What it does
Lock In is a mobile app designed for self-improvement, focused on helping users build discipline, track habits, and achieve personal goals. It positions itself as a system to help users become the 'best version' of themselves, using a highly personalized onboarding quiz to diagnose issues with procrastination, focus, and motivation. Based on the user's answers, it generates a structured path and provides tools for tracking progress.
Where it shines
Lock In's primary strength is its intensive, psychology-driven onboarding. The flow is designed to build maximum user investment and motivation before presenting the core product. For example, it reframes the user's self-reported distractions into a stark long-term cost at 00:45, quantifying the price of inaction. Another standout moment is the 'Bad News' screen at 02:03, which creates a problem by negatively comparing the user to an average, only to immediately offer a solution with the 'Potential Results' screen at 02:08.
UX highlights
- Active Commitment: Instead of a simple confirmation button, the app requires users to type a full commitment phrase at 02:24. This small bit of friction increases psychological buy-in.
- Quantified Value: The onboarding consistently translates abstract feelings into concrete data, such as showing potential score improvements (02:08) or the lifetime cost of distractions (00:45).
- Credibility Stacking: The app builds trust by layering different types of social proof, from user testimonials (01:28) to academic backing from institutions like Harvard and UCL (01:26).
- Clean Data Visualization: Screens showing progress, like the results summary (02:06) and the potential improvements chart (02:08), use simple bar graphs and line charts that are easy to understand.
- Problem-First Framing: The entire experience is built on identifying and amplifying a user's pain points before ever showing a feature, making the eventual solution feel more essential.
- Detailed Symptom Diagnosis: The multi-select checklist for procrastination symptoms (01:37) adds a layer of clinical seriousness, making the app feel more like a diagnostic tool than a simple tracker.
Monetization & growth
Monetization is handled through a hard paywall presented at the very end of the long onboarding process (03:06). The app doesn't appear to offer a free trial in this flow. It presents two subscription options, Annual and Monthly, with the annual plan heavily discounted and framed as a price per week to make it seem more affordable. The entire onboarding process acts as a sales funnel, building value and motivation to maximize conversion at this final step.
Who it’s for
Lock In is targeted at individuals feeling stuck, unproductive, or lacking discipline, likely in the 18-30 age range. The language and goals focus on turning one's life around, improving health, finances, and mentality. It's for users who are actively seeking a structured, coach-like system and are willing to invest time and money into a guided self-improvement process.
Notes & opportunities
The onboarding is exceptionally long, which could be a point of friction for users with low initial intent. While it effectively builds investment, it also risks a high drop-off rate. The 'Bad News' framing at 02:03, while powerful, could also feel discouraging to some users. An opportunity could be to offer a 'lite' version of the app or a small, free tool to demonstrate value earlier for users who are not ready to complete the full quiz.