Whoop-linked stress – A Bengaluru software developer built a coworker stress “leaderboard” by connecting his Whoop wristband to his work calendar, pulling per-minute heart-rate data and matching spikes to meetings and attendees—turning everyday office frustration into something qua
The idea came to Pankaj Tanwar during a meeting where everyone was laughing through the same complaint: some coworkers drained him faster than others. For a software developer used to measuring things, the joke didn’t stay a joke for long.
Tanwar. a tech worker based in Bengaluru. India. said he built a project that examines who stresses him out most by using heart-rate data from his Whoop wristband and tying it to his work calendar. In posts on LinkedIn and X. he described the process as connecting the Whoop to his work calendar. pulling per-minute heart-rate data. and matching spikes to meetings and attendees. In those posts. he shared screenshots with some details masked. including a ranking of people or meetings tied to stress spikes.
One screenshot suggested a senior developer had a calming effect on Tanwar, while a growth manager was flagged as a “prime suspect” for higher heart rates. When asked if the results surprised him, Tanwar said: “To be honest, not really.”
In an email. Tanwar told Business Insider: “We were all joking in a meeting about how draining some of them are. ” and he added. “And it hit me. what if I could actually build something that tells me who’s stressing me out?” He later said about the tool. “I now have ‘a leaderboard. and I think about it daily.’”.
The experiment lands as a wider wave of people build niche software tools—small. highly specific programs—often accelerated by AI coding models. Tanwar said he used Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 and Claude Opus 4.8 to build his coworker stress app. He also described a pattern to his own side projects: quick, playful ideas that sometimes turn into genuinely useful tools.
On his personal website. Tanwar lists other software projects. including a tool that tells airplane passengers which side to sit on to avoid getting baked by the sun. He also has a Chrome extension that makes users scream “I’m a loser” before opening social media apps. and an AI bot that likes his mom’s Instagram posts. “I’ve got a ton of dumb fun ideas. some of them actually useful. ” he said. and added. “I mostly build because my brain finds it funny. and sometimes it ends up solving my own problems.”.
Right now. he says he’s working on a wearable that will send a small zap if he sits for too long—another example of turning behavioral signals into immediate. if slightly mischievous. action. The same instinct that produced a stress ranking is now moving toward a different kind of feedback loop: not who’s irritating. but how long he’s idle.
Whoop heart-rate data work calendar stress leaderboard Pankaj Tanwar Bengaluru software developer Claude Fable 5 Claude Opus 4.8 wearable AI coding productivity tools office meetings