Practical solutions
We start with a problem that actually gets in someone’s way, and we keep at it until it gets in the way less. What we build to get there depends entirely on the problem.
Tech solutions
Technology that makes sense.
idkyolo is an independent technology company. We take everyday problems and build practical solutions to them — the kind you can pick up and use without being taught.
Simple by defaultPlain languageNo tricksPractical firstMade to be used
What we do
Practical solutions to everyday problems
We are deliberately broad about what that means. A problem worth solving does not always arrive in the shape you expected, and we would rather follow it than force it into a category.
Simple by design
Simple is not the same as basic. It takes longer and costs more, and it is worth it: the complexity should sit with us, not with the person using the thing.
We fix what we get wrong
Everything has bugs, ours included. What we can actually control is what happens after you find one — tell us, and it goes on the list rather than into a void.
How we work
Four things we aim for
They are easy to write down and genuinely hard to live up to. We aim at them, and they decide what we ship and, more often, what we throw away.
Simple by default
If it needs a manual, we have more work to do. Whatever we build should explain itself the first time you use it, and stay out of your head the second.
Plain language
In the product, in an email from us, and in anything we publish. If a sentence needs a glossary, we rewrite the sentence.
Made to be used, not learned
Text you can actually read, colors you can tell apart, sensible settings out of the box, and labels that say what they mean. That comes first, not at the end.
No tricks
We try hard not to nag you, pester you into staying, or bury the button you are actually looking for. It should do its job and then get out of your way.
What we pay attention to
Small things that add up
Software tends to get harder to use in small steps rather than all at once. A few things we try to stay aware of:
Complexity accumulates
Features get added, settings pile up, and little gets taken away. A product can end up a little harder to use with each version.
Familiarity hides gaps
Whoever builds a thing gets used to it quickly. What is obvious after months of working on something is not always obvious on first use.
Friction gets normalized
Small annoyances are easy to live with one at a time, and easy to stop noticing once you have adjusted to them.
That is the kind of thing we try to notice before it becomes normal.
Questions
The things people ask us
What does “idkyolo” mean?
It is the two things people say when technology gets in the way: I don’t know, and you only live once. We named the company after the problem we are trying to fix, and after the reminder not to spend your life wrestling with your devices.
What kind of solutions do you build?
Software, mostly — apps and tools built for a specific problem rather than a category. Beyond that we are deliberately not narrow about it: what matters is that the problem is real and that the answer ends up simple enough to use without thinking about it.
Who is behind idkyolo?
IDKYOLO LLC, a technology company based in the United States. The work is the interesting part — we would rather talk about that than about ourselves.
How do you handle my information?
It depends on what a given product needs in order to work, and we would rather set that out plainly than bury it. Our privacy policy explains how we approach information across our products and on this website.
How do I get in touch?
Email us — the address is on the contact page. We read what comes in and reply as best we can.
Have a question, or an idea?
We read what comes in — a problem, a suggestion, or just a hello. Tell us what technology keeps getting wrong for you and we will listen.