Welcome back.
That’s us underground in Mexico this summer. We saw some amazing Mayan creations and sanctuaries, but now it’s back to school. I hope you too had some time off from work to think and relax.
Getting back in the flow.
In my thinking and relaxing, and in my working and concentrating, this past few months and this past few years, there’s a big topic on my mind — how to accomplish great things and keep things moving in the modern world.
It’s really important to keep in a productive and creative flow. To keep focused. And yet not to end up shut in and disconnected, because we get strength from working together.
Flow, flow, flow.
You see, email is distracting. The pop, pop, pop of new messages is bad. It’s like trying to read and watch television.
Meetings aren’t great either. People hate them for a reason. There should be fewer.
Most wisdom recommends hiding away from people when you want to really get things done. Plus work styles vary; some people prefer long steady concentration and others like hopping across topics.
What if we could accomplish more?
I’ve been working on a zillion things the last few years. I say that to testify to this fact: you can accomplish so much more than you do right now. You do amazing things now and you can do more. You can do it and be less stressed out, less distracted, less consumed.
And the key to all that is flow.
Fewer meetings, fewer calls, fewer email threads. Less time getting pulled between topics. More steady time ticking through the important topics. Focused but also connected — on the same page as the people working with you. And better technology can help you.
Knotable makes things flow
So now you know what I’m working on with Knotable and why and what its mission is. Maybe you knew all that. Well here is some news: now it actually works. Knotable works! It works through web, iPhone, Android, Chrome, and through email.
When you use Knotable you keep using your email, and other people don’t have to change. But you lift up certain topics into a nice tidy place where you can track and focus. You can edit and organize, not just write more words. And the folks around you can join in or just get the updates. We think it’s awesome and have been using Knotable for tons of stuff for months (hiring people, organizing events, replacing weekly update meetings, cutting out back and forth on “what do you think of this idea” threads, and a lot more.)
The first version — the alpha — is finally fast and stable and good enough to start sharing it with people we like a bit more widely. **We need your reactions to make it better, and in turn to help you do your work better.**
In thanks for those of you who help out we have some nifty stuff to send you, and Knotable will always be free for you.
So that’s my big update for the year pretty much. It’s not easy to be in touch sometimes. Now it’s your turn. Hit reply and share a little snippet about what you have been up to and what you seek to achieve this fall.
Best wishes for a productive season ahead,
– Amol
P.S. Remember to visit us at the Knotel when in NYC
P.P.S. The book ships imminently. The building is done. The neuroscience technology is amazing. And if you or friends want help building a startup send them my way.
P.P.P.S. In case you wonder what ways people working together can make progress, check out this amazing knotepad we have for the Invention Convention. Some of those ideas will have an impact on the world.
please remove my mail