The pitch
Work alongside someone else, in silence, each on your own thing.
What actually happened
It is embarrassingly effective. Saying out loud "I am going to do my taxes for the next hour" to another human creates just enough social gravity to start. No productivity system has ever made me start. This does.
The honest caveats
- Booking a session is itself a task. I missed about a third of them.
- It does not work at my worst. On shutdown days, the call is one demand too many.
Verdict
Worked. Best tool I have for starting, worst for my lowest days.