Tools I Like
I don’t usually post about the tools I like on here, but I’ve accumulated a few that I’d like to share.
Some of them cost money, but others are free. I’ve found all on the list incredibly helpful.
Note Tools
My go-to notes app is Obsidian. I’m still learning, but I wish I’d started years ago. It’s powerful, customizable, and free.
I also enjoy geeking out on the Obsidian Roundup newsletter every weekend.
If you want a good introduction into making notes and linking them together, then the new book Building Your Second Brain (out on June 14) should help.
Alternatives: Two free alternatives to Obsidian are Logseq and Mem.
Twitter Tool
I’ve been enjoying Twitter even more lately. Sometimes I’ve viewed it as a waste of time. I’ve been challenged by Daniel Vassallo (more about him later) to see it is a random idea generator. I’m still picky about the people I follow.
Sometimes it’s helpful to see someone’s best posts to get an idea of what they’re about. If you use Google Chrome, Twemex will show you a user’s most popular tweets of all time, tweets from this date in prior years, past tweets you’ve sent to each other, and recent popular tweets from your timeline that you might have missed. It’s free while in beta.
I’m using a few email tools, but none of them are free.
Superhuman is a power user’s tool for Gmail and Outlook accounts. It allows me to work through my inbox faster than any other tool I’ve found, and also allows me to schedule emails and set reminders to follow up if someone doesn’t respond. If you need an invite, please let me know.
Leave Me Alone is a tool I’ve been wanting for years. You can see all of your newsletters in one place and unsubscribe from them with a single click. It’s only $7 for seven days access.
Mailman allows you to decide when you want emails to reach your inbox. It also blocks any emails from senders you haven’t emailed with before, plus annoying newsletters, notifications, and other distractions.
Paced.email allows you to bundle emails — say, from newsletters — into a daily digest.
Other Tools
Rize is a time tracker that runs on your computer and reports how you spend your time. I love that it also reminds you when it’s time to take a break.
I love Jack Butcher’s designs. The Visualize Value Chrome extension opens one of his designs in the background every time you open a new tab.
Courses and Communities
I was a little nervous to join Daniel Vassallo’s Small Bets community. I shouldn’t have worried. His course is excellent. The Discord community is far better than I had imagined, and the guest classes are also valuable. Follow Daniel on Twitter to get a sense of what he’s like.
If you want to learn how to create your own graphics, Explain Ideas Visually may help.
The Permissionless Apprentice by Jack Butcher, creator of Visualize Value, is only $1.
I also found Find Joy in Chaos: How to Build Your Twitter Presence so Connections and Opportunities Come Find You to be a helpful resource.
