l8r.chat

Find free time, fast. See you later.

l8r.chat is a guided chat-first scheduling and booking layer.

It helps people arrange plans, appointments, and services without handling the back-and-forth manually. Consumers use only their phone number. Service providers create accounts to manage availability, services, payments, deposits, fees, and required documents.

Product Preview

l8r is not a calendar dashboard, form wizard, or marketplace-first booking app.

It is a shared chat experience across:

• iMessage
• SMS
• website chat
• mobile app chat

Every flow uses the same interaction pattern:

agent message
guided buttons
optional text input
review step
confirmation

Users can type, but they should never have to start from a blank prompt.

Try the Static Preview

Open:

preview/index.html

Or serve locally:

python3 -m http.server 8000

Then visit:

http://localhost:8000/preview/

No framework. No build step. Static HTML/CSS/JavaScript only.

Core Promise

A person can text or chat with l8r from any supported channel, select what they need from useful buttons or generated reasons, use only their phone number unless they are a provider, and reach a confirmed time while providers can collect deposits, payments, fees, and documents through the same conversational flow.

Identity Model

User type	Identity	Account required	UX
Consumer	Phone number	No	Guided chat
Friend / invitee	Phone number	No	Guided chat
Website visitor	Phone number when needed	No	Chat widget
App user	Phone number unless provider	No	Same chat
Service provider	Email + phone	Yes	Chat-first provider tools

Provider Capabilities

Service providers can configure:

• services
• availability rules
• intake questions
• booking confirmations
• deposits
• payments
• cancellation fees
• booking fees
• travel fees
• material fees
• consultation fees
• required documents
• required photos
• waivers
• forms

Consumers do not need l8r accounts to respond, pay, upload, or confirm.

Guided Chat UX

The UX always shows buttons, suggested actions, generated reasons, or selectable intents.

Friend flow

l8r
Who are you trying to make time for?

[Friend] [Date] [Family] [Coworker] [Service provider]

User taps: Friend

l8r
What do you want to make time for?

[Coffee] [Dinner] [Catch up] [Walk] [Call] [Something else]

User taps: Catch up

l8r
Here are a few ways to ask:

[“Want to catch up this week?”]
[“Got time for coffee soon?”]
[“Want to find a time to hang?”]
[Write my own]

Service booking flow

l8r
What do you need?

[Haircut] [Nails] [Massage] [Tattoo] [Consult] [Repair] [Other]

User taps: Haircut

l8r
What kind of haircut request?

[First available]
[Same barber]
[Specific day]
[Before an event]
[Price check + appointment]

Payment flow

l8r
Shaz requires a $25 deposit to hold Thursday at 2:30.

[Pay deposit] [Ask a question] [Pick another time]

User taps: Pay deposit

l8r
Secure payment link ready.

[Pay $25] [Cancel]

l8r
Deposit received. Haircut confirmed for Thursday at 2:30.

Document collection flow

l8r
Shaz needs a reference photo before confirming.

[Upload photo] [Use camera] [Ask why]

User taps: Upload photo

l8r
Photo received. Want to send it to Shaz?

[Send] [Replace] [Cancel]

Provider
Looks good. I can do Thursday at 2:30 with a $25 deposit.

[Send deposit request] [Suggest other time]

Channel Model

l8r should use one conversation engine with multiple channel adapters.

flowchart TD
    A[iMessage] --> E[Conversation Engine]
    B[SMS] --> E
    C[Website Chat] --> E
    D[App Chat] --> E

    E --> I[Phone Identity]
    E --> S[Scheduling State]
    E --> P[Provider Account]
    E --> AV[Availability Rules]
    E --> PAY[Payments + Deposits]
    E --> DOC[Document Collection]
    E --> CFM[Confirmation Flow]

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Product Layers

flowchart LR
    UX[Guided Chat UX] --> INTENT[Intent Selection]
    INTENT --> STATE[Scheduling State]
    STATE --> RULES[Provider Rules]
    RULES --> CONFIRM[Confirmation]
    RULES --> PAY[Payment Request]
    RULES --> DOC[Document Request]

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MVP Scope

The first preview should prove:

• same guided chat UX across channels
• phone-number identity for non-provider users
• provider-only accounts
• scheduling request generation
• time option selection
• human review before sending
• provider-managed availability rules
• provider payment/deposit collection
• provider document collection
• confirmation flow

Non-Goals

The prototype should not attempt:

• forced account creation for consumers or friends
• blank-composer-first UX
• full marketplace
• live two-way calendar sync
• escrow
• wallet
• stored balance
• lending
• insurance
• dispute-resolution system
• unrestricted file storage
• permanent document hoarding
• autonomous payment requests without approval
• autonomous sensitive document requests without approval
• HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI, FINRA, or legal-record compliance claims before implementation and verification

Preview Techniques

This repository previews l8r with common GitHub-friendly techniques:

Technique	Purpose
Badges	Show status, UX model, account model, and channels quickly
Animated GIF	Show the guided chat flow directly in the README
Static HTML preview	Let reviewers open the prototype without installing anything
Mermaid diagrams	Explain architecture without image files
Example conversations	Make the product understandable without running code
Feature matrix	Separate MVP, later, and non-goal scope
Test checklist	Show how the prototype should be verified

Suggested Repo Structure

.
├── README.md
├── AGENTS.md
├── preview/
│   └── index.html
├── assets/
│   └── l8r-prototype-animation.gif
└── docs/
    └── agent-runs/

Preview Checklist

A reviewer should be able to confirm:

• The domain is l8r.chat.
• The first screen feels like chat, not a landing page.
• The user sees useful buttons immediately.
• A consumer can proceed with only a phone number.
• A provider must create an account.
• The same flow works conceptually across SMS, iMessage, web, and app.
• Provider payments and deposits appear inside the chat flow.
• Provider document requests appear inside the chat flow.
• Sensitive actions require review or confirmation.
• Non-goals are explicit.

Status

Prototype planning stage.

Current package:

itp-ddb20fcbaf39

License

TBD.