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Quick context: Contextual North is building research-informed tools that help people develop greater awareness, resilience, and intentionality. Anchor is our first product.
Hello everyone,
It's been a few months since my last update, and a lot has happened.
Today I'm excited to share that Anchor is officially available on the App Store.
Over the last year, I've been building Anchor around a simple idea:
Many of us don't recognize accumulating stress until it's already affecting our thinking, relationships, health, or performance.
Anchor was designed to help create awareness before that happens.
Using Apple Watch heart rate and HRV data, Anchor helps you recognize moments of elevated stress, stay connected to your intentions, and practice responding more intentionally during high-pressure moments.
Since my last update, we've:
• Refined the Apple Watch experience
• Developed the Calm Score to help track patterns over time
• Expanded the research foundation behind the product
• Published our principles and supporting research on the website
• Officially launched the first public version of the app
This is only the beginning.
There are already additional improvements planned, including enhancements to onboarding, reflection, personalization, and the broader vision for helping people better understand themselves and navigate life's challenges with greater awareness.
If you'd like to learn more about Anchor, you can:
• Visit the website: www.anchorbynorth.com
• Explore the research and principles that informed the design
Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me, tested early versions, shared feedback, and supported this journey.
Building something meaningful takes time, iteration, and a lot of learning. I'm grateful to finally put this first version into the world.
I'd love to hear what you think; If you decide to try Anchor, I’d especially love to hear:
• What felt useful
• What was confusing
• What you’d like to see improved
Early feedback is incredibly valuable and will help shape future versions of the product.
— Jesse
If you know someone who might benefit from greater awareness during high-pressure moments, feel free to share this email.
