I’m incredibly pleased to announce that Manifest 2 launches today. It’s a big update focused on goals and time management, and I think it’ll be very useful for freelancers and indie developers in particular.
TIME MANAGEMENT
A lot of freelancers and indie devs like me need to juggle time commitments between multiple projects. Manifest makes it easy to keep sight of the big picture by introducing goals. Simply set how much time you want to spend on each project per week or month, and Manifest breaks the time down into manageable daily goals. Using it during development, I’ve found goals to be incredibly helpful in managing my daily schedule and making sure all my clients get enough attention.
TODAY TAB
The Today tab tracks all your daily projects, their goals, and your progress. As you track time, Manifest shows your progress for each project and for your day overall. Once you’ve reached your goal for a project, it dims so you know to move on to other things. The Today tab also tallies the day’s total time tracked, your projected total time by the end of the day, and whether you’re on pace to reach your daily goals.
SMART GOALS (Pro)
Pro users can take advantage of Smart Goals, which make the Today tab even more powerful. Smart Goals automatically adjust when you’re ahead or behind schedule, so you’ll know if you have extra time to devote to other projects.
For example, suppose my goal is to spend 20 hours per week working on a project for Acme Corp, which would normally break down into a goal of 4 hours per day. By Thursday evening, I’ve already tracked 18 hours of time. With Smart Goals, Manifest automatically adjusts my Friday goal to 2 hours. Now I know I have time for other things (or happy hour!)
CHARTS AND TIMESHEET
Sometimes it’s easier to grasp information visually, so Manifest includes charts tracking your logged time across the current week or month. They’re a great way to see patterns in your data. There’s also a total time chart that shows a month-by-month indicator of your total time, as well as a projection for the current month.
On the other hand, there’s no more familiar way to look at time than that old stand-by, the calendar. Manifest has you covered with the Timesheet. Each day on the calendar shows your total tracked time, and below the calendar is a detailed list of your projects as well as any notes you entered. You can also export your data into CSV format from the Timesheet view.
PROJECT ARCHIVING (Pro)
Manifest can archive your inactive projects to keep things tidy. Archived projects don’t show up on the Today tab, but any time you’ve recorded will still be displayed on your timesheet.
PRICING
Manifest 2 uses a new subscription-based pricing model. For $3.99/month or $29.99/year, you get access to all the Pro features, including Smart Goals, archiving, unlimited projects, and customized data export options.
I wanted to talk a little bit about why I chose to move to a subscription pricing model. There are essentially two reasons. First, subscriptions create sustainable revenue that allow me to spend more time working on Manifest. I love working on Manifest, but I also have to pay the bills around here. Relying on a constant stream of new users probably isn’t going to cut it, and means I always have to be concentrating on growth. I’d much rather focus my energy on improving Manifest for a smaller pool of returning users who love the app.
Second, subscriptions make it easier to try out the Pro features to see if they fit your needs. Try a monthly subscription, and if you discover that Pro isn’t your thing, you can always cancel. On the other hand, if you enjoy Manifest Pro as much as I do, the annual subscription is a great deal for the whole year.
I’ve been working on this Manifest update for several months, and I’m really proud of it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Manifest 2 is available now on the App Store. Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome – find me on Twitter or email at feedback at tapandtonic dot net. Thanks and enjoy!