How a Midnight TikTok Post Changed Everything

The Unexpected Wednesday

It was a random Wednesday at midnight. I was working on Customodoro, still in development, when my girlfriend asked me a question: "Can I post about you on TikTok? Just to show appreciation for creating this timer for me?"

Of course I said yes. After all, Customodoro was built for her — a personalized solution to help with her board exam preparations. I quickly pushed a footer update I was working on and went back to development mode.

She posted it. We didn't think much of it.

The Perfect Storm

What happened next caught us completely off guard. The post went viral. Not just viral — it resonated with people in ways we never imagined.

Multiple factors aligned perfectly:

• Students and reviewees discovered they needed exactly what Customodoro offered — a flexible, customizable Pomodoro timer
• My girlfriend's creative twist on the "Man of the Year" trend
• The genuine story behind our relationship and how the app came to be
• People relating to the concept (with some playfully bitter but positive comments about relationship goals)

All the elements for engagement were there. But more importantly, people found something they actually needed.

5 AM Decision

At that time, I was doing a graveyard shift internship — 8 PM to 5 AM, work from home. After my shift ended at 5 AM, I decided to check the TikTok post even though I don't have a personal TikTok account.

The engagement was real. Likes were pouring in, and people were suggesting features in the comments.

Since I had just clocked out, I thought: why not try implementing one of the suggested features right away? I worked on it until 6 AM, but ran into bugs. Exhausted, I decided to sleep and went upstairs.

The Birthday Wake-Up Call

I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about the post, refreshing it, reading comments, watching the numbers grow. By 10 AM, I gave up on sleep entirely and got up to work on the feature.

My mother was shocked. She expected me to be sleeping at that hour after a graveyard shift. And it was her birthday that day, which made it even more memorable.

I implemented the custom timer feature for Reverse Pomodoro mode. Somehow, I got it working around lunch. Then I finally slept.

It felt incredibly satisfying. For me, this had always been about my girlfriend — a tool made specifically for her needs. I never imagined I could help other people too, especially in such a simple way. But here I was, doing something that felt genuinely meaningful.

The Ripple Effect

Days passed, and the engagement kept growing. My own friends and mutuals started seeing the post and reaching out. The spotlight on Customodoro grew brighter.

I created my first TikTok account — not for personal use, but just to read the comments properly. That account became dedicated to my girlfriend and Customodoro. I still don't plan to use TikTok personally, but it became our space to connect with users.

Thank You

I'm thankful to my girlfriend for the idea, for being the reason Customodoro exists, and for believing it was worth sharing. I'm grateful to everyone who discovered Customodoro through that post — for your feedback, bug reports, and for actually using the app.

I hope Customodoro helps you stay productive, whether you're preparing for board exams, managing deadlines, or working on personal projects. Thank you for showing up and never giving up.

What started as a midnight question became something bigger than both of us ever imagined.