Notion’s Meteoric Rise. Will It Fall?
Notion. You’ve heard about it. You’ve been preached to on the street about it. You’ve ignored it like every other app suggestion.
Well, some people that is.
At the time of writing this, Notion users have grown past 100 million users. Last year it was sitting at 35 million users.
So, while some people are focusing on different innovations, others are catching on to this sleeper-cell of an app waiting to hit the world like never before.
But what is it? And more importantly, why do so many people care?
In this article, I’ll show you how Notion did what most apps only dream of, and let you decide if it’s hear to stay.
What Exactly Is Notion?
Notion is hard to define in a single sentence because, well, it does everything.
Think of your phone. You can customize it to infinity and beyond.
- Don’t like the style? Get a different model.
- Don’t like the emojis? Buy an Android instead of iPhone.
- Need to track your walks on the beach? Go to the app store and get an app just for that.
That’s what Notion is, but in the easiest way to do it yourself.
What started out as a note-taking app quickly evolved into an ecosystem of everyday features you can use to organize anything personal or professional.
From quick checkboxes for your daily tasks, to complex, formula driven systems (think excel) that run entire teams and businesses, Notion is everything you need it to be, all in one place.
Which is the reason it works.
I’m Not Like Other Girls
Normally when you hear about another billion dollar software, it’s some guy’s social media platform that sells ads like internet billboards. Notion, on the other hand, isn’t social media.
It’s connected like social media, but it’s not designed to keep you scrolling so The Company gets infinite ad cents.
Instead, it’s a tool that helps you organize your life, work, and anything you care about.
While other apps went viral because of their purple gradients, Notion grew exponentially through word of mouth and a user base that suddenly had free time to hang out with their friends again.
Notion doesn’t need to go viral. It just needs to work.
But How Does It Work?
The reason people download an like Notion is to keep track of something. Notion cuts down the number of apps someone has in a unique way.
Instead of needing one app for notes, one for tasks, one for files, one for documents, one for contacts, one for projects, one for spreadshe—you get it.
All of that can be used in the same location.
This is called a digital workspace, which many companies are adopting because of Notion’s extreme success. No more jumping between apps, simply add anything you want to Notion and personalize the layout to work how you need.
Just like a contractor has a toolbox and truck, you’re given a digital toolkit to build your world how you see fit. So, while some contractors use their tools to insulate a house, others prefer to lay the electrical. And the best part about Notion? You can either buy a digital house or build it yourself.
We all have the same toolkit in Notion. It’s whether you prefer DIY or DFY.
Why Teams and Individuals Love Notion
There are plenty of apps out there promising to make your life easier, and many do. The reason Notion is taking over is because it makes life easier in a way that no one else does.
Let’s recap the main points:
- Notion is whatever app you need it be
- What you put in Notion is in one place instead of many
- Notion shrinks or expands to fit any need
It’s an ecosystem of features that you can put together like building blocks to track nearly anything.
Will It Fall?
A lot of apps have burned as bright and fizzled out just as fast, but here’s why I think Notion won’t be one of them.
In the current digital landscape, there are no tools that come close in terms of usability and flexibility found in a single place. It’s not just a productivity app, Notion solves real problems across the world. There’s no wonder why Notion has partnered with the leading providers for cutting edge tools.
From the powerful yet simple to use AI features to basic text editing that actually works, Notion brings a suite of tools that makes giants like Microsoft scramble try to keep up.
“We have a highly specialized problem!”
Then it might be better to use a highly specialized tool. But have no fear, you can put that highly specialized tool inside Notion too. There are integrations for nearly anything.
Because of this central location for success, many people and teams are finding Notion to be an incredible way to stay up to date and on track.
It’s a big program, but it works. And when something works, it’s worth it. You also own it completely. A true outlier in our subscription infested internet.
The Future of Work
Notion’s meteoric rise is proof of it’s power and flexibility. It isn’t because of flashy marketing; it’s because of the genuine value that comes from using it.
It’s not about whether you can use five different apps. It’s about realizing that you don’t need to.
It’s like our favorite innovation: you can always send a letter, but email is faster.
And just like email dethroned sending a letter, Notion is replacing the subscription riddled apps and showing the world how to get the job done.
The future of work isn’t complicated. It’s all in one place.
