Student Creates ADHD App After Workplace Struggles

Alex Hines spent two hours on his couch knowing he needed to brush his teeth but unable to make himself move. That moment of ADHD paralysis became the spark for an app now helping people conquer task initiation, one of ADHD's toughest challenges.

The Western Washington University student launched VibeCheckList last fall after two years of research and interviews. The app works like an affordable personal assistant, using mood-based suggestions to help users figure out what to tackle first on their to-do lists.

"Even if it just reduces five minutes of friction a day by helping figure out what to do first, it can really help people feel more confident and move forward faster," said Hines, who is studying software development and ethical entrepreneurship.

Hines discovered his own ADHD while working at a Vancouver trading startup after leaving college at 18. He'd graduated high school at 16 and dove into computer engineering, but undiagnosed ADHD made school difficult even as his career took off.

At the startup, he built and led the development team for two years. But he wanted to use his tech skills for something more meaningful, which led him back to school at WWU and into researching his own ADHD experience.

The timing proved perfect. His childhood passion for machine learning and software development, combined with his personal struggles, gave him exactly the insight needed to build something helpful.

The Ripple Effect

What started as a solution for ADHD is reaching further than Hines expected. Users without ADHD are finding VibeCheckList helpful for managing overwhelming to-do lists, proving that tools designed for accessibility often benefit everyone.

Hines worked on the app through WWU's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, where he conquered his presentation anxiety by giving a talk about presentation anxiety. That first laugh from the audience showed him the impossible was possible.

Version two of the app just launched with an improved interface based on months of user feedback. Hines credits a high school entrepreneurship class at the University of British Columbia for teaching him to see problems as opportunities for solutions.

"I am not only a happier person now that I think about the world this way, but I also see ways to solve problems that previously felt insurmountable," he said.

Hines plans to graduate in December, turning personal struggle into a tool that helps others move forward when paralysis sets in.