Lotus Technologies LLC
Stick is a physical USB-C key that blocks chosen websites and apps on Mac and Windows, requiring users to physically retrieve and insert the key to end a blocking session. The $39.99 one-time purchase includes software for all personal computers, with blocking enforced at multiple system levels that persists across restarts. Sessions can be started from the menu bar or on a schedule, but can only be ended with the physical key.
- Consumer Electronics
- Hardware
- Artificial Intelligence
- Software Only
- Wellness & Fitness Technology
Funding
Founders
Founder details are not available yet.
Product
Problem
Digital self-control tools fail because their controls live on the same device they are meant to restrict. Users can override timers, reset passcodes, or delete apps in moments of impulse, making it nearly impossible to maintain focus or enforce healthy boundaries.
Solution
Stick provides a physical USB-C key that acts as the sole "off switch" for blocking sessions. Users configure sites and apps to block, start a session from the menu bar or on a schedule, and the block persists across restarts until the key is physically plugged back in. The key can be kept in a drawer, another room, or a bag, creating genuine friction between the user and their distractions. Software is installed on both Mac and Windows, with the key working across all machines a user owns. Blocking is enforced at two system levels plus automatic closure of blocked apps, and the app cannot let itself out—the user-facing window has no power to end a session.
Target Audience
Primary customers are individuals — students, remote workers, and creators — who struggle with digital distraction and need a physically enforced boundary to maintain focus and productivity on Mac or Windows computers.
Features
- Physical USB-C key (hot pink or gray) that must be physically inserted to end a blocking session
- Web and app blocking enforced at two system levels, plus automatic closure of blocked apps
- Persistent blocking survives restarts, logouts, and process kills via a boot-time background service
- Modes allow up to ten named sets of blocked sites, apps, and categories (e.g., Deep Work, Sleep) with optional schedule-based starts
- Bundled category lists for Explicit content and Gambling, plus individual site and app selection
- Workaround protection shuts down private DNS, proxy, VPN services, and ~17,500 known circumvention sites during sessions
- Five emergency unlocks per machine for lost keys, with manual support unlocks after that
- No account, tracking, or data collection; only two static list downloads from GitHub