"Disregard the Words"

After many years of building and tens of millions of users, Notion now describes itself this way: “Every department’s work. In one tool.”  You can almost feel their internal struggle with language—the search for the right words. How can you describe something that is genuinely novel? What happens when something is so fundamentally different th... See more

In truth, genuinely ‘new things’ are almost always unresolved, unrefined and uncertain. They aren’t optimized, their true purpose is unclear, their features are underdeveloped and their propositions haven’t yet crystallized. New technologies are often exciting, they can present new possibilities, novel ideas can emerge and new conversations can for... See more

At worst this worldview can lead to the esoteric, or the novel for novelty’s sake. But at its best it can feel liberating—permission to “disregard the words” and just build what feels exciting. Trusting that the words will follow.

My point in sharing all of this is that sometimes I feel like we get too caught up in the words, and forget to disregard them. Especially (in the context of this essay) as builders of new technology products.“How will I describe this to an investor, or at a dinner party with friends?”"What’s the one-liner that describes why this will be better?”“Wh... See more