Simple Meeting Timer, More Focused Interviews

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with small, practical tools to remove friction from my workflow. One of the most impactful experiments so far has been using a simple Meeting Timer Nudger to guide structured meetings—especially interviews.

The Challenge with Structured Meetings

When running interviews, we often have a clear structure:

1. 5 min for introductions
2. 10 min to learn about the candidate’s background
3. 35 min for technical discussion
4. 10 min for candidate questions

Yet, despite having this structure, it’s easy to lose track of time. You get into a deep conversation about a technical topic, or the candidate’s story takes an interesting turn, and suddenly you’ve eaten into the time allocated for the next section.

I found myself either rushing candidates at the end or dropping important parts of the interview to stay on schedule.

Enter the Meeting Timer Nudger

I built this tool to nudge me gently while moving through topic blocks with specific time allocations. It’s a simple timer where you:

• Define each topic and its duration
• See the total planned meeting time
• Get a browser notification and gentle sound when time’s up for a topic
• Automatically transition to the next topic with a clear overlay

During interviews, I kept the timer running on a second screen, allowing me to focus on the conversation while staying mindful of time.

What Changed

1. Reduced Cognitive Load: I didn’t have to keep checking the clock or mentally calculate how much time I had left for each topic.
2. Respect for Candidate Time: I ensured candidates got to ask their questions without feeling rushed at the end.
3. Consistency Across Interviews: I could compare candidates more fairly because each got a structured, consistent experience.
4. Focus Without Feeling Rushed: Instead of feeling the anxiety of watching the clock, I received a soft nudge when it was time to transition, allowing me to wrap up the current topic naturally.

Why This Matters

Many productivity discussions revolve around complex tools, but often, small, targeted solutions can remove friction and improve outcomes immediately. Running interviews well is about respect for the candidate, respect for your own time, and maintaining focus. A tiny tool like this helped me achieve that.

Want to Try It?

If you run structured interviews or any meetings that need to stay on track, you might find this helpful too.

👉 Link to GitHub: Look at the repo

👉 Live Demo: Try it live.

If you try it, let me know how it goes, or if you have ideas for improving it, I’d love your feedback.