9-Year Hustle to Achieve a Single GoalㅣNotion's Cofounders

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  • Опубліковано 10 тра 2024
  • This is the co-founders' story of Notion, Akshay Kothari(COO) and Ivan Zhao(CEO), building Notion.
    Notion is one of the most innovative productivity tools worldwide to make every human able to build their own software without coding.
    Before co-founding Notion, Akshay built Pulse, which is RSS based news curation app, and Ivan was a designer from Canada just after college graduation.
    00:34 Akshay's background
    03:15 Notion's first failure
    06:21 Notion's PMF story
    12:05 Notion's culture and core values
    EO stands for Entrepreneurship & Opportunities.
    We're looking for more inspiring stories of entrepreneurs all over the world, so don't hesitate to contact us! :)
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    Subtitles for this video were created using XL8.ai machine translation.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 389

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  • @techwithsaran
    @techwithsaran Рік тому +1538

    Notion is great but it is not as dumb. It has a learning curve but once you get it, it works great. But the greatest thing about notion is the software itself. It never hangs, even with adding complexity, it works great. It’s a 10/10 from software perspective.

    • @hamm8934
      @hamm8934 Рік тому +7

      Also the security exploits are great. It’s great getting weekly massive data breaches lol. It blows my mind how they’ve continually dodged this bad PR.
      Edit for more context:
      They’re a software company without end-to-end encryption in 2023… this has been a basic requirement of all software since the early 90s with the dawn of the internet. If your company is using notion for sensitive information, or anything really, you’re absolutely going to have a ransomware attack. All a hacker has to do is get access to notion and then they have everything from your notion accounts - everything. Your data isn’t hashed or encrypted on their servers. It’s an open book.
      How else are they going to turn a profit without selling absolutely everything about you to ad tech, insurance companies for off-the-books pro-rating, etc..
      Notion staff have gone as far as to directly address this complaint and say they have no plans to add end-to-end encryption because it would “slow down the search feature”. Complete BS. Similar apps like Obsidian offer end-to-end encryption for a subscription and have far more impressive search functionality.
      Notion’s negligence is taking a page out of FTX’s playbook.

    • @johnjamison460
      @johnjamison460 Рік тому +27

      Was thinking this as well. We use it at the startup I work for but definitely took a bit to wrap your head around it. After that, you realize the possibilities are endless

    • @user-jp7ni5xv1r
      @user-jp7ni5xv1r Рік тому +17

      @@johnjamison460 Its just an advanced spreadsheet.

    • @aziz9488
      @aziz9488 Рік тому +27

      @@hamm8934 Did chatgpt write this 😂? Just a tons of buzzwords that don't make sense.

    • @hamm8934
      @hamm8934 Рік тому +9

      @@aziz9488 buzzwords? I’m a software engineer. I know this space. Notion is a powder keg ready to blow and take down any enterprise partnership they have with them.

  • @kkingstarr1
    @kkingstarr1 Рік тому +465

    I discovered Notion halfway through my bachelor's degree and it felt like a cheat code for productivity. I'm now close to finishing my masters and still use it everyday. Very interesting to see the journey behind it!

    • @hotpenguin607
      @hotpenguin607 Рік тому

      I recently got into it when ppl mentioned ChatGPT alternatives
      So I started using notion AI and it is great. Idk how all the templates and database work yet, but im using it like a better and easy-to-organize version of OneNote (toggle headings, subpages and breadcrumbs are just amazing omg) supercharged by a Generative AI. I'm using it during and after work and it makes everything faster

    • @method341
      @method341 Рік тому +4

      What does Notion actually do?

    • @aqibhasan3157
      @aqibhasan3157 Рік тому +3

      @@method341 productivity tool keep track and keep your life organized, can be used as a weekly agenda, create list, take notes and store notes in a folder that you create, and you can customize to fit your needs

    • @method341
      @method341 Рік тому

      @@aqibhasan3157 yeah thanks, I actually had a look on their website just before and realised you can make databases and web pages too.

    • @sulaimonadeyemo4329
      @sulaimonadeyemo4329 Рік тому +2

      Can you recommend a tutorial on how to use notion?

  • @haebomi
    @haebomi Рік тому +64

    It was an honor to be with Notion. If you're curious about what kind of world Notion will build in the future, build idea now.

  • @ukdrahul
    @ukdrahul Рік тому +140

    Really love Notion, it's simplicity, minimalistic approach, the Japanese & minimal vibe of it. A really well designed peaceful product.

    • @suhanipal4565
      @suhanipal4565 7 місяців тому +7

      Well japan website's and internet is far from minimalistic. They have the most cramped up websites.

    • @aaradhyarawat7589
      @aaradhyarawat7589 6 місяців тому

      ​@@suhanipal4565gahaha

    • @PK-eo8kp
      @PK-eo8kp 3 місяці тому

      @@suhanipal4565that guy obviously never been to Japan lol

    • @krox477
      @krox477 3 місяці тому

      Its using IKEA effect

  • @user-zj2jm2nt1t
    @user-zj2jm2nt1t Рік тому +107

    I remember the very first time I used Notion. Groundbreaking in its usability and sleek design, continuously evolving to provide the tools I didn't know I even needed before. Thank you for sharing your precious journey with us !

  • @av.bilgehanarifoglu7758
    @av.bilgehanarifoglu7758 Рік тому +193

    Notion is my #1 source, my everyday life organizer, my notes, my thoughts, everything... Thank you guys for bringing Notion to our lives.

    • @rdean150
      @rdean150 Рік тому +1

      It's your #1 source? As in, it gives you ideas and content? And then you build upon those ideas by entering your own content back into Notion? Ever wonder where its suggestions came from? Ever wonder if other users were given YOUR ideas to help them in the same way it helps you?

    • @hisoka1186
      @hisoka1186 Рік тому

      Hi Bilgehan do you already used Obsidian ? Whether it's yes, if you compare it to Notion which apps is the most valuable for you ?

    • @av.bilgehanarifoglu7758
      @av.bilgehanarifoglu7758 Рік тому +2

      @@hisoka1186 I used Obsidian. But you can't even compare Notion with Obsidian because Notion has 500+ features that Obsidian doesn't have. Things like embedding PDFs, extensions, and visual improvements are important for note-taking. Obsidian want to be cool with its mapping system which I believe Notion will bring it soon

  • @reinforz
    @reinforz Рік тому +30

    Excellent video! It's inspirational to see Akshay and Ivan's drive and perseverance in bringing Notion to life. Their nine-year journey to attain their objective demonstrates the power of perseverance and hard work. Notion is an innovative tool that enables individuals and teams to be more productive and creative.

  • @gauravidesigns
    @gauravidesigns Рік тому +16

    I love notion , I am using it for two years . Finally met the founders 😊😊

  • @SheInTheMaking
    @SheInTheMaking Рік тому +50

    So thankful for these guys and what they’ve created. They’ve got a Notion believer in me.

  • @franpalokaj
    @franpalokaj Рік тому +42

    Big thanks to all of you, Notion is an absolute beast of a tool 🙏

  • @Theoldmad
    @Theoldmad Рік тому +66

    "It's kind of like art combined with technology, it's very intuition driven" - Ivan Zhao CEO of Notion.
    Cool to see a CEO doing strategy with something spiritual: intuition.

  • @manojbhat1440
    @manojbhat1440 Рік тому +5

    My friend introduced me to notion and now I can't use any other software. Design is very simple ,helps to organize things lot easier. The tools are really helpful.
    Thank you so much.

  • @Allthingswealth
    @Allthingswealth Рік тому +4

    Watching this in the background while writing content ideas in my Notion dashboard. Thanks for such an awesome platform!

  • @franciskafieh
    @franciskafieh Рік тому +84

    This video was amazing! All the tips were super helpful. Akshay and Ivan seem so down to earth and honest!

  • @nicolaslamour8712
    @nicolaslamour8712 Рік тому +10

    So cool to "meet" the poeple who save humble dyslexic students, like me. To now have a note/organisation app system that they can trust.

  • @msvyla
    @msvyla Рік тому +3

    Notion is one of the best tools! I use this for everything like work, notes, planning and staying organized in life. Can’t live without it!

  • @pathfinder.george
    @pathfinder.george Рік тому +7

    My whole life is organised in Notion. Loved the Template-based go-to-market strategy as well.

  • @SkyraXD
    @SkyraXD Рік тому

    bro he built myspace without the social media part genius man, both of them and their teams I appreciate it

  • @akosuakoranteng3327
    @akosuakoranteng3327 Рік тому +133

    Absolutely love Notion and the vision behind it! Great start up story!

    • @simply6162
      @simply6162 Рік тому +1

      Wtf is even notion for isn’t it some kind of notes app?

    • @Mr.BobsDog
      @Mr.BobsDog Рік тому +1

      @@simply6162 yeah for kites

    • @Brodragon2225
      @Brodragon2225 6 місяців тому

      @@Mr.BobsDog there is very much competition

  • @swirlycanvas1991
    @swirlycanvas1991 Рік тому +2

    Absolutely love love love Notion, am a huge fan and evangelist. Cannot wait to see how else it evolves. Thank you Notion team for everything you folks do!

  • @wlockuz4467
    @wlockuz4467 Рік тому +4

    I have been using Notion for a while, I didn't know its roots were grounded in Asia!

  • @arpitpatel7065
    @arpitpatel7065 Рік тому +59

    One of the best consumer software products ever! It's gives the feeling of Zen so much that it justifies the fact that the product was built in Japan.

    • @user-kn7hj3zr5o
      @user-kn7hj3zr5o 11 місяців тому

      Thats just one way to view the case

    • @aaradhyarawat7589
      @aaradhyarawat7589 6 місяців тому +2

      And then you realise Zen wasn't built in Japan.

  • @jimmygan801
    @jimmygan801 Рік тому +14

    Notion is probably the best product coming out during that 2015 wave

  • @MAZZ007
    @MAZZ007 3 місяці тому +2

    Notion's free version has been a lifesaver for our fledgling startup, but trust me, the moment we take off, that "pay" button is getting hammered! All the incredible features and functionality, it's honestly mind-blowing. Thank you for crafting software that inspires true appreciation.

  • @kiknaio
    @kiknaio Рік тому +4

    Amazing! Notion is a really great tool, but I never thought that it's valuation could reach to 10bn. Congratulations on that! Well deserved!

  • @r1nlx0
    @r1nlx0 Рік тому +9

    If the story is true, notion as product is when engineering, product, business & marketing does sit together and do their best (each of their team could utilize their expertise to the max since every team just focus into their own expertise)

  • @ttttully
    @ttttully Рік тому +3

    What a beautiful area to hold an interview...

  • @userjay912
    @userjay912 Рік тому

    discovered notion when i was starting high school and it has accompanied me ever since.

  • @TMM-N
    @TMM-N Рік тому +28

    Damn..9 years!
    Not all unicorn achieve the best result within 2-4 years

    • @hirenahir76200
      @hirenahir76200 Рік тому +3

      True It's just those motivational speakers use this unicorn within 2 years blah blah blah

    • @Danuxsy
      @Danuxsy Рік тому +1

      the large majority of people don't achieve something like this in their lifetime.

    • @Brodragon2225
      @Brodragon2225 6 місяців тому

      they achieved nothing except funding lets wait

  • @juliahip
    @juliahip Рік тому

    Thank you for building Notion!

  • @wafflepiffle
    @wafflepiffle Рік тому +5

    truly groundbreaking product

  • @jinze8259
    @jinze8259 Рік тому +3

    I really really really love Notion. Hope it will become better and better.

  • @airbnbhorrorstory
    @airbnbhorrorstory Рік тому +9

    These guys are great. They're so passionate about what they do. Notion was part of the tech stack (though not in my department) at a previous job. I just started using it and I'm excited at some of the possibilities.

  • @chrisnotion
    @chrisnotion 11 місяців тому +3

    I loved Notion so much I made it my full time job

  • @HieuNguyen-ty7vw
    @HieuNguyen-ty7vw Рік тому +2

    Great story told by founders. I will try Notion first thing tomorrow.

  • @GlobalEltorro
    @GlobalEltorro Рік тому +3

    Hands down the best note-taking app ever built.

  • @cahoivuotthac
    @cahoivuotthac Рік тому +1

    I have used Notion for such a long time but haven't known the founder and co-founder until now.

  • @adityahudapratama5254
    @adityahudapratama5254 Рік тому +7

    Glad to know how notion was built and how it grew until now. Nice content!

  • @indiangigachad777
    @indiangigachad777 Рік тому

    Discovered notion last year and I can say notion is such a convenient app

  • @casinarro
    @casinarro Рік тому +3

    they are so clear about it

  • @enyosam
    @enyosam Рік тому +14

    As a founder, this is inspiring.

    • @nafis711
      @nafis711 4 місяці тому

      What did you founded ?

  • @felixgebauer7327
    @felixgebauer7327 Рік тому +3

    tooooo maaaany cuuuuuuuts. let the man speak and breathe.

  • @felixvargasjr6678
    @felixvargasjr6678 10 місяців тому

    Notion has helped me so much while earning my degree in software engineering. I’m excited to ditch my notebook and use notion as my note taking and productivity

  • @simoncasciaro
    @simoncasciaro Рік тому +6

    Great content guys!

  • @honggirin
    @honggirin Рік тому +3

    해외 컨텐츠 너무 유용하고 좋아요! 앞으로도 많이 부탁드립니다~ 한가지 아쉬운건 한글 자막이 조금 아쉬워요!

  • @yijiyu0513
    @yijiyu0513 Рік тому +1

    와 노션이라니!! 잘 보겠습니다!!!

  • @kenanaosithole1586
    @kenanaosithole1586 Рік тому +2

    Notion was essentially ‘no code’ before becoming Notion. That was pretty forward thinking just a bit early. 6:11

  • @PrinceKumar-hh6yn
    @PrinceKumar-hh6yn Рік тому +2

    Omg ! It has been developed by a INDIAN origin !! It motivates ❤️🙏

  • @swiadiapkhazava1119
    @swiadiapkhazava1119 7 місяців тому +3

    Bro's got the Patagonia vest - VC hasn't left him lol

  • @hevmadeit9354
    @hevmadeit9354 11 місяців тому

    I love Notion. This app and Tiimo are helping me move forward in life. It looks complicated, but you can simplify it and personalize it. As you understand how you want to work with it, then you can make it more customizable. It's a great app. My favorite in a very very long time.

  • @user-xr5zw2ts8l
    @user-xr5zw2ts8l Рік тому

    It is wonderful! Great people make great tools!

  • @JacobSucksAtCode
    @JacobSucksAtCode Рік тому

    Love this story!

  • @moisemayali
    @moisemayali 9 місяців тому

    Great product, I'm still learning. Well done guys, keep it up

  • @dailysoulenglish
    @dailysoulenglish Рік тому +4

    It played a significant role in boosting my creativity and changing my career. It affected my life. Good job.

  • @tech.startups
    @tech.startups Рік тому

    Notion is beautifully built!

  • @techcoderworld8518
    @techcoderworld8518 Рік тому

    Notion is the best tool I’ve found for productivity in the last 5 years!

  • @ilinkthereforeiam
    @ilinkthereforeiam 11 місяців тому

    Love notion! As steve jobs said, " The computer is like a bicycle for the mind"

  • @Gd7OS
    @Gd7OS Рік тому

    this is one of the most life changing applications i've used

  • @danielesemezie4436
    @danielesemezie4436 Рік тому

    I think you guys should make more videos like this that are more authentic and real. I believe it’s one of the reasons it has so many views. Less of that hyper business hyper typical content that isn’t as interesting.

  • @trtl9106
    @trtl9106 10 місяців тому +6

    This was such a great presentation and interview. I totally admire Ivan's vision and Akshay's acknowledgment of that, and I wonder if they got to a point where they can say that they accomplished what they set out to do in the first place. Also thank you editors for your hard work!!!

  • @AnnChu-tb4hp
    @AnnChu-tb4hp 7 місяців тому

    I absolutely love Notion

  • @beynessemavelarz
    @beynessemavelarz Рік тому

    Notion is the great organizer all you need

  • @iwantsquareballoons
    @iwantsquareballoons Рік тому +10

    looking forward to their netflix documentary next year

  • @knolf93
    @knolf93 17 днів тому

    Interesting the way they thought to build Notion. It seems to me that there indeed exists a fundamental symmetry between the way we interact with the world/computers and how the brain processes information. Organizing everything in trees with well-defined parent and child folders came to me some years ago as the best way of creating a mental map of the folder tree structure. Love it!

  • @MohammedMisselmany
    @MohammedMisselmany 8 місяців тому

    I love notion I use it everyday.

  • @ariessanchez379
    @ariessanchez379 Рік тому

    Thank you for the video!

  • @hanzelkit
    @hanzelkit Рік тому +1

    Watching from the Philippines

  • @caiolins2495
    @caiolins2495 Рік тому +2

    I love the 4 core values!

    • @airbnbhorrorstory
      @airbnbhorrorstory Рік тому

      Seems like such a positive place to work. Seems like the founders really walk the walk. Be kind!

  • @xbmcme9768
    @xbmcme9768 Рік тому +3

    Tried Notion a couple of years back and found it unintuitive, so it was a no go. Now I'm all about Obsidian. I own my data and have tons of plugins to choose from. Obsidian is just more intuitive.

  • @tareqrahaman5284
    @tareqrahaman5284 8 місяців тому

    I just love notion.

  • @GBlunted
    @GBlunted Рік тому

    I don't know how this video got on my list but it got you another subscriber -who would have thought? 😀 The soundtrack is so good, matches the video perfect! 😆 👍

  • @clean-nature-sound7851
    @clean-nature-sound7851 8 місяців тому

    love notion so much

  • @pog9238
    @pog9238 Рік тому +37

    I know this is so common and many Indians in comments say this, but seeing one of my favorite tools for education or just life co-founded by someone coming from Indian hereditary is so cool!

    • @justonce967
      @justonce967 10 місяців тому

      I don't understand one thing why they have to go to US and co found everything why not in India cause they literally have millions of brains to do everything by themselves without the need of third party.

    • @aaradhyarawat7589
      @aaradhyarawat7589 6 місяців тому

      ​@@justonce967Higher education. More reach. More connections. More funding. It's all about being surrounded by elite group in terms of education, networking and money.

  • @Lser03
    @Lser03 Рік тому +1

    I love using notion!!!!

  • @glenanimates
    @glenanimates 6 місяців тому

    Love how an advert for ClickUp started playing a couple minutes into the video

  • @kosnowman
    @kosnowman Рік тому

    quality content!

  • @danielosei864
    @danielosei864 7 місяців тому

    Love Notion

  • @raideveloper
    @raideveloper Рік тому +2

    I really enjoy notion, it is what MS one note should be, and I really enjoy the integration of document, table, and embedded, to be perfect the only lack thing is offline mode and excel level tables

    • @corylyon545
      @corylyon545 Рік тому

      MS Office used to come with a DB tool called Access, and it had lots of templates.

    • @rdean150
      @rdean150 Рік тому +1

      I imagine it can't work offline because much of its functionality relies on remote servers. I also expect that their business model relies on having access to the content you enter into their tool.

    • @Danuxsy
      @Danuxsy Рік тому

      Notion was the most retarded program I've ever used.

  • @Orken1
    @Orken1 Рік тому +2

    Great stuff guys. Using Notion myself I really like it!

  • @jinong22
    @jinong22 Рік тому

    자막이 성의가 없는건 슬프지만 좋은 컨텐츠 감사합니다

  • @ramit7
    @ramit7 Рік тому

    Is there a version of notion still left that works on building the software?

  • @healthspace4936
    @healthspace4936 Рік тому

    Question, Evernote or notion? For everyday use for startup, we use jira for project management but still we feel lack of clustering data, resources.

  • @salehjamali6716
    @salehjamali6716 Рік тому

    "Dumb" i loved it lol and damn man i neeeed that auto grammar fixing in notion u just showed

  • @khareemoliver
    @khareemoliver Рік тому

    I LOVE NOTION !

  • @UcheOgbiti
    @UcheOgbiti Рік тому +3

    Notion is probably the first ever software version of the IKEA effect

  • @GoldyAwad
    @GoldyAwad 8 місяців тому

    What is the name of the course he took at stanford?

  • @neil527
    @neil527 Рік тому +6

    But does it work offline??

  • @curious.akshat
    @curious.akshat 5 місяців тому

    Really wonderful story.

  • @captainayaan
    @captainayaan Рік тому

    Great app, great founder.

  • @jixster1566
    @jixster1566 6 місяців тому

    I use notion every day. It just makes sense

  • @aenishshrestha8103
    @aenishshrestha8103 Рік тому

    interesting love the product !

  • @user-oi4mb2nb2t
    @user-oi4mb2nb2t 5 місяців тому

    노션 너무 좋아요~~~~~~~~~

  • @yavagedex
    @yavagedex Рік тому

    That's great !

  • @justonce967
    @justonce967 10 місяців тому

    Its a powerful tool but its overwhelming at the same time.

  • @Eggs-n-Jakey
    @Eggs-n-Jakey 4 місяці тому

    Can't wait til it's finished

  • @himsingh
    @himsingh Рік тому

    notion is second brain to many! but I am hardwired to use my notes in mac. They should build a desktop app as light and fast as mac's notes app

  • @caqueto3347
    @caqueto3347 Рік тому

    hi, I wonder if Notion could be used to make and sale a product as a SAAS (software as a service)?

  • @hwang5189
    @hwang5189 4 місяці тому

    amazing program

  • @todayisokay4075
    @todayisokay4075 Рік тому

    Holy jumpy editing batman!