I had the idea for Goalfinch while reading an article about economic incentives and how effective they are. It got me thinking: What if there were an easy way to set up economic incentives for goals I have in my own life?

A few months later, after working on it off and on in my spare hours, it’s ready for prime time.

With Goalfinch, you define a goal and make a contribution of cash that acts as an incentive for you to complete the goal. Your Facebook friends confirm whether or not you’ve accomplished it. If you succeed before your deadline, you get the cash back. If you fail, it gets donated to the charity of your choice. The combination of money on the line and your friends breathing down your neck makes for a very powerful motivator.

It’s a pretty simple idea that could go in many different directions. I’m still fine tuning the details, but it’s ready to use for tracking goals and creating incentives to accomplish them.