Notion’s Meteoric Rise.
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 you get.
Well, some people at least.
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 are ignoring it, others are catching on to this sleeper cell of an app just 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.
So, What Exactly Is Notion?
Notion is hard to define in a single sentence because, well, it does everything.
Think of your phone. You can pretty much customize it to infinity and beyond.
- Don’t like the style? Get a different model.
- Don’t like the emojis? Buy from a different brand.
- Need an app 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 entire ecosystem of everyday features to organize anything, personal or professional.
From quick checkboxes for your daily tasks to complex, formulas driven (think excel) systems that run entire teams and businesses, Notion is everything you need it to be, all in one place.
And that’s 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 for infinite ad cents.
It’s a tool that helps you organize your life, your 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.
I Get It. How Does It Work?
The reason people download any app like Notion is to keep track of something. Notion cuts down the number of apps someone has in incredible ways.
Instead of needing an app for notes, one for tasks, one for files, one for documents, one for spreadshe—you get it.
All of that can be used in one place.
It’s called a digital workspace, which many companies are adopting because of Notion’s extreme success. No more jumping between apps, you just put in one place 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 how you see fit. Some contractors might use those tools to build a house, while others prefer to lay the electrical. And the best part? You can either buy a house or build it yourself.
We all have the same toolkit. 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 real quick:
- It’s whatever app you need it be
- It’s all in one place
- It grows with you
And it fits any need.
It’s a complete ecosystem of features that can be put together like Legos to track nearly anything.
Will It Fall?
Every business has a potential to no longer be around in 10 years. 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 to Notion in the usability and flexibility contained in one place. It’s not just a productivity app, Notion solves real problems across the world. There’s not 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 work, Notion brings a suite of tools that makes giants like Microsoft scramble try to keep up.
“My problem is unique!”
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 pretty much everything.
Because of this central point of success, many people and teams are finding it the easiest way to stay up to date and on track.
It’s a big program, but it’s simple. When something works, it’s worth it. And the best part? You own it completely.
The Future of Work
Notion’s meteoric rise to 100 million users is proof to it’s power and flexibility. It wasn’t from flashy marketing, it was because people genuinely find value when using it.
The thing is, it’s not about whether you can use five different apps to manage your life. It’s about realizing you don’t need to.
It’s like any innovation: you can always send a letter, but email is faster.
And just like email made letters a thing of the past, 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.
