by noeticpenguin | 2026-01-02 19:33:04+00:00
Hey Hacker News,
TL;DR: Made a menu bar app that auto-launches or quits apps based on what USB devices you plug in or what WiFi you're connected to. Called it Lean Running and honestly I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

The Problem That Started This
So here's the deal. I love my Stream Deck. Great little tool for productivity stuff. But something about it drove me absolutely nuts:
The Stream Deck app has to be running for the hardware to work.
That app? Not light. On my work machine where memory is... precious is one way to put it... having Stream Deck running all the time when the device is only actually plugged in maybe 30% of the time? Felt dumb.
I kept manually quitting the app when I unplugged it. Then forgetting to open it again when I plugged it back in. Then sitting there confused wondering why my buttons weren't doing anything. Over and over.
There had to be a better way.

What Lean Running Does
Watches for triggers. Runs automations. That's basically it.
USB Triggers

Plug something in → launch an app, run a Shortcut, execute a script
Unplug it → quit an app, run a different Shortcut, whatever

For my Stream Deck thing: device plugs in, app launches. Device unplugs, app quits. I don't have to think about it anymore.
WiFi Triggers

Connect to home network → open your personal stuff
Connect to work network → launch Slack, kill your game launchers
Connect to coffee shop WiFi → fire up a VPN

What It Can Actually Do

Launch apps
Quit apps
Run Shortcuts (the Apple Shortcuts app - honestly the possibilities here are kind of endless)

Use Cases I've Thought About
Beyond my whole Stream Deck situation:

Audio interfaces - Open your DAW when your Focusrite plugs in

Drawing tablets - Fire up Photoshop when your Wacom connects
External drives - Launch backup software when your Time Machine drive shows up
Webcams - Start OBS when your streaming setup connects
Work vs Home - Different apps depending on what WiFi you're on
Docking stations - Full "work mode" when you dock your laptop
Gaming peripherals - Open Steam when your controller connects

The Philosophy
I wanted something that:

Sits in the menu bar and stays out of your face
Doesn't phone home or need an account
Just works - set it up once, forget about it
Actually respects your resources - would be pretty ironic if an app meant to save RAM was itself a memory hog right?

Pricing (No Subscription!)
Alright let's talk money:

Regular price: $14.99
Intro price: $9.99 (until January 31st, 2026)

Here's the important part though: One-time purchase per major version.
Not a subscription. Not "pay forever to keep using the thing you already paid for." You buy v1, you own v1. Forever. If/when v2 comes out with big new features, that'd be a separate purchase (with a discount for v1 folks) - but v1 keeps working regardless.
I know subscription fatigue is real. I'm tired of it too.

Links
Website & Purchase: https://ignotietquasiocculti.com

I Want Your Feedback!
This is v1 and I'm actively working on it. Would love to hear:

What other triggers would be useful? Bluetooth devices? Time of day? Calendar events? When mercury goes into retrograde?
What actions do you wish it had? Shell scripts? AppleScript? System settings toggles? How much should I be protecting users from themselves here?
What's confusing? What could be clearer in the UI or docs? I'm not a UX designer so like... all feedback welcome.
Bugs? Please tell me if something's broken! help@ignotietquasiocculti.com is the best way to reach me.

Drop a comment, send a DM, whatever. Genuinely trying to make this useful.

Thanks for actually reading all this! Happy to answer questions.
Stay lean out there