ZenScreen - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

I have a degree in electrical engineering but for the last 10 years I have worked as a CEO and Head of Product Management. There are two other co-founders at ZenLabs who are both very technical and hands-on coders.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

I would say that technically, the most challenging part of the app is to make sure that we can provide accurate usage information from all users' devices in a way that is efficient for the battery and the network. Another aspect of the challenge is related to user behavior, as we are trying to change user habits (often bad habits), and that is not always easy to do.

_{Nitin Bhandari}

Nitin Bhandari, Co-Founder, and CEO of ZenScreen, has a Masters degree from Caltech and has built technology products for almost 20 years. Nitin has 12 patents granted and three pending. He previously co-founded another startup called Skyfire that was acquired by Opera Software in 2013. Nitin is a father of two kids and is passionate about helping people balance their screen time to improve health and happiness.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

Google Maps because it provides accurate and fast search and directions. Twitter as it educates me every day on new topics that I want to learn about. Slack for efficient workplace communication. HeadSpace and Calm for mindful moments and meditation.

How long have you been working on this app?

We have been working on the app for 15 months now and have been testing for a few months, learning from user feedback and improving the app and the service. We have apps on Android, iOS and Chrome.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

Users are often aware they overuse their devices and spend too much time in front of screens. We want to provide them an easy and effective way to balance and reduce their screen time.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

ZenScreen is the only app that not only lets you take manual actions but also has an intelligent assistant that will give users mini-breaks from screen usage throughout the day, as needed. It's also the only app that works on both iOS and laptops/PCs seamlessly, connecting all user devices.

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

We will continue to build more powerful assistant capabilities that can help users get the most out of their screen time.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

We always love to hear from our users. So please try the app, send us comments and ideas at [email protected], and rate us in the Play Store if you like the app (we get lots of positive energy from that)!