Die With Me

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Die With Me is a macOS menu bar application that functions as a social productivity companion for developers and creators using AI coding assistants like Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex. It technically operates as a real-time usage tracker and social notification layer.
2. Core Value Proposition: It exists to transform the isolating experience of hitting AI usage limits into a shared, social moment. Its primary value is providing community and visibility among peers during the "cooldown" period when AI allowances are depleted, combating solo developer burnout.

Main Features

1. Real-Time AI Usage Mascots: The app places animated mascot icons in the macOS menu bar that visually represent your remaining Claude Code and Codex usage. These mascots change state (e.g., from alert to sleepy) as your token or credit allowance depletes. It works by securely connecting to your AI service accounts (via OAuth for Claude Code, existing sign-in for Codex) to fetch usage data via their respective APIs.
2. The Low-Energy Chatroom: This is a dynamic, conditionally accessible chatroom that unlocks only when a user's AI session or weekly energy falls to 20% or less. It functions as a dedicated space for users to congregate, share progress, or wait together, creating a "waiting room" community triggered by a shared technical constraint (low tokens).
3. Friend-Based Usage Leaderboard & Social Features: Users add friends via unique invite codes to create a private network. The app displays a "Friends" ranking sorted by lowest remaining AI energy. Additional social layers include: ephemeral voice messages ("thought bubbles"), the ability to set a "Snacking" status to host a visitable 4-person lounge, and automatic status updates based on detected local IDE/editor activity.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: The frustration and productivity halt caused by hitting AI assistant usage limits alone. It addresses developer isolation by making the common experience of "running out of tokens" a visible, communal event rather than a private dead-end.
2. Target Audience: Primarily developers, indie hackers, and technical creators who are heavy users of subscription-based AI coding assistants like Claude Code and Codex. Secondary audience includes friends or collaborators of these users who wish to have passive awareness of their activity, even without using AI tools themselves ("Just here to hang out" mode).
3. Use Cases: A development team wanting passive awareness of each other's coding sprint intensity; an indie hacker wanting companionship during late-night build sessions when AI tools are exhausted; a coding bootcamp cohort sharing the common struggle of limited AI credits; users wanting notifications for rare Codex usage resets.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike generic communication apps (Slack, Discord) or standalone usage dashboards, Die With Me uniquely contextualizes social interaction around a specific technical metric (AI usage). It automates status based on API data rather than manual updates, and gates community access based on real-time usage thresholds.
2. Key Innovation: Its core innovation is the conditionally-gated social space. The chatroom is not always open; access is programmatically determined by the user's integration state with third-party AI APIs. This creates a highly relevant, timely, and shared context for interaction that organic conversation cannot reliably replicate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is Die With Me safe? Does it access my code? Die With Me only requests read-only access to your Claude Code and Codex usage data via official APIs. It does not access, read, or transmit your code, prompts, or any sensitive project files. All connections use secure authentication.
2. How does Die With Me track my AI usage? For Claude Code, you explicitly connect your account via OAuth in the app's Settings. For Codex (via ChatGPT), it uses your existing system-level authentication. The app periodically polls the respective service's usage API to fetch your remaining quota for sessions and weekly limits.
3. Can I use Die With Me without Claude or Codex? Yes. During setup, you can select "Just here to hang out." This allows you to use all social features—friend lists, lounges, voice messages—without connecting an AI service. Your status will be manual or based on generic "activity."
4. What are the system requirements for Die With Me? The application requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. It is a native menu bar app downloaded as a .dmg file. An invitation link is required to activate the social features after installation.
5. How do I get an invite for Die With Me? Invites are distributed by existing users, who receive four new invite codes per day. You can also join a waitlist via the website. The invite system controls growth and fosters intentional, friend-based networks.