Author: Chris Starr

getting things done with timyo

Getting Things Done with Timyo

At Timyo, we are big fans of David Allen‘s book Getting Things Done, and the time-management system that it outlines. So it’s no accident that Timyo aligns so well with the “Four D’s” of Getting Things Done: Do It. Defer It. Delegate It. Delete It. In case you aren’t familiar with the Getting Things Done approach, it basically boils down to the idea that so many of the vague stresses in our lives are stressful precisely because they are vague—our brains are full of nebulous, free-floating anxiety that stresses us out unnecessarily. By simply enumerating what all of those stressors… Continue reading Getting Things Done with Timyo

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories tips
the science of priming behind productive email with timyo

Priming for Success: How Timyo Sets The Tone for Productive Email

We’ve talked a lot about how Timyo helps you use email to be more productive, but one of the subtler effects of Timyo is also one of my favorites, and it all comes down to the psychological effect known as “priming”. What is priming? Priming is a psychological effect that basically boils down to preparing someone to give a certain response or type of response by influencing them before that response is given. A famous example is a study that showed that people were more likely to behave “warmly” (that is, positively, welcomingly or sympathetically) if they were asked to briefly… Continue reading Priming for Success: How Timyo Sets The Tone for Productive Email

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories email
urgent and important

Urgent and Important are Not the Same Thing—Even When It Comes to Email

At first glance, this sounds obvious: of course “urgent” and “important” don’t mean the same thing…there are even, like, totally different words for them. But when it comes to email, they are often treated as interchangeable, and the fact that we conflate these two different qualities speaks to a couple of perceptual problems that get right to the heart of what’s wrong with the email status quo. “Urgent”, of course, answers the question “When?” (The answer? “NOW!”), while “important” gives information about the “What?” of an email. But because of basic human nature, as well as a modern work culture… Continue reading Urgent and Important are Not the Same Thing—Even When It Comes to Email

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories news
A Simple Solution for Sophisticated Email

A Simple Solution for Sophisticated Email

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” —Leonardo da Vinci* It’s no secret that Steve Jobs was a big fan of simplicity. In fact he used the above quote (or misquote, see footnote) to introduce the Apple II, way back in 1978: That focus on simplicity has been an essential component of everything Apple has done in the past 40 years, and surely one of the most important factors contributing to their unprecedented success. From Timyo’s inception, we have sought to emulate that relentless focus on simplicity. Not only in terms of design, but also in the very essence of the product… Continue reading A Simple Solution for Sophisticated Email

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories email
the email status quo

The Email Status Quo is So Inappropriate

A Thought Experiment Indulge me, if you will, in a thought experiment that will (I promise) lead to an insight into exactly what is wrong with the email status quo. For the purposes of this thought experiment, please assume that you have a) a home, b) a kitchen, c) some dirty dishes, d) a husband or wife, and e) some out-of-town friends named the Petersons, who are f) really just a lovely couple. Supposition f) is not strictly essential for the success of this thought experiment, but you might as well treat yourself. Now, imagine you are at home in the kitchen doing dishes and your… Continue reading The Email Status Quo is So Inappropriate

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories email

Timyo and the Life-Saving Importance of Built-In Expectations in Email

It’s no secret that at Timyo, we believe that sending email with built-in expectations should be the norm, and we are working hard to achieve that goal. Today, I wanted to look at one of the subtle advantages that becomes the norm when your workplace sends email with clear expectations. Before Timyo, there was no good way to communicate expectations in email quickly, clearly, and easily. The best you could do was to write detailed expectations into the body of the email, regarding when you wanted a response and what kind of action you wanted taken, but that is pretty… Continue reading Timyo and the Life-Saving Importance of Built-In Expectations in Email

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories email
How Timyo Brags About You to Clients

How Timyo Brags About You to Clients (So You Don’t Have To)

In our last two posts, we took a look at how Timyo can help you work with colleagues, and how it can be used by managers to keep things running smoothly. This week, we’ll look out how Timyo helps you with your most important interactions—those with clients, customers, and other contacts outside of your company. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. If respect is important within the workplace, it is absolutely essential outside of it. Whether you are dealing with potential clients, current customers, or any of the many other people you interact with for your company, nothing conveys respect better than a careful consideration… Continue reading How Timyo Brags About You to Clients (So You Don’t Have To)

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories product
manage your team like a boss

Like a Boss: How Timyo Helps You Manage Your Team

Last week, we talked about how Timyo can improve email between colleagues. Today, we’ll look at what Timyo can do for those of us in leadership positions.* Out of Sync is A-OK! When managing a team, it is natural to want everyone to be on the same page. We learn from a young age that teams work best when everyone is moving at the same time and in the same direction. But it’s different when you are the team’s captain—the people working under you will naturally be focusing on smaller, constituent efforts. It’s your job to see the big picture.… Continue reading Like a Boss: How Timyo Helps You Manage Your Team

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories email
let's be clear

Let’s Be Clear. Here’s How.

We’ve talked before about all of the great reasons for improving email clarity with Timyo — now let’s talk about how exactly improved clarity can help at work. This week, we’ll take a look at why Timyo is a great tool to use with colleagues. Everyone is the hero of their own movie. I once listened to a friend complaining about how horrible and inconsiderate and awful drivers in his city were, especially when it came to double-parking, which was constant and terribly inconvenient. I mentioned that just the week before, I had been with him in his car and… Continue reading Let’s Be Clear. Here’s How.

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories news
quiz what is your email persona

What’s Your Email Persona?

Here at Timyo, we think a lot more about email than is probably healthy, and one thing that has struck us again and again is how different people use email differently. It’s a really wide range: quick updates from a coworker, cryptic missives from the IT guy that make it seem like he’s paying by the word, if not the letter (“Just port it to the 220. Thx”), rapid fire textbursts from 20-year-olds who don’t really understand that email is not chat, and your charming aunt who recognizes it as her solemn duty to be the emissary of cat videos… Continue reading What’s Your Email Persona?

PUBLISHED ON Posted on Author BY Chris Starrin Categories news