How do you "just say you're building todo-list software" and not get laughed out of the room? Investors say the space is too crowded, and engineers joke about it being one of their first classroom assignments. And even if you're making traction on the vision to replace the inbox, Y-Combinator's partners will turn you down.
Actually, we bootstrapped for 2 years. We had launch coverage in lifehacker, mashable, the atlantic and entrepreneur magazine. We had over 10,000 users the first month. We got to the point where we needed some funding to go all-in, but everyone we spoke to was really burned on the task management space. Based on this experience, I'm really interested in how someone can take on the task management space in a way that gets noticed.
Your homepage is confusing, but it seems you log what people have done. Have you seen idonethis.com from AngelPad? Very similar concept with a creative implementation (email), and eerily similar name.
It's fascinating that despite all the to-do apps, people still resort to home-grown, highly manual solutions. Do people think there will eventually be an app that works for the masses, or will planning continue to be a personal, isolated experience?
a) It's extremely hard to make todo list app that accommodates all workflows that people want well. For example, RTM is not that well suited for GTD, but wouldn't you expect each of the most popular to-do list app to be well suited, for, you know, the most popular todo-ing method?
b) Sometimes manual steps are the point - rewriting list actually gives you time to review the items, so some people opt out for paper and such. I usually use RTM, but, for example, one-off packing lists I do on paper.
To-do lists do work. What the author lacks is a today list.
The purpose of the to-do list is to keep track of everything you have to do for the rest of your life. You should not be working off of it everyday or, as the author notes, it will overwhelm/paralyze you.
The purpose of the today list is to focus on one day at a time. A today list is a subset of the to-do list, the items you need to think about that day.
This simple distinction goes a long way. With a today list, you can actually get through your day, and feel good when the list is done.
The thing that's always missing from these articles is the definition of productivity. Is it doing more? Is it working more hours?
What most people don't realize is that productivity is not about how much you do - it's about how you feel at the end of the day. Don't forget why you're working in the first place. Effective productivity is simply doing what needs to be done, one day at a time. The key is turning your overwhelming to-do list into an actionable today list - so you're working towards an achievable goal each day. When you're working towards an end point, you'll get things done much more quickly, and you'll have no reason to procrastinate.
Productivity doesn't need to be stressful or overwhelming; it can actually be very fulfilling if you look at it the right way. Stop focusing on "work" and focus on progress instead.
Being in the productivity space, I read many articles like this each day, and you're right - it's the same advice.
With LazyMeter, we sought to build not just a new philosophy, but also a tool that helps you adopt it. Our goal is to motivate you by making your to-do list achievable and showing you how much you've done. We also show you how much you procrastinate - it's amazing how powerful a little awareness can be. Would love to hear what you think. http://www.LazyMeter.com
Haha that shameless plug almost sounded natural. In all seriousness though, I get what you're saying and I actually have used LazyMeter! I think I even sent you guys an email on what I thought about it (I promise I didn't say anything mean). I stopped using it. It's a great idea but it only works if you work it. I haven't checked it out lately but back then the lack of a mobile app was a real barrier to usage. Without one you limit people to only checking up on themselves when they're at work or basically stationary. That's just not enough. But I hate to criticize so much without letting you know it's a cool app and I think it's really cool how you built it in AWS
Sorry for the plug, I won't make that mistake again. I did think/hope it would be relevant to the writer. Thanks for trying LazyMeter and for the feedback; we have a lot more planned, including native apps.
I think the problem was not in what you said, but the way you said it. Rather than slipping in a plug at the end of your post, I've noticed that posts with the style of "I agree this is a problem, here's a company/project I've founded to do something about it" are generally well-received.
This is exactly the philosophy behind LazyMeter. We help people focus on one day at a time and feel accomplished. It's all about working towards a clear goal. http://www.lazymeter.com
We automatically build your daily to-do list, and we provide the only workflow that lets you clear out your to-do list everyday. We also show you your progress add up. It's very satisfying.
I was a chronic procrastinator before co-founding LazyMeter. Now, I get more done in less time, and enjoy my evenings without worrying I've forgotten something. We have over 12,000 users so far.
