Starting today, the Ampll app for Mac is available in early access via download from our website.

A year ago this month, our team started off on a new journey, which has become “Ampll.” We sought to answer what it means to thrive in today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing modern world of work. How could technology help people personalize this question and tackle it for themselves so they can succeed at a new level?

Formation, and our own “Why” (Apr 2020)

Our founding group had gotten our little “band back together” right before COVID-19 forced many people to work from home overnight. We saw a rapid erosion of established workplace norms, and a new wave of challenges emerging. Our conclusion was the future of work was never “going back” to the way it was. Instead, we saw an enticing chance to build technology aimed at helping people and teams embrace the evolving workplace.

General market discovery (May 2020 to Oct 2020)

We got busy talking to people, and learning. Over the first six months, we talked to hundreds of professionals at every level across a variety of organizations. Over time, themes began to develop on what was working and what was definitely not working. One thing was clear, the forced shifts had opened many people’s eyes to the potential upside to flexible work-from-home and remote working environments.

We started paying careful attention to how CEOs were talking about going back to the office versus what people in the workforce were saying. More and more, it felt to us that individuals will guide the way at improving the future of work, more than managers and companies. For example, several people have told us they like working from home so much that they would leave their current employer if a full return to the office is required.

Building the Ampll app (Oct 2020 to Apr 2021)

Despite the benefits, this new remote-first work environment has also been taking a toll on people. More flexibility is counterbalanced with blurred lines between work and personal life that require us to create our own balance. The need for intentional self-direction, while always present to some extent in knowledge work, is now even more pronounced. Without careful attention basic work habits, like too many Slack interruptions or back-to-back meetings, can sap us of energy and prevent us from doing our best work.

We decided to make the Ampll app a tool that empowers individuals to define and take control of their ideal work style. We didn’t want it to be another dumb app you have to enter everything into yourself though. That’s just adding yet even more work for people to do. Instead, Ampll automatically captures your work activity across common workplace applications. By providing a fuller awareness of your work habits, Ampll helps you get intentional about the space between your many day-to-day activities.

And finally, what the Ampll app does!

The Ampll app is focused on your energy. Energy is the universal currency we all use to achieve and experience satisfaction. When we have it, we can conquer the world. When we don’t, it can feel overwhelming to do even the simplest tasks. This is the first thing we are working to validate with our early users. Our goal is to make it accurately reflect your energy levels throughout the day based on your activity, schedule, and preferences. Now, everyone is different. Accurately calibrating gains and drains for people will be as unique as fingerprints are, which is why we are so excited to start getting feedback from users like you now!

The energy scoring is represented by a very simple “battery” metaphor in the Ampll app. How this battery ebbs and flows will inform the Ampll virtual coach, which makes recommendations to consider based on our team’s evidence-based research on how to maintain and increase energy at work. These recommendations range from introspective practices like distinguishing between importance and urgency to lighter weight ideas like scheduling intentional breaks and making space for focus time.

We have sooooo much more planned for Ampll, but we just can’t wait to start putting it in people’s hands any longer. Over the next several months, you can expect many updates. There will be improvements and new features to try out — like sharing your energy status with people who support you, peering into the future on how upcoming events may impact your energy, and loads more integrations with apps you use for everything from collaboration to exercise. We want to make it easy for you to bring everything that affects your energy into one place in Ampll. Thank you for considering the invitation to go on this journey with us. We look forward to learning from you!