The Problem:
Email was invented as a communication tool. It became a main to-do list hub. Despite folders and search, it’s still built around communication, not action. A to-do list is different but related to email and different but related to your calendar. These relationships aren’t being captured perfectly.
The Business
A filter that sits on top of your email. It’s built around the getting things done methodology. Each feature, folder, customized rule, etc, is optional. You construct the system to fit your life.
Some of its functionality that you can choose:
- Communication with everyday folks automatically winds up where it’s supposed to be
- Depending on the senders level of access, emails they send automatically become action items.
- Emails from people you haven’t received emails from before go in a folder for you to create a rule for them
- You create new projects and new projects can get created for you by others. Again, based on their level of access
- You create new action items and new action items can get created for you.
- Email and calendar truly become one
- You have an always empty inbox
When I say filter… all email is simply forwarded to this “new” “email.” Your email/to-do list app/calendar/sharing workflow application comes to life.
Doableness
Very complex and sophisticated engineering is needed. This product is the set of permissions, set of rules, system of folders, automatic list generation, and integration with calendaring that you wish your email had.
Why not just forward every email to something that has it? If you could do it successfully, Google would buy you in a heartbeat and lay you on top of Gmail.
My Thoughts
After it was re-recommended to me by Tim Flores, I took another hard look at Getting Things Done, and actually started using the Omnifocus app. It’s better than anything out there, to-do list wise. But it’s not integrated with email.
My kill email idea is what I wanted when I wrote The Killer To-Do List App post.