Show HN: I built an app for when I talk too much in online meetings (unblah.me)

Article summary

The author has created an app called Unblah to help individuals track and manage their speaking time in online meetings. The app aims to assist those who talk too much or too little, providing a timeline of each call to identify areas for improvement. The author shares their personal experience of struggling with talking too much in meetings and how the app has helped them. The app is available for download on macOS.

Main themes

• online meeting etiquette
• personal growth and self-awareness
• interview process and candidate assessment
• team dynamics and productivity
• communication and mediation
• app functionality and development
• environmental factors and psychological safety
• individual personalities and behaviors
• meeting facilitation and leadership

What commenters say

• Using an app to track speaking time can be a helpful tool for personal growth and self-awareness in online meetings.
• Interviews are not an accurate representation of a person's behavior in team meetings, and talking too much may not be a reliable indicator of a candidate's potential.
• Some commenters believe that talking too much in meetings can be damaging to teams and productivity, while others argue that it is a common behavior that can be addressed through deliberate facilitation and establishing an environment of psychological safety.
• Sharing an app like Unblah with a coworker can be perceived as passive-aggressive, and it is recommended to approach the issue through open conversation and mediation instead.
• The behavior of talking too much in meetings may be a response to the working environment rather than a fundamental attribute of the individual.
• Establishing expectations and creating an environment of psychological safety can help to mitigate the issue of dominant talkers in meetings.
• Some individuals may struggle with talking too little in meetings, and an app like Unblah could be adapted to help with this issue as well.
• The interview process can be flawed, with some commenters arguing that it prioritizes prepared responses over actual conversation and may not accurately assess a candidate's skills and fit.
• The app's functionality could be replicated on other platforms, such as Linux, with some commenters expressing interest in a version for their operating system.
• The issue of talking too much or too little in meetings is complex and multifaceted, requiring a nuanced approach that takes into account individual personalities, team dynamics, and environmental factors.