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Chris Messina

Sidekick Browser 2.0 - A productivity browser for becoming focused and unstoppable

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Sidekick is a productivity browser for knowledge workers. Lighting-fast and secure by default, it integrates all your web apps to help you stay organized and productive while accelerating your workflow

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Dmitry Pushkarev
Hey Product Hunt! We are back with something genuinely forward-looking. I'm Dmitry, the CEO, and co-founder of Sidekick, the first productivity browser for knowledge workers. We launched on Product Hunt a while ago, but since then, our browser has evolved beyond recognition, so we want to introduce it again. And before you meet the new Sidekick, I want to tell you my story. A few years ago, I was working at top tech firms and used to spend most of my time online. More often than not, I felt tired and overwhelmed by the end of the day, a far cry from the vigor I needed as an executive. Later, I realized that my exhaustion was not a question of personal endurance. My everyday tool, the browser, just couldn't keep up with the changing nature of work. It lacked the UX for focused work because a browser was designed for, well, browsing by default. I got a feeling that all the browsers I have used contributed tangibly to my distraction and fatigue. We started up Sidekick to fix that. Our product vision at the very beginning was a lightning-fast browser for professionals who demand a smooth browsing experience. We were working hard to combine speed, privacy, and a streamlined UX that accelerates our users’ workflow. Early in the game, features like Sidebar, Sessions, and Global Search were developed to make your life easier. Eventually, Sidekick became one of the fastest and most ergonomic browsers on the market. But now it's more than that. Our users provided us with massive feedback, which led to a breakthrough. While most users gave credit to our browser, a noticeable group of people lauded Sidekick as the only browser that fits their special traits. These were the people with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition that hinders concentration. We started exploring the topic and learned that 35% of Americans between the ages of 17 and 30 abuse ADHD medications to tackle distraction problems and sharpen their focus. Suddenly, regaining focus for our users became our North Star. As Sidekick helps people with concentration disorders, we believe it will also benefit others who live in a world where attention is the most valuable currency. Our mission as a company now is to safeguard your focus and make you highly productive and resilient. We envision Sidekick as a productivity browser that saves time and energy by the end of the workday, a tool that keeps your mind sharp and gets your job done against all odds. And today, we are excited to introduce a slew of novel features for effective online work: 1. Workplaces separate your life and work, apps and sessions, extensions and documents. 2. Focus Mode mutes notifications with a click and lets everyone know you are in do not disturb mode. 3. Multi-accounts help you jump between different accounts in Gmail, Slack, Notion, and messengers without logging out. 4. Synchronization keeps your work in sync across multiple devices. 5. Split-View bisects the window for simultaneous editing and instant replies. 6. Join Quick Call integrates with your calendar for one-click conference alerts. 7. Extensions and apps in Sidekick perfectly complement each other. Grammarly now works in Notion and Slack! On top of that is Sidekick's AI that blocks ads and trackers by the thousands. All combined, Sidekick-2022 is a productivity browser that helps you become focused and unstoppable. And we're not stopping here either. Your feedback is of utmost importance to us. Please, help us improve our browser. We promise: our browser will help improve your productivity. Thanks, @chrismessina for hunting us, your support along the way is invaluable.
Uladzimir Yankovich
@dmitry_pushkarev , congratulations on the launch! Are you already planning the next round of investment?
Nok Moe
@chris_messina @dmitry_pushkarev Congrats! The one feature that prevents me from completely switching is chrome extensions. I hope that will be supported soon
Semas Ben
@nok_moe it's chromium-based, and chrome extensions are fully supported.
Yegor Korobeynikov
@nok_moe could you please, elaborate on it? We support almost every Chrome extension, so I am curious to know which one you are missing
Andrew
@chris_messina @dmitry_pushkarev @nok_moe they do work. What issue are you having with them?
Василий Медведев
Sorry, I don't write English well, so only GoogleTranslate...
I was so inspired by SideKick that I created a whole video course about your browser! A huge number of people use our course and your browser. But many users are just begging for a 32-bit version.
In my opinion, the mobile application and Russian localization are most lacking.
I think the functions of SplitPanel and SplitView are revolutionary! It is especially important how easily and quickly you can change tabs in one of the browser halves.
The only suggestion is that When you turn on the SplitView mode, I forget which two tabs are involved in this mode, and therefore sometimes I poke the cursor at other tabs at random. It would be great if both tabs participating in SplitView were outlined in color, or somehow clearly highlighted, so that I immediately understood that I have SplitView mode open and these two tabs are involved in it.
I also appreciated the smart VPN function. It's nice that it only works with certain sites and you don't have to turn the VPN on and off all the time, but I would like to be able to add sites to work with VPN on my own. And it would be great if for some sites it was possible to choose the selected country. I think that this function needs improvement.
TabSwitcher in my opinion is not very convenient, because tabs are not displayed in turn – it confuses. In addition, I would like to be able to exclude all applications from the output list. I think it could be done optionally.
Sessions is also an amazing tool that helps to save time, nerves and computer resources. However, I think they could be improved. When you use Sessions, after a short time, firstly, you forget that you have a session running, and secondly, you do not remember which session you are using at the moment.
Yes, there is an icon with the letter session on the bottom left, but it doesn't really help. It would be great if the session mode somehow declared itself more obsessively, for example, so that the window was somehow allocated to this moment or the full name of the session was constantly spelled out somewhere. I think this is very important for this function.
P.S. I don't know if this is appropriate, but I would really like to see the function of translating videos into another language, as in Yandex Browser.
And one more question. Do I understand correctly that now that synchronization and a secret phrase have appeared, you can cancel registration by email?
Yegor Korobeynikov
@clubprofi thanks a lot for such detailed feedback. Though video translation is a great feature, I don't think it fits into our roadmap at the moment. Could you please elaborate on your question about synchronization and secret phrase? I'm not sure I understand what you mean
Василий Медведев
@krbnkv Privacy is valued now. I think many would appreciate the optional possibility, instead of specifying an e-mail, to use a generated depersonalized account. And enter it with a secret phrase. Many participants of my course never reached the installation of the browser, stopping at the registration stage. If at this step they were simply asked to write down a secret phrase, it would be much easier for everyone. The ability to additionally specify an e-mail, subscribe to the newsletter can be made an optional offer, which appears after the full installation.
Chris Messina
The browser space continues to be exciting — and I love the refined focus of Sidekick on productivity and the future of work. Being cross-platform (Mac and PC) also seems essential to Sidekick's appeal.
Yegor Korobeynikov
@chrismessina thanks a lot for your support and guidance along the way!
Chris Messina
@krbnkv was a pleasure! Congrats on the launch! 🚀
David from ZAGO Sweden
awesome software, being my daily driver , however there are things to be improved : 1) find ways for easy swtiching between apps in multiple windows. it's very easy to get lost when everything scramble into 1 browser, from emails, chat, to all web tab. Sidekick has a good tab search but the easy switch like ALT TAB or Command Tab is something difficult to replace can be solved by putting Application first in this view https://share.cleanshot.com/FoJoMA Google meet integration is a good start 2) Better have option for Create shortcuts for the website. to support notification and unread badges just like application in dock.
Yegor Korobeynikov
@zagosweden While Sidekick is now in version 2.0, we still consider it a young product. Thank you for your feedback, we will take it into consideration
Hilal Aydın
Great product, cool design. It really increases your productivity through the day. Congrats on the launch! 🚀
Yegor Korobeynikov
thanks, @hilal_aydin! Have you already noticed a boost in productivity?
Hilal Aydın
you are welcome @krbnkv yes, being able to mute the notifications for a while is a great feature for me to stay focused!
Nick Russell
YES! Love this product, particularly enjoying 'Focus mode' at the click of a button - congrats on launching something that's both useful and beautiful! 🙌
Yegor Korobeynikov
thanks, @n_russell! Do you have any other favorite features of Sidekick?
Nick Russell
@krbnkv I also like your deep search functionality and the onboarding flow is nicely done too, top stuff!
Yegor Korobeynikov
@n_russell what's your main use case for the deep search?
David Vanhee
One (desktop) app to rule them all. Or Chrome on steroids. I have been a fan from the moment I discovered Sidekick and it just keeps getting better. My top 3 features that help me save tons of time every day: 1. The split screen: my Google doc open on the left, my keyword research tool on the right 2. Sessions: for every customer I have a dedicated session. The docs and sites I need are opened without the need of a clumsy browser bookmark extension or app. 3. The sidebar with shortcuts to my calendar, mailbox, social apps, Google Analytics. Thanks for making productivity a breeze!
Yegor Korobeynikov
@david_vanhee Thank you for your feedback and for using Sidekick! Did you try Workspaces for working with multiple clients? This way, you can have different cookies and logins for apps, docs, and chats. Our team designed this feature with freelancers and consultants in mind since we've heard a lot of confusing cases from them
Sean Hyland
@david_vanhee So what are your cons?
David Vanhee
Hi @seankillstime, the only I can think of is that the address bar of a new tab sometimes doesn't behave as it should (search / paste a URL) But it's a temporary glitch I can live with.
Aurélien BONNAVENTURE
Un incontournable basé sur Chrome, je suis fan de Sidekick depuis mon tout 1er essai ! Moi qui suis freelance, avec toujours une multitude d'onglets ouverts, la gestion des "sessions" a révolutionné mon quotidien : dès que j'ouvre le dossier d'un client, j'active la session le concernant et hop, tous mes onglets de travail sont là ! Les nombreuses fonctions complémentaires comme le "multiple account" ou les intégrations de Whatsapp, Canva et tellement d'autres outils ont terminé de me convaincre. Bravo, bravo et encore bravo à @dmitry_pushkarev et son équipe !
Dmitry Pushkarev
@aurelien_bonnaventure Agradezco mucho tu apoyo amigo. Comentarios como este es lo que nos hace venir a trabajar todos los días :)
Mark W. Kaigwa
What can I say about Sidekick? I've been a big fan since learning about Franz (initially) and then moving to Station (RIP). I recommend Sidekick constantly for three key features that help my team and I: 1. The sidebar: I'm constantly switching between my top apps with a flick of the keys - it helps keep a couple of always-on tabs without clutter and quick access. 2. The RAM management: Chrome's obviously a bandwidth hog, so this feature helps me install fewer extensions since it is built in 3. The extra features across the board, but these two above have been my absolute go-to's. It meets the version of Chrome that best suits my workflow, given how beholden I am to some great extensions. Happy to recommend them here on Product Hunt and wish them the best; encouraging you to try them out. Browser space is heating up, but this one for work is my daily driver. Thanks for hunting, @chrismessina and kudos to @dmitry_pushkarev and team for the fine work and constant updates.
Abhishek Singh
I did try the first version of Sidekick but then never got used to it. Instead I started using SigmaOS. But now with workspaces, split view and quick call joining features - I would like to give it another try. And since it is based on Chromium, it would feel at home. The problem with SigmaOS is that is based on Safari, so audio plays weird at more than 1X speed. Hope you're also focusing on keyboard shortcuts, that would make it a no brainer.
Yegor Korobeynikov
thanks, @abhishek1846! We are so happy that you are giving us a second chance! Please let us know how Sidekick works for you once you have tried all the new features
Paul Rusyn
Congrats on the launch 🚀 If you need some help with the logo and brand identity, feel free to contact me!
Yegor Korobeynikov
@pavell2l thanks, Pavel!
Nico Lumma
Sidekick is awesome! I've been using it since an early beta and I really like it! Keep up the good work!
Yegor Korobeynikov
@nico thanks for the feedback! As someone working in VC, what's your main use case, and what's the biggest value you get from Sidekick?
Nico Lumma
@krbnkv well, Sidekick is fast and doesn't slow down my mac, that's a good start, I think :) Also I like to have all my apps accessible via the sidebar and I like to have different workspaces for different projects I'm working on.
Yegor Korobeynikov
@nico that's so great to hear! Did you already try the Workspaces feature?
Thomas Hilgert
My one and only browser used on Windows. I strictly recommend this browser for everyone who is working with the internet on a professional basis. Download, watch and learn :-)
Yegor Korobeynikov
@theelkbo thanks a lot for your feedback! What is the main value Sidekick brings to you?
Thomas Hilgert
@krbnkv The sidebar save me at least one h per day. I am a web browser tab closer. I don't know why but I hate to have more than 4 open tabs. It disturbs my focus and most of the time I am searching for the right tab. In the sidebar are my 10 most used websites, and there is no close button tab on this ;-). I have organized my work using Tabs for the current topic I am working on. So, if I am finished, I can close all tabs and have still open my Mail und Timesheets (sidebar). As well as workplace I can switch from home 2 work in no time.
Huy Doan
Congrats guys on the launch! It looks interesting. Just a quick question: the search bar can work across files in different apps right? For example: I search for the keyword but my Asana and Notion have the same terms. Will it suggest both?
Yegor Korobeynikov
hey @huy_doan_quang, thanks for this question. Yes, both apps will appear in search results. Our search engine uses artificial intelligence to range results based on relevance. As it learns, the next time the search results will be even more relevant
Alex Zed
Congrats on what looks to be another very successful launch. I've been using Sidekick since it first launched on PH 2 years ago. It reduces so many of the little inefficiencies that chip away at your time and mental energy over the course of a work day. I can't imagine using anything else at this point.
Yegor Korobeynikov
thanks a ton, @alexgzed! Could you list a few inefficiencies that Sidekick helped you eliminate?
Alex Zed
Pleasure @krbnkv! Switching to key web apps is a big one. In most browsers the key apps I use can get lost amongst the tab clutter, it may only take a second or two more each time, but when you're doing this hundreds of times a day, it grates. The sidebar solves this completely for me. Another big one is switching between different google accounts - I have multiple personal and work accounts and switching between them is a drag of a process. With Sidekick I have each one as a separate app, so it only takes one click to switch between them - saves a ton of time. Keep up the good work!
Franco Mastrorilli
It's a great product and I like very much the App features and the Sessions, allowing me to separate the different kind of work I've to do...Brilliant! P.S. Also with a very supportive Help Desk!
Yegor Korobeynikov
thanks a lot, @franco_mastrorilli! When it comes to work projects, do you mostly separate them from your personal ones, or do you combine them?
Franco Mastrorilli
@krbnkv I use Sessions for each different customer I'm working with and, naturally for my personal sites 😉
Yegor Korobeynikov
@franco_mastrorilli Have you had a chance to try out our new Workspaces feature? Your use case seems to be a good fit!
Franco Mastrorilli
@krbnkv Not yet, would it be part of V2.0, correct? When could I download it?
Yegor Korobeynikov
@franco_mastrorilli it's already available and yes, it's part of the new update
Catherine Norris
Love this! I'm the queen of tab clutter (I've got at least 20 open at any given point 🥴)
Yegor Korobeynikov
@catherine_norris @catherine_norris my largest session so far has been 80 tabs, and Sidekick's performance continues to amaze me :)
Ayodeji Balogun
Congratulations @dmitry_pushkarev, and the rest of the team! Sidekick is my favourite browser and has helped me tremendously in my work as a designer especially with regards to staying organized and managing projects. I talk about it at every opportunity, and I can't wait to use the new and improved Sidekick. Thank you!
Yegor Korobeynikov
@dejistudio, thank you so much for your kind feedback! Would you mind telling me how Sidekick has helped you? We're always curious about the value we bring!
Ayodeji Balogun
@krbnkv like I said, Sidekick helps me stay organized with features such as sessions and multiple logins. Those are the two features I enjoy and use the most on a daily basis.
Julian Alexander
I never take time to write reviews, but for Sidekick I have to!! Honestly one of my most used apps I've implemented in the last 2 years besides Notion haha. Absolutely highly recommend Sidekick! I've got my whole team to switch over from their browsers to sidekick haha.
Yegor Korobeynikov
@julian_alexander3 that's so great to hear! How did the transition go on a team level? Is working in Sidekick as a team beneficial to you?