I use it in stopwatch mode to log hours on my various freelance projects. I can pause it and head downstairs for a snack or whatever. In the window below the stopwatch I keep a list of my various clients and I update hours spent for each at the end of the day (or whenever else I'm going to quit the application). When I relaunch, the list is still there, the hours are there; I even use it to record when I send an invoice, and then the date the check comes in.

I have it set to play a chime every 20 minutes to remind me to stretch (I never do).

Liked it so much I sent them money for the Pro version, just to encourage them to keep it up. Even though all the features I needed were included in the free version. I can't speak to the start up/shut down features as I never use them.