For years, like many of you, I've struggled with the classic side project dilemma: great ideas, initial excitement, then the slow, inevitable creep of procrastination. It's easy to just... not ship. I wanted a concrete way to create external pressure and align my own financial interest with actually delivering, so I built ShipOrPay.
We're doing a soft launch today, primarily to get it into the hands of other builders and gather feedback.
How ShipOrPay works:
Set Your Goal & Stake Your Funds: You define your project and its deadline, then commit a self-determined amount of money into escrow via Stripe. This isn't just a promise; it's a financial commitment to yourself. Bring in Your Accountability Partner: You provide the email of a friend, mentor, or supervisor. They'll receive a notification and must actively confirm their role as your project's reviewer. Deliver On Time, Keep Your Money: Successfully complete your project by the deadline and get it approved by your partner, and your escrowed funds are returned to you. Miss the Deadline, Forfeit Funds (and Incentive for Partner): If you miss your deadline, a portion of your escrowed money is forfeited. The key twist? A part of this penalty can be sent directly to your accountability partner, giving them a tangible reason to keep you honest and motivated! My fundamental belief is that self-discipline is hard. By adding a clear financial incentive and involving an external party with their own stake, ShipOrPay creates the necessary pressure to overcome the inertia of procrastination. It's a different kind of accountability, designed specifically to help you finish what you start.
Because this is a soft launch, we're currently reviewing payouts manually, which you can request via email. We're working towards integrating Stripe Connect for fully automated payouts in the near future. The system is live, functional, and ready for you to try out a project.
I'd love for you to check it out at https://shiporpay.com/. What do you think? Any feedback on the concept, the model, or the website would be incredibly valuable.