A Magic Alarm Clock That Stops Your Bedroom Doom Scrolling? (He Invented That Product)
Executive Summary
A Shopify Masters conversation with Matthew Hassett, founder of Loftie, maker of the Loftie alarm clock that the show says over 200,000 people own and that Wirecutter has picked for six years. He explains how Loftie began as an app to reduce screen time, why he pivoted to a physical product, why the alarm clock deserved to be unbundled from the phone, and what he looks for in funding. Sponsor: Shopify, which presents the show. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note covers the intro, the origin and pivot story, the alarm clock rationale, and the section on investors, and does not cover every part of the roughly 35 minute conversation. Sales and ranking claims are the guest's and the show's own and not independently checked. This is a business summary, not sleep or health advice.
Key Takeaways
Starting with an app
Matthew says he started Deliberate, an app that gave points for staying within a screen time budget, while an entrepreneur in residence at a design firm.
Why the app stalled
He says Apple made it hard for one app to see what others were doing and he feared a spiral of ever bigger rewards, so he pivoted.
A physical nudge
He says he decided to build a physical product that changes decisions through the environment, inspired by detox boxes in food.
Unbundling the alarm clock
He says phones absorbed the alarm clock in 2007, but the bedroom should not have a window open to texts and tweets.
The alarm clock reinvented
He says the alarm clock needed a modernisation, and that is what the Loftie clock is.
Demand outstrips funding
He says the biggest constraint has been funding enough units, even though demand is high.
A mission-driven investor
He says Loftie took one VC investor after years with none, a small sleep-focused fund led by a former Williams-Sonoma executive, and that he turned away models that would not be good for customers.
The Conversation Breakdown
Starting with an app
⏱ Untimed topicMatthew says he started Deliberate, an app that gave points for staying within a screen time budget, while an entrepreneur in residence at a design firm.
Why the app stalled
⏱ Untimed topicHe says Apple made it hard for one app to see what others were doing and he feared a spiral of ever bigger rewards, so he pivoted.
A physical nudge
⏱ Untimed topicHe says he decided to build a physical product that changes decisions through the environment, inspired by detox boxes in food.
Unbundling the alarm clock
⏱ Untimed topicHe says phones absorbed the alarm clock in 2007, but the bedroom should not have a window open to texts and tweets.
The alarm clock reinvented
⏱ Untimed topicHe says the alarm clock needed a modernisation, and that is what the Loftie clock is.
Demand outstrips funding
⏱ Untimed topicHe says the biggest constraint has been funding enough units, even though demand is high.
A mission-driven investor
⏱ Untimed topicHe says Loftie took one VC investor after years with none, a small sleep-focused fund led by a former Williams-Sonoma executive, and that he turned away models that would not be good for customers.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Unbundle the phone - Matthew's thesis
Take a single function out of the phone if it brings side effects.
Nudge through environment - his pivot rationale
Change behaviour by changing the surroundings, not by rewards.
Mission-aligned funding - his investor choice
Pick investors who share your mission and customer focus.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓List one phone function that causes distractions and test a standalone alternative.
- ✓Move your phone out of the bedroom for a week and note what changes.
- ✓Write the funding terms you would refuse because they would harm customers.
- ✓Check the sales and ranking claims from independent sources before repeating them.
Notable Quotes
“some things really deserve to be unbundled and taken out”
“the alarm clock needed a reinvention”
“I've pitched so many VCs and they all said no.”
The One Thing to Remember
Matthew says Loftie began as a screen-time app, became a physical alarm clock after he realised the phone should not sit in the bedroom, and stayed mission-led in its funding.