NoRush
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NoRush for software developers

An ADHD task manager for software developers

You opened the docs to check one function. Twenty minutes later you are reading about a framework you do not use. NoRush keeps the ticket you were on in the corner of every tab.

By Yasoob, founder of NoRush Updated How we write and check this

In short

NoRush is a Chrome extension that keeps your current task and timer in a floating bubble on every website, including docs, pull requests, issue trackers and cloud consoles. Alt+K captures a stray thought as a task without switching tabs, and Meeting Mode hides everything during standups and screen shares.

Why development work is hard with ADHD

Programming needs long stretches of held context, and the job delivers the opposite: chat pings, review requests, build failures. In a well-known study, interrupted people worked faster to compensate and reported more stress and frustration.1

Each switch also leaves part of your attention behind on the previous task.2 For a developer, that residue is the mental model you just spent thirty minutes building.

Then there is the browser itself. Documentation, Stack Overflow and the issue tracker all sit one tab away from everything else on the internet.

Where it gets hard

  • Losing the thread. You come back from a ping and cannot remember what you were about to do.
  • Yak shaving. Fixing the linter config to fix the build to fix the bug you were asked about.
  • Tickets with no first step. "Refactor auth" sits untouched for a sprint.
  • Hyperfocus on the fun part. A perfect helper function, and the pull request still not opened.

A day with NoRush

One possible day, as an example.

  1. 9:40 AMNew tab shows one thing: "Fix login redirect bug", next step "reproduce it locally".
  2. 9:45 AMStart 45 minutes. The bubble follows you to the docs, the issue and the pull request.
  3. 10:05 AMYou notice a flaky test. Alt+K, "look at flaky checkout test", Shift+Enter. Saved to Later. You stay on the bug.
  4. 10:30 AMStandup. Meeting Mode asks once, then hides the bubble, the badge and your task list while you share your screen.
  5. 2:15 PMA ticket says "refactor auth". You ask for 4 to 6 steps and start with "list every place the old token is read".
  6. 5:30 PMThe bubble asks if you finished. You did. A card flips, and this one is Rare. Finishing every step raised the odds.

The features that matter most for software developers

  • The bubble answers "what was I doing?" on whatever tab you are in.
  • Alt+K captures the side quest so you do not go on it.
  • Meeting Mode for standups, pairing and demos.
  • Breakdown runs on the AI built into Chrome, on your machine.

Three things that help, with or without NoRush

  • Write the next line before you stop. Leave a comment saying exactly what to do next. Getting back in is far cheaper.
  • Batch your reviews. Two set times a day beats twelve interruptions.
  • Time-box investigation. "30 minutes on this, then ask someone" stops a two-day rabbit hole.

Where NoRush is not the right tool

The bubble appears in the browser, not in your IDE or terminal. NoRush does not sync with Jira, Linear or GitHub Issues. You add the ticket you are working on yourself, which takes a few seconds with Alt+K.

See if it fits the way software developers work

NoRush is free for 7 days with every feature included. No sign-up and no card.

Add to Chrome, free for 7 days

Questions people ask

Does NoRush read my code or the pages I open?

No. It does not read page content. It needs access to websites only to draw the bubble and command bar. The privacy policy lists each permission and its purpose.

Is my task data sent to a server?

Not unless you sign in. Without an account, everything stays in your browser on your computer. If you sign in, a copy is kept with your account so your tasks follow you to your other devices, and you can turn that off.

Does it work in Edge or Brave?

It is built and tested for Chrome and works in Microsoft Edge. Other Chromium browsers can usually install Chrome extensions, but we have not tested them.

Sources

  1. Mark G, Gudith D, Klocke U (2008). The cost of interrupted work: more speed and stress. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
  2. Leroy S (2009). Why is it so hard to do my work? The challenge of attention residue when switching between work tasks. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109(2).

Keep reading

Try NoRush free for a week

It starts by itself the first time you open a new tab. No account, no card, and your tasks stay yours whatever you decide.

Add to Chrome, free for 7 days See pricing
  • No sign-up
  • No card
  • Every feature included

Works in Chrome and Edge on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebooks.