(2021-08-06) Kotliarskyi Todo Apps Are Meant For Robots

Alex Kotliarskyi: TODO-list apps are meant for robots. I’ve tried a dozen todo apps.. I start using the new app, then after awhile I stop using it.

then I read Andy Matuschak’s notes (2021-08-06-MatuschakInboxesAndOpenLoops), and it really resonated with me. What if I’m a left-handed person in the world of right-handed tools?

I now see all TODO apps as a shallow copy-pasta of the same rigid, inhuman, anxiety-inducing template

In fact the advanced solution technology lies in the hands of productivity enemies: social media apps and games (gamification). Instagram, TikTok and Candy Crush have figured all this out.

Hacker News thread comments:

My single biggest improvement in getting somewhat organized and productive so far has probably come from getting comfortable with some amount of chaos.

Team collaboration and productivity though is a different beast of a problem. I hate Trello, Asana, Jira - all of them. Because this kind of tools are generally B2B, the decision to buy is usually made by the wrong people.