 days free. Cancel in one tap. We remind you before your plan renews. | describing StartKick as an ADHD app or for any condition; "adhd" in links, codes or our own pages (partners may talk about their own diagnosis) |
| The price line, word for word: "3 days free. Then $29 for your first year, $59 a year after that. Cancel anytime in one tap. Tax included." | treats, manages, cures, diagnoses, screens or tests for any condition |
| A free first step before paying | "find your procrastination type", "take the test", "diagnosis" |
| The result is a hypothesis, not a label | outcome numbers we haven't published; before-and-after |
| Not a medical, diagnostic or therapeutic tool | replacing therapy, medication or professional help |
| "neurodivergent" about people, when relevant and voluntary | "designed for neurodivergent people" (identity claim about the product) |
| Works in the browser on phone and desktop | "science-backed", "clinically proven", "designed by psychologists" |
| Your honest experience, in your own words | invented testimonials, fake reviews, countdowns, "today only"; "pay once", "no subscription", "7-day refund", a crossed-out price |
Product photos
The product, framed
Forty-one compositions from live screenshots, phone and desktop: thirty captured on 19 Oct, eleven on 21 Oct for Co-op, levels, Habit Builder, the Toolkit and the games. Ready for the partner library, listings, press and social. Files in brand/produkt-foto/out/; the same set is in the Drive kit and the Affonso creative library.
Assets
Where the files are
| Asset | Location | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Logo, SVG (horizontal, stacked, mark, on light) | brand/logo/ | PNG exports in brand/zagon/logotip-png/ |
| App icons, favicon, OG image | brand/zagon/splet/ | Stripe branding files in brand/zagon/stripe/ |
| Marks for the six names | brand/vzorci/ | transparent for Klein; tile versions for light backgrounds |
| Product photos (41: 30 from 19 Oct, 11 from 21 Oct) | brand/produkt-foto/out/ | 1200×1500 phone, 1600×1000 desktop; compose.js rebuilds from manifest.json |
| Raw screenshots | brand/produkt-foto/src/, brand/zasloni/ | dated folders |
| Design tokens and CGP page | brand/cgp/startkick-cgp.html | contrast table, do and don't gallery |
| Tone of voice (full) | startkick-ton.md | Slovene with English examples |
| Positioning brief | startkick-pozicija.md, startkick-produktni-brief.md | Andrej, 1 Oct |
| Partner Playbook | affiliate/03-playbook.html + PDF | partner-facing subset of this book |
| Ad creatives | brand/oglasi/2026-10-02/, brand/oglasi/2026-10-18/ | 6 concepts (2 Oct); 8 statics in three sizes + 6 typographic videos in the 18 Oct language, approved 19 Oct; Boss Mode statics wait for a yes |
| Games and Boss Mode | web/app/games/, produkt/boss-mode/, produkt/daily/ | live at startkick.app/games and /boss; pixel art for Boss Mode, paper look for the puzzles |
Owner
Andrej Sinkovič, founder
Questions about the brand, permission to use the name or logo, press. hello@startkick.app