<\/title><\/p>\n<style>\n :root { color-scheme: light; supported-color-schemes: light; }\n body { margin: 0; padding: 0; min-width: 100%!important; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100% !important; -webkit-transform: scale(1) !important; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100% !important; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; }\n .body { word-wrap: normal; word-spacing:normal; }\n table.mso { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; table-layout: fixed; }\n img { border: 0; outline: none; }\n table { mso-table-lspace: 0px; mso-table-rspace: 0px; }\n td, a, span { mso-line-height-rule: exactly; }\n #root [x-apple-data-detectors=true],\n a[x-apple-data-detectors=true],\n #MessageViewBody a { color: inherit !important; text-decoration: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: inherit !important; }\n span.MsoHyperlink { color: inherit !important; mso-style-priority: 99 !important; }\n span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: inherit !important; mso-style-priority: 99 !important; }\n .a { background-color:#FFFFFF; }\n .b { background-color:#030712; }\n .c { background-color:#FFFFFF; }\n .d { background-color:#EAEBEC; }\n .d2 { background-color:#FFFFFF; }\n .d3 { background-color:#FFFFFF; }\n h1 a { text-decoration:underline;color:#0C4A6E !important;font-style:italic; }\n h2 a { text-decoration:underline;color:#0C4A6E !important;font-style:italic; }\n h3 a { text-decoration:underline;color:#0C4A6E !important;font-style:italic; }\n h4 a { text-decoration:underline;color:#0C4A6E !important;font-style:italic; }\n h5 a { text-decoration:underline;color:#0C4A6E !important;font-style:italic; }\n h6 a { text-decoration:underline;color:#0C4A6E !important;font-style:italic; }\n h1, h1 a, h2, h2 a, h3, h3 a, h4, h4 a, h5, h5 a, h6, h6 a, ul, li, ol, p, p a { margin: 0;padding: 0; }\n h1 { font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight:400;font-size:28px;color:#2A2A2A;line-height:42px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-top:16px;mso-margin-top-alt:16px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:4px }\n h2 { font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight:400;font-size:24px;color:#2A2A2A;line-height:36px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-top:16px;mso-margin-top-alt:16px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:4px }\n h3 { font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight:400;font-size:20px;color:#2A2A2A;line-height:30px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-top:16px;mso-margin-top-alt:16px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:4px }\n h4 { font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight:400;font-size:18px;color:#2A2A2A;line-height:27px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-top:16px;mso-margin-top-alt:16px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:4px }\n h5 { font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight:400;font-size:16px;color:#2A2A2A;line-height:24px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-top:16px;mso-margin-top-alt:16px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:4px }\n h6 { font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight:400;font-size:14px;color:#2A2A2A;line-height:21px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-top:16px;mso-margin-top-alt:16px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:4px }\n p { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:400;color:#2D2D2D;font-size:16px;line-height:24px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-top:12px;mso-margin-top-alt:12px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:12px; }\n p a, .e a, ul a, li a, .h a, .h2 a, .h3 a { word-break:break-word;color:#0C4A6E !important;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#0C4A6E;font-style:italic; }\n p a span, .e a span, ul a span, li a span { color: inherit }\n p .bold { font-weight:bold;color:#2D2D2D; }\n p span[style*=\"font-size\"] { line-height: 1.6; }\n .f p { font-size:12px;line-height:15px;color:#2D2D2D;padding:0; }\n .f p a { color:#2D2D2D !important; }\n .g p { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight:normal;margin:0; }\n .g p a { text-decoration: underline; }\n .i p { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:23px;font-size:15px;color:#2D2D2D; }\n .i p a { color:#2D2D2D !important; }\n .i2 p { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:23px;font-size:15px;color:#2D2D2D; }\n .i2 p a { color:#2D2D2D !important; }\n .i3 p { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:43px;font-size:24px;color:#2D2D2D; }\n .i3 p a { color:#2D2D2D !important; }\n .h p a { color:#0C4A6E !important; }\n .h2 p a { color:#0C4A6E !important; }\n .h3 p a { color:#0C4A6E !important; }\n .f p a, .i p a, .i2 p a, .i3 p a, .h p a, .h2 p a, .h3 p a { text-decoration:underline; }\n .j { border-top:3px solid #030712; }\n .k p { padding-left:15px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-top:6px;mso-margin-top-alt:6px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:0px;mso-margin-left-alt:15px; }\n .o { background-color:#FFFFFF;border:1px solid #F1F1F1;border-radius:5px; }\n .o p { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;padding:0px;margin:0px; }\n .l p,\n .l p a, .l a { font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight: bold;color:#2D2D2D;padding-bottom:6px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:6px;text-decoration:none; }\n .m p,\n .m p a { font-size:13px;line-height:18px;font-weight:400;color:#2D2D2D;padding-bottom:6px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:6px;text-decoration:none; }\n .n p,\n .n p a { font-size:12px;line-height:17px;font-weight:400;color:#2D2D2D;padding-bottom:6px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:6px;text-decoration:none; }\n .p { background-color:#FFFFFF;max-width:520px;border:1px solid #E1E8ED;border:1px solid rgba(80, 80, 80, 0.3);border-radius:5px; }\n .q { font-size:16px;font-family:Helvetica,Roboto,Calibri,sans-serif !important;border:1px solid #e1e8ed;border:1px solid rgba(80, 80, 80, 0.3);border-radius:10px;background-color:#FFFFFF; }\n .q p { font-size:16px;font-family:system-ui,Helvetica,Roboto,Calibri,sans-serif !important;color:#222222;padding:4px 0; }\n .r { border:1px solid #E1E8ED !important;border-radius:5px; }\n .s p { font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; font-weight: 400; color: #697882; text-decoration: none; }\n .t p { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:18px;font-weight:400;color:#000000;font-style:italic;padding:4px 0px 0px; }\n .v { border-radius:8px;border:solid 0px #030712;background-color:#030712;font-family:'Verdana',Geneva,sans-serif;color:#FFFFFF; }\n .v a { text-decoration:none;display:block;color:#FFFFFF; }\n .w p { font-size:12px;line-height:15px;font-weight:400;color:#FFFFFF; }\n .w p a { text-decoration: underline !important;color:#FFFFFF !important; }\n ul { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 0px 25px !important;padding:0px !important;color:#2D2D2D;line-height:24px;list-style-type:disc !important;font-size:16px; }\n ul ul { list-style-type:circle !important; }\n ul ul ul { list-style-type:square !important; }\n ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:disc !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:circle !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:square !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:disc !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:circle !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:square !important; }\n ul > li { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;margin:10px 0px 0px 0px !important;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px !important; color: #2D2D2D; }\n ol { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px !important;padding:0px !important;color:#2D2D2D;line-height:24px;list-style:decimal;font-size:16px; }\n ol > li { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;margin:10px 0px 0px 0px !important;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px !important; color: #2D2D2D; }\n .e h3,\n .e p,\n .e span { padding-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;mso-margin-top-alt:0px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:0px; }\n .e span,\n .e li { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;color:#2D2D2D;line-height:24px; }\n .rec { font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Roboto, \"Helvetica Neue\", Arial, \"Noto Sans\", sans-serif, \"Apple Color Emoji\", \"Segoe UI Emoji\", \"Segoe UI Symbol\", \"Noto Color Emoji\" !important; }\n .rec__button:hover { background-color: #f9fafb !important; }\n .copyright a {color: inherit !important; text-decoration: none !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: inherit !important;}\n .txt_social p { padding: 0; word-break: break-all; }\n .table, .table-c, .table-h { border: 1px solid #C0C0C0; }\n .table-c { padding:5px; background-color:#FFFFFF; }\n .table-c p { color: #2D2D2D; font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif !important;overflow-wrap: break-word; }\n .table-h { padding:5px; background-color:#F1F1F1; }\n .table-h p { color: #2A2A2A; font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif !important;overflow-wrap: break-word; }\n @media only screen and (max-width:667px) {\n .aa, .w100pc { width: 100% !important; }\n .bb img { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; max-width: none !important; }\n .cc { padding: 0px 8px !important; }\n .ee { padding-top:10px !important;padding-bottom:10px !important; }\n .ff ul, .ff ol { margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px !important;padding: 0px !important; }\n .ff li { margin:10px 0px 0px 10px !important; }\n .r {height:140px !important;}\n .s p { font-size:13px !important;line-height:15px !important; }\n .mob-hide {display:none !important;}\n .mob-show {display: block !important; width: auto !important; overflow: visible !important; float: none !important; max-height: inherit !important; line-height: inherit !important;}\n .mob-stack {width:100% !important;display:block !important;}\n .mob-w-full {width:100% !important;}\n .mob-block {display:block !important;}\n .embed-img {padding:0px 0px 12px 0px !important;}\n .socialShare {padding-top:15px !important;}\n .rec { padding-left:15px!important;padding-right:15px!important; }\n .bodyWrapper { padding:10px 4px 10px 4px !important; }\n .social-mobile {float:left !important;margin-top:10px !important;}\n }\n @media screen and (max-width: 480px) {\n u + .a .gg { width: 100% !important; width: 100vw !important; }\n .tok-heart { padding-top:75% !important; }\n .tok-play { padding-top: 250px !important; }\n }\n @media screen and (max-width: 320px) {\n .tok-heart { padding-top:65% !important; }\n }\n .u { border: 1px solid #CACACA !important; border-radius: 2px !important; background-color: #ffffff !important; padding: 0px 13px 0px 13px !important; font-family:ui-sans-serif,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,\"Segoe UI\",Roboto,\"Helvetica Neue\",Arial,\"Noto Sans\",sans-serif !important;font-size: 12px !important; color: #767676 !important; }\n .u a { text-decoration: none; display: block !important; color: #767676 !important; margin: 0px !important; }\n .u span, .u img { color: #767676 !important;margin:0px !important; max-height:32px !important;background-color:#ffffff !important; }\n<\/style>\n<p><\/p>\n<style><\/style>\n<p><\/head><body class=\"a\" style=\"margin:0px auto;padding:0px;word-wrap:normal;word-spacing:normal;background-color:#FFFFFF;\"><\/p>\n<div role=\"article\" aria-roledescription=\"email\" aria-label=\"email_name\" lang=\"en\" style=\"font-size:1rem\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"gg\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"670\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"aa\" style=\"width:670px;table-layout:fixed;\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"bodyWrapper\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding:10px 5px 10px 5px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;border-style: solid; border-color: #FFFFFF;border-radius:10px 10px 0px 0px;background-color:#FFFFFF;\" class=\"c\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr id=\"header\">\n<td style=\"padding:15px 15px 0px 15px;\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:0px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"f\" align=\"right\" valign=\"top\">\n<p> December 04, 2025 | <a data-read-online-tooltip=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/buildmode.xyz\/p\/when-your-software-becomes-who-you?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\">Read online<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding:15px 0;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">\n<h1 style=\"text-align:left;font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight:Bold;font-size:32px;color:#2A2A2A;padding:2px 0;line-height:38px;\"> When Your Software Becomes Who You Are <\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;font-size:20px;color:#3E3E3E;padding:5px 0;line-height:24px;\"> Something weird is happening to productivity tools. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" valign=\"middle\" class=\"mob-stack\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"right\" class=\"social-mobile\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" valign=\"middle\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\" style=\"width:100%\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbuildmode.xyz%2Fp%2Fwhen-your-software-becomes-who-you&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block;\"><\/p>\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E7EB; border-radius: 100%; width: 18px; height: 18px; padding: 8px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block; width:100%; height:100%; max-width:18px; max-height:18px; object-fit: contain;\" alt=\"share on facebook\" width=\"18\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/header\/facebook.png\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"8\" style=\"width:8px;\"> <\/td>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Something+weird+is+happening+to+productivity+tools.&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbuildmode.xyz%2Fp%2Fwhen-your-software-becomes-who-you&via=tomasmarsal&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block;\"><\/p>\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E7EB; border-radius: 100%; width: 18px; height: 18px; padding: 8px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block; width:100%; height:100%; max-width:18px; max-height:18px; object-fit: contain;\" alt=\"share on twitter\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/header\/x.png\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"8\" style=\"width:8px;\"> <\/td>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/intent\/post?text=Something+weird+is+happening+to+productivity+tools.+https%3A%2F%2Fbuildmode.xyz%2Fp%2Fwhen-your-software-becomes-who-you&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block;\"><\/p>\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E7EB; border-radius: 100%; width: 18px; height: 18px; padding: 8px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block; width:100%; height:100%; max-width:18px; max-height:18px; object-fit: contain;\" alt=\"share on threads\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/header\/threads.png\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"8\" style=\"width:8px;\"> <\/td>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbuildmode.xyz%2Fp%2Fwhen-your-software-becomes-who-you&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block;\"><\/p>\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E7EB; border-radius: 100%; width: 18px; height: 18px; padding: 8px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block; width:100%; height:100%; max-width:18px; max-height:18px; object-fit: contain;\" alt=\"share on linkedin\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/header\/linkedin.png\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"line-height:0;\">\n<div data-open-tracking=\"true\"> {{OPEN_TRACKING_PIXEL}} <\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr id=\"content-blocks\">\n<td class=\"email-card-body\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:15px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Something weird is happening to productivity tools. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> They\u2019re not just apps anymore. They\u2019re identities. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Think about it. Nobody brags about using Microsoft Word. But people put \u201cNotion user\u201d in their Twitter bios. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion hit <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/taptwicedigital.com\/stats\/notion?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>100 million<\/span><\/a> users worldwide in 2024. But that\u2019s not what makes it interesting. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/646e636a-7572-4421-8a64-b9f9c7f5f2b9\/db105080-cb5c-4efb-aaf1-64b14b5a2d68_1080x1440.jpg?t=1771948362\" alt=\"Enhance Your Notion with Cute Templates & Stickers\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> What makes it interesting is that those users don\u2019t just <i>use<\/i> Notion. They identify with it. They evangelize it. They build their entire digital lives around it. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">The Numbers Tell Part of the Story<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Revenue jumped from <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/taptwicedigital.com\/stats\/notion?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>$250 million in 2023 to $400 million<\/span><\/a> in 2024 – a 60% increase. The user base exploded from <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/judkin.com\/notion-statistics\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>1 million in 2019 to over 30 million by 2022<\/span><\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Out of those millions of users, approximately <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/feather.so\/blog\/notion-valuation?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>4 million<\/span><\/a> are paying customers – a conversion rate that most SaaS companies would kill for. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion achieved a <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/how-notion-scaled-1-million-users-maddy-bergen?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>$10 billion<\/span><\/a> valuation and maintains a 32% revenue compound annual growth rate. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/965e8ed1-6a46-48d0-83e9-9c325bd09e2e\/6f0056dc-bcc1-46a4-9b34-5b9b6f3454f1_1920x1080.jpg?t=1771948363\" alt=\"Templates, Creators, and Power Users: Notion's Monthly Active User Flywheel\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> But here\u2019s what the numbers don\u2019t tell you: why people are obsessed with this thing. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">The Part Nobody Talks About<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> In 2015, Notion was dead. Not struggling – dead. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Co-founders Ivan Zhao and Simon Last laid off their entire team, <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/sequoiacap.com\/article\/notion-spotlight\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>ran out of money<\/span><\/a>, and moved from San Francisco to Kyoto because it was cheaper. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Zhao\u2019s mother loaned him <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/backtofrontshow.com\/notion-valuation\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>$150,000<\/span><\/a> to keep them alive. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> They spent <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/sequoiacap.com\/article\/notion-spotlight\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>18 hours<\/span><\/a> a day coding in their underwear in a tiny house where only a paper screen separated their bedrooms. Neither spoke Japanese. They just coded. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Why? Because they\u2019d built the wrong thing. They made software for themselves, not for users. The tech stack was broken. It crashed constantly. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> So they started over. Completely. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> \u201cNeither of us spoke Japanese and nobody there spoke English, so all we did was code in our underwear all day,\u201d Zhao recalled. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> That Kyoto reboot changed everything. Living in isolation, working like monks, they discovered something: people don\u2019t want more features. They want tools that feel like theirs. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">Design as Identity<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Here\u2019s where Notion gets interesting. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> A screenshot from Google Docs is just… a page. You don\u2019t think about what tool made it. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> A screenshot from Notion? Instantly recognizable. The minimalist aesthetic. The hand-drawn illustrations. The perfect balance of brutalist design and whimsical emojis. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/ede1f364-9342-478d-853d-7a4400d475cf\/2d546f39-561b-4559-8727-d85ae5614963_1920x1199.jpg?t=1771948363\" alt=\"Instagram content planner Template by Templates by Gabi | Notion Marketplace\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> This wasn\u2019t an accident. The design choices are intentional ideology: <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding-bottom:12px;padding-left:37px;padding-right:27px;padding-top:12px;\" class=\"ee\">\n<div style=\"margin-left:0px;\" class=\"edm_outlooklist\">\n<ul style=\"font-weight:normal;list-style-type:disc;margin-bottom:12px !important;margin-top:12px !important;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\">\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Limited formatting (just 3 fonts, 10 colors) <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Whitespace everywhere <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Subtle animations that delight without distracting <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Distinctive, playful illustrations <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Stark minimalism with pops of personality <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Compared to Microsoft Word or Google Docs, Notion is more playground than processor. More craft than corporate. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> And here\u2019s the clever part: people share screenshots of their Notion setups the way they share photos of their workspace or outfits. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The interface itself became Instagram-worthy. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">The Journey That Changes You<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Most productivity software is static. You install it, learn the features, use it. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion is different. It\u2019s Lego blocks for your work life. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Start with a simple to-do list. Then you realize you can add a database. Then connect it to a calendar. Then build a dashboard. Then automate workflows. Then create a content pipeline. Then… <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The IKEA effect kicks in hard. Once you\u2019ve built something yourself in Notion, you love it disproportionately. Not because it\u2019s objectively better, but because <i>you made it<\/i>. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> With just 10 employees, Notion reached 1 million users. No massive sales team. No enterprise deals. Just users who loved what they built and told their friends. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> And here\u2019s where it becomes identity: once you\u2019ve invested time building your \u201csecond brain\u201d in Notion, you don\u2019t just use the tool. You become a Notion person. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Minimalist. Organized. Systems thinker. Appreciation for design. Technical but artistic. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> These aren\u2019t just productivity traits. They\u2019re personality signifiers. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">The Movement Nobody Built (But Everyone Joined)<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The r\/Notion subreddit grew from 190,000 members in 2021 to over <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simple.ink\/blog\/notion-stats?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>346,000<\/span><\/a> by June 2024. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> But that\u2019s just Reddit. The community is everywhere: <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> YouTube channels dedicated to Notion tutorials with millions of views. Branded Twitter accounts selling templates for hundreds of dollars. Instagram aesthetics built around Notion screenshots. TikToks with millions of likes showing setup tips. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion didn\u2019t create this. Their users did. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/bbace8b2-5bb7-4b1e-bc84-27d53ac92124\/b1752fc3-e21c-4dad-9c1f-f592fde22cf6_1080x1440.jpg?t=1771948364\" alt=\"Enhance Your Notion with Cute Templates & Stickers\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/73e086c9-e22e-4803-b19b-46626281e67a\/5931af96-c733-4d36-8dfc-23d662f6abee_1080x1440.jpg?t=1771948364\" alt=\"Enhance Your Notion with Cute Templates & Stickers\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The company just fed it: <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding-bottom:12px;padding-left:37px;padding-right:27px;padding-top:12px;\" class=\"ee\">\n<div style=\"margin-left:0px;\" class=\"edm_outlooklist\">\n<ul style=\"font-weight:normal;list-style-type:disc;margin-bottom:12px !important;margin-top:12px !important;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\">\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> The legendary founding story – <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/sequoiacap.com\/article\/notion-spotlight\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>nearly bankrupt<\/span><\/a>, moved to Kyoto, coded 18 hours a day <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Offices that look like the software (minimalist, creative, playful) <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> First-person product updates from founders <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Build-in-public blog posts showing what happens behind the scenes <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Branded meetups for power users <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Eclectic Spotify playlists that keep Notion in your head while you work <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Merch that matches the brand philosophy <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The result isn\u2019t just software adoption. It\u2019s a lifestyle. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Supreme started as a skateboarding brand. Patagonia means more than \u201cI like hiking.\u201d Notion\u2019s productivity DNA evolved into something bigger. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:4px 15px\"><iframe id=\"iframe-tiktok-iframe?media=1&app=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40maisyleighs%2Fvideo%2F7313248054985985322&key=e27c740634285c9ddc20db64f73358dd\" class=\"tiktok-iframe\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.iframe.ly\/api\/iframe?media=1&app=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40maisyleighs%2Fvideo%2F7313248054985985322&key=e27c740634285c9ddc20db64f73358dd\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">What This Actually Means<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Software used to be about utility. Features. Use cases. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Now the best products are about identity. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Arc browser users talk about it like a philosophy. Linear users identify as people who care about craft. Raycast users signal they\u2019re power users. beehiiv creators are building media companies. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The software you choose says something about who you are. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion cracked this code early. Not through marketing. Through design, community, and building a tool flexible enough that users could make it theirs. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion\u2019s website traffic grew from <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simple.ink\/blog\/notion-stats?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>1.5 million<\/span><\/a> monthly visits in June 2022 to 6.9 million in June 2024 – over 4x growth while spending relatively little on paid advertising. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Because users were doing the marketing. Not because Notion asked them to. Because using Notion became part of their identity. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:573px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/53939eca-ad3a-47d6-ae92-5dbdabab6ec8\/4af180da-67b2-4b3e-b310-c48be7a9c923_665x361.png?t=1771948364\" alt=\"Traffic Secrets that Helped Notion Reach $10 Billion\" height=\"auto\" width=\"573\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/50dc26d5-78cd-482b-8e5f-e0b1d1713601\/e178be75-ebe6-460f-94e1-cd07d3a5fa0e_3238x1615.png?t=1771948365\" alt=\"Notion Statistics: Growth, Revenue & More (2024)\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/65c614b5-3ca1-4c9d-a31f-c544960b054c\/608d2972-235e-4c11-ac60-b917bf5de125_2972x1420.jpg?t=1771948366\" alt=\"Notion Statistics: Growth, Revenue & More (2024)\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> That\u2019s the lesson. In the age of AI and infinite software options, the products that win aren\u2019t necessarily the most powerful. They\u2019re the ones that become expressions of personal style. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The ones where using the tool says something about who you are. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"b\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" bgcolor=\"#030712\" style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color: #FFFFFF;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" bgcolor=\"#030712\" style=\"padding:12px\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"padding-left:1px;\"><\/span><\/td>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" width=\"75\" style=\"width:75px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/buildmode.xyz\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" alt=\"ig\" border=\"0\" style=\"display:block;max-width:22px;color:light\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/instagram_light.png\"\/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"padding-left:1px;\"><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td height=\"10\" style=\"line-height:1px;font-size:1px;height:10px;\"> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"w\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding:15px 15px 15px 15px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">\n<p style=\"font-family:'Verdana',Geneva,sans-serif;color:#FFFFFF!important;\"> Update your email preferences or unsubscribe <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/buildmode.xyz\/subscribe\/{{subscriber_id}}\/preferences?post_id=758c11de-aba5-4a2d-bb4c-af7bfd0e7d60&last_resource_guid=Post%3A758c11de-aba5-4a2d-bb4c-af7bfd0e7d60&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are&last_resource_guid=Post%3A758c11de-aba5-4a2d-bb4c-af7bfd0e7d60\" style=\"text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#FFFFFF!important;color:#FFFFFF!important;\"> here<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright\" style=\"font-family:'Verdana',Geneva,sans-serif;color:#FFFFFF!important;\"> © 2026 BuildMode <\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:'Verdana',Geneva,sans-serif;color:#FFFFFF!important;\"> 2093 Philadelphia Pike<br \/>Claymont, DE 19703, United States <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"display: table-row !important;\">\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-top:20px;\" style=\"display:table-cell !important;\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\" style=\"display:table !important;\">\n<tr style=\"display:table-row !important;\">\n<td class=\"u\" align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" height=\"32\" style=\"height:32px;display:table-cell !important; 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{"id":154,"date":"2026-02-24T15:52:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T15:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildmode.xyz\/?p=154"},"modified":"2026-02-24T15:52:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T15:52:42","slug":"when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildmode.xyz\/uncategorized\/when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\/","title":{"rendered":"When Your Software Becomes Who You Are"},"content":{"rendered":"

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}\n .w p a { text-decoration: underline !important;color:#FFFFFF !important; }\n ul { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 0px 25px !important;padding:0px !important;color:#2D2D2D;line-height:24px;list-style-type:disc !important;font-size:16px; }\n ul ul { list-style-type:circle !important; }\n ul ul ul { list-style-type:square !important; }\n ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:disc !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:circle !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:square !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:disc !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:circle !important; }\n ul ul ul ul ul ul ul ul ul { list-style-type:square !important; }\n ul > li { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;margin:10px 0px 0px 0px !important;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px !important; color: #2D2D2D; }\n ol { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px !important;padding:0px !important;color:#2D2D2D;line-height:24px;list-style:decimal;font-size:16px; }\n ol > li { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;margin:10px 0px 0px 0px !important;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px !important; color: #2D2D2D; }\n .e h3,\n .e p,\n .e span { padding-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;mso-margin-top-alt:0px;mso-margin-bottom-alt:0px; }\n .e span,\n .e li { font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;color:#2D2D2D;line-height:24px; }\n .rec { font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Roboto, \"Helvetica Neue\", Arial, \"Noto Sans\", sans-serif, \"Apple Color Emoji\", \"Segoe UI Emoji\", \"Segoe UI Symbol\", \"Noto Color Emoji\" !important; }\n .rec__button:hover { background-color: #f9fafb !important; }\n .copyright a {color: inherit !important; text-decoration: none !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: inherit !important;}\n .txt_social p { padding: 0; word-break: break-all; }\n .table, .table-c, .table-h { border: 1px solid #C0C0C0; }\n .table-c { padding:5px; background-color:#FFFFFF; }\n .table-c p { color: #2D2D2D; font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif !important;overflow-wrap: break-word; }\n .table-h { padding:5px; background-color:#F1F1F1; }\n .table-h p { color: #2A2A2A; font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif !important;overflow-wrap: break-word; }\n @media only screen and (max-width:667px) {\n .aa, .w100pc { width: 100% !important; }\n .bb img { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; max-width: none !important; }\n .cc { padding: 0px 8px !important; }\n .ee { padding-top:10px !important;padding-bottom:10px !important; }\n .ff ul, .ff ol { margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px !important;padding: 0px !important; }\n .ff li { margin:10px 0px 0px 10px !important; }\n .r {height:140px !important;}\n .s p { font-size:13px !important;line-height:15px !important; }\n .mob-hide {display:none !important;}\n .mob-show {display: block !important; width: auto !important; overflow: visible !important; float: none !important; max-height: inherit !important; line-height: inherit !important;}\n .mob-stack {width:100% !important;display:block !important;}\n .mob-w-full {width:100% !important;}\n .mob-block {display:block !important;}\n .embed-img {padding:0px 0px 12px 0px !important;}\n .socialShare {padding-top:15px !important;}\n .rec { padding-left:15px!important;padding-right:15px!important; }\n .bodyWrapper { padding:10px 4px 10px 4px !important; }\n .social-mobile {float:left !important;margin-top:10px !important;}\n }\n @media screen and (max-width: 480px) {\n u + .a .gg { width: 100% !important; width: 100vw !important; }\n .tok-heart { padding-top:75% !important; }\n .tok-play { padding-top: 250px !important; }\n }\n @media screen and (max-width: 320px) {\n .tok-heart { padding-top:65% !important; }\n }\n .u { border: 1px solid #CACACA !important; border-radius: 2px !important; background-color: #ffffff !important; padding: 0px 13px 0px 13px !important; font-family:ui-sans-serif,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,\"Segoe UI\",Roboto,\"Helvetica Neue\",Arial,\"Noto Sans\",sans-serif !important;font-size: 12px !important; color: #767676 !important; }\n .u a { text-decoration: none; display: block !important; color: #767676 !important; margin: 0px !important; }\n .u span, .u img { color: #767676 !important;margin:0px !important; max-height:32px !important;background-color:#ffffff !important; }\n<\/style>\n<p><\/p>\n<style><\/style>\n<p><\/head><body class=\"a\" style=\"margin:0px auto;padding:0px;word-wrap:normal;word-spacing:normal;background-color:#FFFFFF;\"><\/p>\n<div role=\"article\" aria-roledescription=\"email\" aria-label=\"email_name\" lang=\"en\" style=\"font-size:1rem\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"gg\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"670\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"aa\" style=\"width:670px;table-layout:fixed;\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"bodyWrapper\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding:10px 5px 10px 5px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;border-style: solid; border-color: #FFFFFF;border-radius:10px 10px 0px 0px;background-color:#FFFFFF;\" class=\"c\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr id=\"header\">\n<td style=\"padding:15px 15px 0px 15px;\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:0px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"f\" align=\"right\" valign=\"top\">\n<p> December 04, 2025 | <a data-read-online-tooltip=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/buildmode.xyz\/p\/when-your-software-becomes-who-you?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\">Read online<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding:15px 0;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">\n<h1 style=\"text-align:left;font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight:Bold;font-size:32px;color:#2A2A2A;padding:2px 0;line-height:38px;\"> When Your Software Becomes Who You Are <\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;font-family:'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;font-size:20px;color:#3E3E3E;padding:5px 0;line-height:24px;\"> Something weird is happening to productivity tools. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" valign=\"middle\" class=\"mob-stack\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"right\" class=\"social-mobile\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" valign=\"middle\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\" style=\"width:100%\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbuildmode.xyz%2Fp%2Fwhen-your-software-becomes-who-you&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block;\"><\/p>\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E7EB; border-radius: 100%; width: 18px; height: 18px; padding: 8px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block; width:100%; height:100%; max-width:18px; max-height:18px; object-fit: contain;\" alt=\"share on facebook\" width=\"18\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/header\/facebook.png\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"8\" style=\"width:8px;\"> <\/td>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Something+weird+is+happening+to+productivity+tools.&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbuildmode.xyz%2Fp%2Fwhen-your-software-becomes-who-you&via=tomasmarsal&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block;\"><\/p>\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E7EB; border-radius: 100%; width: 18px; height: 18px; padding: 8px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block; width:100%; height:100%; max-width:18px; max-height:18px; object-fit: contain;\" alt=\"share on twitter\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/header\/x.png\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"8\" style=\"width:8px;\"> <\/td>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/intent\/post?text=Something+weird+is+happening+to+productivity+tools.+https%3A%2F%2Fbuildmode.xyz%2Fp%2Fwhen-your-software-becomes-who-you&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block;\"><\/p>\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E7EB; border-radius: 100%; width: 18px; height: 18px; padding: 8px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block; width:100%; height:100%; max-width:18px; max-height:18px; object-fit: contain;\" alt=\"share on threads\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/header\/threads.png\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"8\" style=\"width:8px;\"> <\/td>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbuildmode.xyz%2Fp%2Fwhen-your-software-becomes-who-you&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block;\"><\/p>\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E7EB; border-radius: 100%; width: 18px; height: 18px; padding: 8px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block; width:100%; height:100%; max-width:18px; max-height:18px; object-fit: contain;\" alt=\"share on linkedin\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/header\/linkedin.png\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"line-height:0;\">\n<div data-open-tracking=\"true\"> {{OPEN_TRACKING_PIXEL}} <\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr id=\"content-blocks\">\n<td class=\"email-card-body\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:15px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Something weird is happening to productivity tools. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> They\u2019re not just apps anymore. They\u2019re identities. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Think about it. Nobody brags about using Microsoft Word. But people put \u201cNotion user\u201d in their Twitter bios. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion hit <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/taptwicedigital.com\/stats\/notion?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>100 million<\/span><\/a> users worldwide in 2024. But that\u2019s not what makes it interesting. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/646e636a-7572-4421-8a64-b9f9c7f5f2b9\/db105080-cb5c-4efb-aaf1-64b14b5a2d68_1080x1440.jpg?t=1771948362\" alt=\"Enhance Your Notion with Cute Templates & Stickers\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> What makes it interesting is that those users don\u2019t just <i>use<\/i> Notion. They identify with it. They evangelize it. They build their entire digital lives around it. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">The Numbers Tell Part of the Story<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Revenue jumped from <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/taptwicedigital.com\/stats\/notion?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>$250 million in 2023 to $400 million<\/span><\/a> in 2024 – a 60% increase. The user base exploded from <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/judkin.com\/notion-statistics\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>1 million in 2019 to over 30 million by 2022<\/span><\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Out of those millions of users, approximately <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/feather.so\/blog\/notion-valuation?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>4 million<\/span><\/a> are paying customers – a conversion rate that most SaaS companies would kill for. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion achieved a <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/how-notion-scaled-1-million-users-maddy-bergen?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>$10 billion<\/span><\/a> valuation and maintains a 32% revenue compound annual growth rate. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/965e8ed1-6a46-48d0-83e9-9c325bd09e2e\/6f0056dc-bcc1-46a4-9b34-5b9b6f3454f1_1920x1080.jpg?t=1771948363\" alt=\"Templates, Creators, and Power Users: Notion's Monthly Active User Flywheel\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> But here\u2019s what the numbers don\u2019t tell you: why people are obsessed with this thing. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">The Part Nobody Talks About<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> In 2015, Notion was dead. Not struggling – dead. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Co-founders Ivan Zhao and Simon Last laid off their entire team, <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/sequoiacap.com\/article\/notion-spotlight\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>ran out of money<\/span><\/a>, and moved from San Francisco to Kyoto because it was cheaper. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Zhao\u2019s mother loaned him <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/backtofrontshow.com\/notion-valuation\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>$150,000<\/span><\/a> to keep them alive. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> They spent <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/sequoiacap.com\/article\/notion-spotlight\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>18 hours<\/span><\/a> a day coding in their underwear in a tiny house where only a paper screen separated their bedrooms. Neither spoke Japanese. They just coded. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Why? Because they\u2019d built the wrong thing. They made software for themselves, not for users. The tech stack was broken. It crashed constantly. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> So they started over. Completely. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> \u201cNeither of us spoke Japanese and nobody there spoke English, so all we did was code in our underwear all day,\u201d Zhao recalled. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> That Kyoto reboot changed everything. Living in isolation, working like monks, they discovered something: people don\u2019t want more features. They want tools that feel like theirs. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">Design as Identity<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Here\u2019s where Notion gets interesting. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> A screenshot from Google Docs is just… a page. You don\u2019t think about what tool made it. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> A screenshot from Notion? Instantly recognizable. The minimalist aesthetic. The hand-drawn illustrations. The perfect balance of brutalist design and whimsical emojis. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/ede1f364-9342-478d-853d-7a4400d475cf\/2d546f39-561b-4559-8727-d85ae5614963_1920x1199.jpg?t=1771948363\" alt=\"Instagram content planner Template by Templates by Gabi | Notion Marketplace\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> This wasn\u2019t an accident. The design choices are intentional ideology: <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding-bottom:12px;padding-left:37px;padding-right:27px;padding-top:12px;\" class=\"ee\">\n<div style=\"margin-left:0px;\" class=\"edm_outlooklist\">\n<ul style=\"font-weight:normal;list-style-type:disc;margin-bottom:12px !important;margin-top:12px !important;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\">\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Limited formatting (just 3 fonts, 10 colors) <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Whitespace everywhere <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Subtle animations that delight without distracting <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Distinctive, playful illustrations <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Stark minimalism with pops of personality <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Compared to Microsoft Word or Google Docs, Notion is more playground than processor. More craft than corporate. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> And here\u2019s the clever part: people share screenshots of their Notion setups the way they share photos of their workspace or outfits. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The interface itself became Instagram-worthy. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">The Journey That Changes You<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Most productivity software is static. You install it, learn the features, use it. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion is different. It\u2019s Lego blocks for your work life. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Start with a simple to-do list. Then you realize you can add a database. Then connect it to a calendar. Then build a dashboard. Then automate workflows. Then create a content pipeline. Then… <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The IKEA effect kicks in hard. Once you\u2019ve built something yourself in Notion, you love it disproportionately. Not because it\u2019s objectively better, but because <i>you made it<\/i>. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> With just 10 employees, Notion reached 1 million users. No massive sales team. No enterprise deals. Just users who loved what they built and told their friends. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> And here\u2019s where it becomes identity: once you\u2019ve invested time building your \u201csecond brain\u201d in Notion, you don\u2019t just use the tool. You become a Notion person. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Minimalist. Organized. Systems thinker. Appreciation for design. Technical but artistic. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> These aren\u2019t just productivity traits. They\u2019re personality signifiers. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">The Movement Nobody Built (But Everyone Joined)<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The r\/Notion subreddit grew from 190,000 members in 2021 to over <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simple.ink\/blog\/notion-stats?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>346,000<\/span><\/a> by June 2024. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> But that\u2019s just Reddit. The community is everywhere: <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> YouTube channels dedicated to Notion tutorials with millions of views. Branded Twitter accounts selling templates for hundreds of dollars. Instagram aesthetics built around Notion screenshots. TikToks with millions of likes showing setup tips. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion didn\u2019t create this. Their users did. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/bbace8b2-5bb7-4b1e-bc84-27d53ac92124\/b1752fc3-e21c-4dad-9c1f-f592fde22cf6_1080x1440.jpg?t=1771948364\" alt=\"Enhance Your Notion with Cute Templates & Stickers\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/73e086c9-e22e-4803-b19b-46626281e67a\/5931af96-c733-4d36-8dfc-23d662f6abee_1080x1440.jpg?t=1771948364\" alt=\"Enhance Your Notion with Cute Templates & Stickers\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The company just fed it: <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding-bottom:12px;padding-left:37px;padding-right:27px;padding-top:12px;\" class=\"ee\">\n<div style=\"margin-left:0px;\" class=\"edm_outlooklist\">\n<ul style=\"font-weight:normal;list-style-type:disc;margin-bottom:12px !important;margin-top:12px !important;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\">\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> The legendary founding story – <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/sequoiacap.com\/article\/notion-spotlight\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>nearly bankrupt<\/span><\/a>, moved to Kyoto, coded 18 hours a day <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Offices that look like the software (minimalist, creative, playful) <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> First-person product updates from founders <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Build-in-public blog posts showing what happens behind the scenes <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Branded meetups for power users <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Eclectic Spotify playlists that keep Notion in your head while you work <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"listItem ultext\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;padding:0px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\"> Merch that matches the brand philosophy <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The result isn\u2019t just software adoption. It\u2019s a lifestyle. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Supreme started as a skateboarding brand. Patagonia means more than \u201cI like hiking.\u201d Notion\u2019s productivity DNA evolved into something bigger. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:4px 15px\"><iframe id=\"iframe-tiktok-iframe?media=1&app=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40maisyleighs%2Fvideo%2F7313248054985985322&key=e27c740634285c9ddc20db64f73358dd\" class=\"tiktok-iframe\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.iframe.ly\/api\/iframe?media=1&app=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40maisyleighs%2Fvideo%2F7313248054985985322&key=e27c740634285c9ddc20db64f73358dd\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;\">\n<h4 style=\"color:#2A2A2A;font-weight:normal;mso-line-height-alt:112.5%;\">What This Actually Means<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Software used to be about utility. Features. Use cases. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Now the best products are about identity. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Arc browser users talk about it like a philosophy. Linear users identify as people who care about craft. Raycast users signal they\u2019re power users. beehiiv creators are building media companies. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The software you choose says something about who you are. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion cracked this code early. Not through marketing. Through design, community, and building a tool flexible enough that users could make it theirs. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Notion\u2019s website traffic grew from <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simple.ink\/blog\/notion-stats?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><span>1.5 million<\/span><\/a> monthly visits in June 2022 to 6.9 million in June 2024 – over 4x growth while spending relatively little on paid advertising. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> Because users were doing the marketing. Not because Notion asked them to. Because using Notion became part of their identity. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:573px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/53939eca-ad3a-47d6-ae92-5dbdabab6ec8\/4af180da-67b2-4b3e-b310-c48be7a9c923_665x361.png?t=1771948364\" alt=\"Traffic Secrets that Helped Notion Reach $10 Billion\" height=\"auto\" width=\"573\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/50dc26d5-78cd-482b-8e5f-e0b1d1713601\/e178be75-ebe6-460f-94e1-cd07d3a5fa0e_3238x1615.png?t=1771948365\" alt=\"Notion Statistics: Growth, Revenue & More (2024)\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-top:20px; \" class=\"dd\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"margin:0 auto 0 auto;\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width:630px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/uploads\/asset\/file\/65c614b5-3ca1-4c9d-a31f-c544960b054c\/608d2972-235e-4c11-ac60-b917bf5de125_2972x1420.jpg?t=1771948366\" alt=\"Notion Statistics: Growth, Revenue & More (2024)\" height=\"auto\" width=\"630\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;\" border=\"0\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> That\u2019s the lesson. In the age of AI and infinite software options, the products that win aren\u2019t necessarily the most powerful. They\u2019re the ones that become expressions of personal style. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"dd\" align=\"left\" style=\"padding:0px 15px;text-align:left;word-break:break-word;\">\n<p style=\"mso-line-height-alt:150.0%;\"> The ones where using the tool says something about who you are. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"b\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" bgcolor=\"#030712\" style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color: #FFFFFF;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" bgcolor=\"#030712\" style=\"padding:12px\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"padding-left:1px;\"><\/span><\/td>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" width=\"75\" style=\"width:75px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/buildmode.xyz\/?utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" alt=\"ig\" border=\"0\" style=\"display:block;max-width:22px;color:light\" src=\"https:\/\/media.beehiiv.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80\/static_assets\/instagram_light.png\"\/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"padding-left:1px;\"><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td height=\"10\" style=\"line-height:1px;font-size:1px;height:10px;\"> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"w\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding:15px 15px 15px 15px;\">\n<table role=\"none\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">\n<p style=\"font-family:'Verdana',Geneva,sans-serif;color:#FFFFFF!important;\"> Update your email preferences or unsubscribe <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/buildmode.xyz\/subscribe\/{{subscriber_id}}\/preferences?post_id=758c11de-aba5-4a2d-bb4c-af7bfd0e7d60&last_resource_guid=Post%3A758c11de-aba5-4a2d-bb4c-af7bfd0e7d60&utm_source=buildmode.xyz&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=when-your-software-becomes-who-you-are&last_resource_guid=Post%3A758c11de-aba5-4a2d-bb4c-af7bfd0e7d60\" style=\"text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#FFFFFF!important;color:#FFFFFF!important;\"> here<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright\" style=\"font-family:'Verdana',Geneva,sans-serif;color:#FFFFFF!important;\"> © 2026 BuildMode <\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:'Verdana',Geneva,sans-serif;color:#FFFFFF!important;\"> 2093 Philadelphia Pike<br \/>Claymont, DE 19703, United States <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"display: table-row !important;\">\n<td align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" style=\"padding-top:20px;\" style=\"display:table-cell !important;\">\n<table role=\"none\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\" style=\"display:table !important;\">\n<tr style=\"display:table-row !important;\">\n<td class=\"u\" align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\" height=\"32\" style=\"height:32px;display:table-cell !important; 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