Missoula Local Hank Green Behind App Store’s Cutest Hit

If you’ve lived in Missoula long enough, you already know Hank Green. Maybe you spotted him at a coffee shop, or maybe you’ve just overheard your kids mention his name while watching YouTube. Either way, the longtime online creator, science guy, and part-time sock salesman just released a productivity app that’s dominating the App Store right now.

It’s called Focus Friend, and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. You set a timer, it disables your time-wasting apps (like TikTok and Instagram), and a friendly little anthropomorphic bean knits sweaters for you in return. The catch? If you cave and open your favorite doomscrolling app, your bean gets sad. Real sad.

From Missoula to the Top of the App Store

Here’s the crazy part: Hank Green’s bean is officially the #1 app on the App Store, beating out ChatGPT. Pause and think about that for a second... An app made by a Missoulian beat one of the biggest A.I. companies in existence. That’s like a hot dog stand outselling McDonald’s.

Green created Focus Friend with Honey B Games, which soft-launched it earlier this summer. The app shot up to No. 4 overall and No. 2 in productivity, proving that people will do just about anything to keep a bean happy and cranking out cute socks.

How It Works

Focus Friend taps into your phone’s screen time settings. Set a timer, lock out your distractions, and if you hold strong, your bean keeps knitting. You earn socks (in-game points) to buy wall posters, bean skins, and other goofy decorations. Want a “Kitt-ney Bean”? Done. Jelly Bean? Got it. Pay a little more and your bean can knit scarves for premium swag.

@hankgreen1Your Deserve a Focus Friend♬ original sound - Hank Green

If this all sounds like Tamagotchis with a productivity twist, that’s the whole idea. We already know humans will do whatever it takes to keep a digital pet alive, so why not let it help us focus?

And the fact that it’s all coming out of Missoula? That’s the part I’m proud of. A bean from the Garden City just put Montana on the tech map.