8 ms·
How Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, Works
- networkjester 14y agoExcellent article. I love Phil's sense of humor. Seems like a great guy running a great company!
- mitchellhislop 14y agoI, for one, am VERY excited to see the todo features that he hinted at in the article. Evernote is fantastic, and I'm not sure it would be a main todo system, but if there is an area it has been lacking, it is in the handling of todos.
- aiculedssul 14y agoIt isn't cross-platform: no Linux support at all.
- ben336 14y agoIt has a web app thats very usable.
- cma 14y agoI have their extension on installed on chromium...
- sp332 14y agoIt runs on Android! :)
- dysoco 14y agoI can't speak for myself because I don't use Evernote, but I read good things about Everpad: https://github.com/nvbn/everpad https://github.com/nvbn/everpad
- rl1987 14y agoNixnote [1] (formerly Nevernote) is an unofficial Evernote client for Linux. [1] http://sourceforge.net/projects/nevernote/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/nevernote/
- gwern 14y agoI use Nixnote every so often to export/backup my evernotes. (I learned my lesson long ago about leaving data like that on a company's servers.) It seems to work fine for that purpose, although it's Java so installation can be a bit odd and it sometimes just breaks.
- tluyben2 14y agoNice article. And he knows (and likes) the Konami code! Memories of Gradius on the NES. Don't know if other versions had it?
- Zolomon 14y agoAre you supposed to interpret his answer to the best advice he ever received as to cheat?
- incision 14y agoI guess you could. My first thought was "He must be a truly terrible player". By the time the first Konami code game showed up he would have been 14.
- maguay 14y agoMost likely it was a joke...
- egypturnash 14y agoOr to not waste your time beating your head against absolutely pointless mastery.
- abolibibelot 14y agoCliff's notes: Like pretty much everyone else in that space, I use all the iOS devices and a mac osx desktop. And my company's app. My nugget of wisdom: nerds don't get laid.
- phaus 14y agoYou forgot the Macbook.
- techteam 14y agoAm I the only one who on hearing investors and top enterpreneurs saying oh I love Uber sound like saying oh I am rich and love my Rolex? Sometimes the talk about comparing expensive limousines to taxis seems so absurd.
- rdouble 14y agoThe last time I was in SF, I found that using Uberx and Uber Taxi was only a dollar or two more than taking a cab.
- jorts 14y agoYea, I used it yesterday. It's not that expensive, the app is awesome, and their responsiveness is also great.
- ajju 14y agoUberX is $1 more per mile than a taxi. Also, the minimum fare is $10 for UberX vs $3.50 for a cab. Uber Taxi charges a fixed 20% tip and $1 booking fee. Sources: https://www.uber.com/cities/san-francisco https://www.uber.com/cities/san-francisco http://www.sfmta.com/cms/xcust/indxtxcust.htm http://www.sfmta.com/cms/xcust/indxtxcust.htm
- larsberg 14y agoUber is awesome, even the taxi version of it (which I primarily use unless taking the wife on Big Dates). For only a little bit more than a usual cab (which basically comes even to a large-ish tip), you get: - Improved safety. You know the name of your driver and your trip is logged. Many of my wife's friends like this aspect a _lot_. - Cleaner. At least in Chicago, many cabs are a stinky filthy mess. In Uber, with the ratings, such cabs would be out of the rotation pretty quickly. - No standing in the sleet. - No fumbling with cash or the argument over "broken credit card reader". Cabbies in Chicago make less on credit cards, so on most of my non-Uber trips where I want to use credit, the driver and I basically come down to a lying competition about me not carrying cash (lie) versus his machine being broken (also a lie).
- timjahn 14y ago
- dysoco 14y agoLoved the Star Trek story. Although I'd love to hear more about what software he uses: he only mentioned Evernote, Google and a couple more.
- incision 14y agoPersonally, I find the "everything" nature of Evernote to be in conflict with the statement... "That's what we aspire to build at Evernote. Something fundamentally tool." Via browser or phone, Evernote is multiple panes, functions and I don't how many buttons where every action seems to come with an extra dialog, step or three. That doesn't say tool to me, more like a borrowed toolbox. Sure, I can accomplish a lot with the assortment found inside, but I'd get things done a lot faster and easier with purpose-built tools. Also, I find the inclusion of both a mini-bat and sledge on the on the desk shot a bit odd.
- ScotterC 14y agoThere are people that organize their entire lives with it. Following GTD and http://www.thesecretweapon.org/ http://www.thesecretweapon.org/. For them it's absolutely fundamental.
- incision 14y agoThat's great, but evoking the inclined plane sets a totally different context for the meaning of "fundamental" than does an organizer.
- AlexDanger 14y agoIs it a bad sign that I googled for 'Fire' and 'The Wheel' thinking they were some kind of hip Web 2.0 productivity tools?
- hammock 14y agoDon't blame yourself entirely. They were (incorrectly) capitalized in the article.
- noknockers 14y agoIt's a bad sign. I also read them and thought they were something new I hadn't heard of. I didn't even click until I saw your comment.
- arctangent 14y agoI think the capitalisation of the words was intended to solicit exactly this response. The point is that that recent things such as Google, Wikipedia and GPS are just as important as those previous innovations.
- Ologn 14y ago"The Evernote office is all open seating. My desk is the messiest. We don't have any desk phones, but lots of conference rooms if you want to talk to someone." Is a lack of desk phones unique to Evernote, or is this becoming more common in the Bay area? It's not a bad idea. Sitting next to someone saying "Thank you for calling Initech, please hold..." all day can be distracting. As can a phone which rings every fifteen minutes with someone who wants some minor thing.
- arindone 14y agoMaybe it's a West Coast thing...I've worked jobs in Los Angeles and now the valley and company cell phones in lieu of desk phones is the new standard I think. That, and Facebook video chat/Google chat/Skype...
- munificent 14y agoWhen I started at my current, you could get a desk phone if you specifically asked for one. Most didn't. About a year later, I think they phased them out entirely. I don't know why but I find hearing half of a phone conversation infinitely more distracting then having two coworkers discussing something in person nearby.
- speeder 14y agoFunny interview but to me it sounded like the guy was trying too hard to look human, or he wanted to hide something, or he wanted to embarrass the interviewer, or he is a stand-up comedian wannabe in real life. I am all for humor, but reply the interviewer questions! Don't act like a politician!
- zwieback 14y agoI was impressed that that long German word was both spelled correctly and grammatically internally consistent. It shows an attention to detail that's often lacking in this day and age and something you don't see often. And I don't even try to use umlauts on my US keyboard anymore.
- lifeguard 14y agoYuck, open office plan? http://img.gawkerassets.com/post/17/2013/02/phil_desk.jpg http://img.gawkerassets.com/post/17/2013/02/phil_desk.jpg
- segmondy 14y agoopen office plan is for grown ups. i wish we had an open office plan, i hate these cubicles and walls that divide.
- cheeseprocedure 14y agoI wish I was blessed with your mental filters for blocking out distractions. Open office plans drive me absolutely bonkers.
- lifeguard 14y agoI am wondering if you have ever worked in an open office layout for more than 3 months.
- TimJRobinson 14y agoAnyone know where I can find more in depth articles like this? I'd really like to see a breakdown of the habits and daily routines of successful people more than just the normal 'work hard and do something you enjoy and you'll be successful'
- jfernandez 14y agoNot necessarily an article but the video series produced by Kevin Rose, http://foundation.kr/ http://foundation.kr/, are pretty insightful into the more human elements of some of the people you may have heard of.
- arindone 14y agowell this is part of a series for Lifehacker -- they've had some other interesting ones in the past (including the Editor of the MIT Tech Review.)
- raven_king 14y agoyou can check out usesthis.com
- taylorbuley 14y agoMy favorite Phil Libin quote: I’m here to talk about entrepreneurship. I travel around quite a bit, and I’m lucky enough to be able to coach and mentor lots of entrepreneurs worldwide, and the common question I get asked is what advice I have for someone who is thinking of being an entrepreneur. I’ve narrowed it down, really boiled it down, to one core piece of advice. If I can only say one thing, and I don’t know you any better, it’s: don’t. Don’t do it. Seriously. http://thenextweb.com/video/2012/04/27/evernote-ceo-phil-libin-my-advice-to-aspiring-entrepreneurs-dont-do-it-video/ http://thenextweb.com/video/2012/04/27/evernote-ceo-phil-lib...
- louthy 14y agoI'm sorry, but this is such a 'try hard' interview it's painful. Tell us what you really think, it doesn't matter if it's a bit left of centre or weird, it'd be much more interesting than this saccharine take on what you think the geeks "wanna hear". "I think it's important to have an identity mug." No, it isn't.
- JakeSc 14y agoI enjoyed the humor. Perhaps his responses didn’t entirely serve the How I Work series, but it made Libin seem more approachable.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- mcherm 14y ago> Tell us what you really think, it doesn't matter if it's a bit left of centre or weird I think it's important to have an identity mug. > No it isn't. ??
- jaredcwhite 14y agoI think this ranks pretty much up at the top of my list of "Best Interviews with a CEO Evah"
- lopatin 14y agoInteresting that his girl advice was to suppress your geekiness, not own it.
- zem 14y agothis was really well put: > That's the real magic of the human brain; how quickly it rewires itself around a fundamental new tool as soon as you really grok it. Think about it: at some point in your life you didn't understand the concept of "hammer", and then you understood it and the whole world changed in front of your eyes. Now, when you look at the world, you do it with the understanding that hammers exist. Same thing for Skype. One day you're worrying about how you'll pay for that call and the next day you just know that you can talk to anyone at any time. That's what we aspire to build at Evernote. Something fundamentally tool.
- 31reasons 14y ago"I actually sleep really well; it's sort of my core competency; I can fall asleep anywhere, at any time, on command. My brain doesn't understand time zones and I don't get jet lag. This is my super power. I go to sleep at random times and wake up at random times, but I probably get about eight hours of sleep on average. I know how incredibly lucky this makes me." His brain seems pretty unusual regarding sleep. I never heard something like this. We need to study his brain asap!
- rdouble 14y agoIt's pretty common with old people.
- interpol_p 14y agoI have that sleep pattern. Fall asleep anywhere, any time. Wake up at random hours and do work. I think it's a product of having your life be your work, or the other way around.
- xrt 14y ago> Also, I want to know how to make Evernote better! Email me and let me know. I've got a few ideas. What is your email address?
- nvr219 14y agoConsidering you know his name, title, and company, there are like 4 different possibilities, just email them all.
- dhimes 14y agoBest advice I ever got was: Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right B, A, Start OK, I'll admit it: I had to Google it. This was a cute read, but there isn't much of a takeaway.
- zalzane 14y agoWhat really upsets me about this article is how he gave advice to that friend of his to suppress his hobbies/interests to get a girlfriend. What kind of bullshit advice is that? That left me pretty sour, and makes the article feel a lot more artificial/fake.
- drumdance 14y agoIt wasn't his hobbies per se, it was his choice to use them to decorate his entire home.
- nvr219 14y agoThe point is not to suppress his hobbies, just to be a little more conscientious about how you present yourself. He didn't say get rid of the star trek tapes.
- kylemaxwell 14y ago"Be about something more than just Star Trek." I happily consider myself a lifelong stereotypical geek but my wife is not. While she accepts and loves me for who I am, I need to have more in my life than just math and Internet spaceships and hacking or we wouldn't relate to each other well. Hopefully his friend really does have more going on in his life than carefully-organized Star Trek VHS tapes for the sole reason that only having one dimension to his life means he's missing out on a lot.
- dawernik 14y agoCome on. Not about suppressing your hobby, it's about not being identified solely with it. That's the stuff you pull out after you get married. Then it eventually ends up in a small closet about 5 years later. Ultimately, it ends up being what you have around you as you get old again. Life's funny that way.
- stinkytaco 14y agoI agree with your advice, but I don't think that's what he's saying. I mean, a paragraph later he talks about getting an "identity mug" and earlier about wanting to get Shire wallpaper and how he listens to dwarf music. I can't tell if he's being ironic or dense or if he doesn't like Star Trek.
- edanm 14y agoA lot of people seem to be taking this interview in a negative way. I find it nice an humorous, lacking in "real" content - but then most of these articles are lacking in content. Much as a I love the "Uses This" type series, it's basically "geek gossip magazine" - how much does it really tell you to hear that another person is using a MacBook with Sonos speakers and TextMate? One nugget from the interview is the "Todo" questions, which makes me really think that Phil knows his product well: "Q: What's your favorite to-do list manager? A: You know, I don't actually have one. I use Evernote, which isn't particularly great for to-dos yet. Yet." I've started moving more and more of my thing into Evernote, and I think the biggest thing it does wrong is: it doesn't do any one thing very well. One of those One Things I'd love it to get right is TODO management, and Phil is here hinting that it's in the works. All in all, I came out of this interview with a smile on my face, and some more hope for the future of a product that I use a lot, and really really want to love.
- Inebas 14y agoCan someone explain to me about the best advice he's given? The star trek enterprise and rearranging it and what does that mean?
- Shank 14y agoIt's the "only geeks like Star-Trek" cliche. By making it less obvious that he's into Star-Trek, he's more likely to gain a girl.
- Inebas 14y agoThanks @Shank. So basically, he is saying be less geeky? Btw, not trolling because I like technology but haven't watched star trek series or even the first star wars.
- omegote 14y agoNo wonder why the windows evernote app sucks so much once you realize what a huge apple fanboy the CEO is.