About

The constant sensory overload at my warehouse job pushed me to build Spoons. Being moved to different stations 6-8 times in a single shift. Doors slamming constantly. Forced small talk I couldn't escape. Uber prices jumping from $20 to $50 without warning—even after planning hours ahead—draining my energy before I even arrived. I was constantly operating on low energy multiple times a week. I was having (And still have) internal meltdowns on a weekly basis, and working just 3 days a week didn't fix anything.

I've been in burnout for well over 5 years now, due to constant masking, people-pleasing, and sensory overload in constant enviornment either forced (Such as heading to work, or mandatory family events with family) or minimal yet still draining anyway (Staying at home majority of the time but still dealing with loud conversation from family members, unpredictability of expectation, and constant loud and abrupt barking of dogs on days that I have the energy to even run or take care of myself)

I searched for apps that could help me recover, even slightly. Most of what I found: 95% of autism apps cater specifically to children. Cartoon interfaces. Gamification. Parent dashboards. Nothing for us autistic adults. And workplace "accommodations" weren't filling the gap—they barely addressed anything meaningful.

I created Spoons to help me be more self-conscious and aware about the subtle but very significant drains that my enviornment was having on me. Subtle things such as the vibration when typing on my smartphone and the abrupt intensity of laughter from family members and co-workers contributing to the many headaches I have on a weekly basis. Even if I couldn't work around my enviornment at the time (Which I still cannot do), I could at least be aware on what is what making me so exhausted so I can find small ways to work around them.

We've have been exploited over and over and constantly lied to. Vague promises like "We will never breach your trust" and "Your data is always secure"—then breaches happen anyway. I wanted Spoons to be the opposite of what companies obsess over: control over your data. Your logs never leave your device because there’s no server to breach. No ads. No trackers. The tracker works offline and internet usage is only for purchase/restore/updates. Just a slider. Even if I wanted to access your logs, I couldn't. There's no server for them to be stored into, making it technically impossible.

I'm currently working at Amazon for 30 hours a week. I'm actively finishing development now with a growing waitlist. Spoons launches April 2, 2026. If it reaches 1,300 users, I can reduce warehouse hours to 4 per week—or quit entirely. That's the threshold I'm working towards.

Most of us are unemployed or underemployed. Many don't even know they're autistic— and diagnosis costs $1,500 to $5,000 sometimes more. Why would it ever need to cost that much just to get some answers? That's why I decided to contribute 40% of after-tax income that goes toward funding diagnoses for those of us who can't afford them. That percentage is fixed and documented in my Terms of Service. The number of diagnoses depends on subscribers, but the commitment itself doesn't change.

I plan to partner with autism organizations who vet candidates based on financial need, then pay clinics directly. Never individuals directly. Diagnosis funding launches Q1 2027 and scales as revenue grows. This isn't charity bolted onto a business plan. It's the same mission: removing barriers.

Spoons will stay simple and will not include additional features or clutter which would make it burnout-unusuable. I'm not adding features to chase growth or attention metrics. The one-slider design is permanent. Your subscription price locks forever—$7.99 stays $7.99. I'm not building to extract maximum revenue. I'm building to make things sustainable long-term for both the mission itself and for general survivability.

I'll be maintaining this for well over 15+ years, as I find this incredibly rewarding and meaningful to be part of. I also publish weekly blog posts about my experience with sensory overload and energy management as well annual reports each year involving the fund itself and it's current progress and impacts.

By the end of the first decade, diagnosis funding will operate through a dedicated foundation with its own staff. If I can't maintain Spoons for any reason, documented succession plans ensure it continues or the code releases to the community. I'm not building to sell. I'm building to stay.

Most apps ask you to trust them with your data. Spoons doesn't. Your logs stay on your device—I never see them . But you're still choosing to use something I built, so you deserve to know who made it and why.

Now you do.

Questions?: hello@getspoons.app