PunchyTime was created by The Rocket Science Group (the same group of nerds who created the award-winning MailChimp). We specialize in building online tools that are useful, simple, and efficient (and that people looove to use).

Why'd we build PunchyTime?

When we first started our company, we designed and maintained websites. We had so many clients and projects going on at the same time, it was insane. And we were tracking all our billable time on paper. Some of us used sticky notes. Some used notepads. Sometimes we used Excel. When it came time to invoice our clients, it was a mad rush to assemble all our hours and notes. Who knew how much billable time was slipping through the cracks?

We looked around for good, simple time tracking tools. There were cool little stopwatch applications out there, but they weren't centralized. Not to mention, we hate stopwatches. We tried some project management software but found that it was way too bloated for tracking time on a very regular basis, and they just weren't built for the Mac (plus they required their own friggin' server). We found accounting software that wasn't really built for creatives. We found systems that tracked time and linked into payroll (great for burger joints, but what about creative agencies?). We couldn't find anything good that simply tracked time for workers, and gave some decent reports for managers.

So we just built our own tool. Why'd we call it Punchy? Because in our original version, whenever you added time to the system, a picture of Mr. T would pop up and tell you to "Enter more time, sucka." And as we all know, Mr. T punches people. Thus, the name PunchyTime.

The most important thing for us was to create a time tracker that you could use "as you work." It sucks waiting till the end of the week (or month) to enter your time. Plus, entering time as you work means we all get a more accurate, up-to-the-minute view of how each project (and the company as a whole) is doing. Nifty.

We had no intention of making Punchy a "real" product, but so many of our friends and clients who saw it in action wanted a copy for themselves. We installed it for a couple people, and they loved it (and they kept asking for the next version). So here we are.

As for Mr. T, well, we didn't want him coming after us (he punches people!), so we modified the system so that users can upload their own fun messages and pictures. Your whole team can contribute, and turn time-tracking into a fun less sucky activity.

If you run a creative agency, and you have trouble tracking everyone's billable time, PunchyTime might be a good fit for you. You can try it free here.