Why I Built LeetOrPay

I've started and abandoned LeetCode prep more times than I can count.

Every few months, the same cycle: open LeetCode, solve a few problems, feel productive. Then life gets busy. A week passes. The streak breaks. The guilt fades. Repeat.

I'm not lazy. I shipped side projects. I read technical books. I can sit down and focus when something matters. But somehow, LeetCode never stuck.

The Problem Isn't Motivation

Here's what took me too long to realize: I didn't have a motivation problem. I had an accountability problem.

When I skip a workout, my gym buddy notices. When I miss a deadline at work, my team notices. When I skip LeetCode? Nobody cares. There's no external consequence. Just me, alone with my vague career anxiety.

I tried everything. Study groups that fizzled out. Apps that sent notifications I learned to ignore. "Accountability partners" who were just as inconsistent as me. Nothing worked because nothing had real stakes.

Then I Found the Research

One day, I stumbled onto behavioral economics research about commitment devices - tools that make you put something on the line.

The data was striking:

stickK studied their commitment contracts. Success rate jumped from 35% to 78% when people added financial stakes and a referee.
A weight loss study by Volpp et al. found deposit contracts increased success from 10.5% to 47-52%. That's a 4.5x improvement.
Kahneman and Tversky's research on loss aversion (replicated globally) shows losses feel twice as powerful as equivalent gains.

This wasn't self-help nonsense. This was peer-reviewed science showing that putting money on the line fundamentally changes behavior.

The Experiment

I ran an experiment on myself. I told a friend: "I'm going to solve one LeetCode problem every day. If I miss a day, I owe you $5."

It worked. For the first time in years, I was actually consistent. Not because I suddenly loved doing LeetCode — I still don't — but because the stakes made skipping feel real.

The problem? It was manual and awkward. My friend had to check on me. I had to self-report. The friction added up.

I thought: what if this was automatic? What if something could just track my LeetCode activity and charge me if I missed a day?

So I Built It

LeetOrPay is that tool. Connect your LeetCode profile, set your stakes, and the system handles the rest. Miss your daily goal? You pay. Hit it? You keep your money and build real momentum.

The stakes escalate: $5 → $10 → $30 → $90 → $270. Each miss raises the pressure. The idea isn't to take your money — it's to make you not want to miss.

Some safety nets:

First miss is free. Everyone has off days.
24-hour dispute window. LeetCode API hiccups happen.
7-day respite after derailment. Reset and restart without pressure.

It's Not for Everyone

Let me be honest: LeetOrPay isn't for everyone.

If you're naturally disciplined and just need a reminder app, this is overkill. If you're uncomfortable with financial risk, we have a stakes-free mode to try tracking without commitment. You can also set a cap to the stakes.

But if you're like me — someone who knows what to do but can't seem to do it consistently — sometimes you need skin in the game.

The Real Point

The goal isn't the money. The goal is to finally follow through.

I built this because I was tired of the cycle. Tired of knowing exactly what I needed to do and still not doing it. Tired of watching another interview prep window close because I couldn't stay consistent.

If that sounds familiar, maybe LeetOrPay can help.

Have questions or thoughts? Reach out to us at support@leetorpay.com.