Ten inboxes and one invoice

One day, I needed to find an invoice. I knew which supplier I was expecting it from, but had no idea which inbox it had arrived in or which address they sent it from.

So I worked my way through about ten email accounts. Some are on Gmail; another is my work account with a hosting provider. The longer I searched, the more I swore. I needed one document, and here I was spending my time digging through emails.

That's roughly where HeyRup began.

My accountant is patient with me

For a long time, handing over documents meant my accountant chasing me for months to finally send her the invoices. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a voodoo doll with my name on it at home.

I knew she needed those documents. I also knew I'd eventually have to find them anyway. I still kept putting it off.

I tried reminders, tasks, and calendar blocks. But when the notification arrived, the work was still waiting: open my email, find an invoice, upload it somewhere or send it on. Then do it again for the next one.

Just thinking about that chore was enough to make almost anything else seem more appealing.

What an ADHD assessment helped me understand

This year, I went through an ADHD assessment. It helped me understand why some tasks like these are so difficult for me. In my own experience, ADHD plays a part.

I can't speak for everyone with ADHD. Here's what it's like for me: I can know something matters, set aside time for it, and still repeatedly fail to get to it. Another reminder mostly reminds me of what I still haven't done.

So I started looking for a way to make the invoice work itself easier. I wanted a tool that would go through my inboxes and help me find the documents.

I couldn't find anything that fit what I needed. So I decided to build HeyRup.

I needed it myself first

I started using HeyRup for myself before offering it publicly. In my own setup, I used it to automatically find invoices and pass them on.

Those few minutes of initial setup were worth it for me. Honestly, I've slept better since. It's good to have one fewer thing popping back into my head that I really should have dealt with already.

That personal workflow is gradually becoming a product for others. For the public launch, we start with IMAP mailboxes: finding PDF invoices, sorting them, reviewing them and sending them to accountants. The Gmail connector will follow later.

My original need hasn't changed. Invoices arrive by email, and I need them in one place without searching every inbox again each time.

I want more room to run my business

When I started talking about this with other business owners, it turned out that tracking down invoices frustrated them too.

They want to create, build, sell, and talk to customers. Those are exactly the things I want to spend time on. Admin is part of running a business, and my accountant needs the paperwork to do her job. I want to get it to her with as little searching and procrastination on my side as possible.

Searching ten inboxes for an invoice has never earned me a single crown. It has certainly taken up my time and headspace, though.

HeyRup grew out of that fairly ordinary frustration. I needed to make something I repeatedly struggle with easier. If this sounds familiar, it might be useful to you too.