Todoist Founder, Amir Salihefendic, Talks About Never Giving ...

Todoist has been an invaluable tool. So I wanted to reach out to Amir Salihefendic, founder of Todoist and talk to him about his story. ×MainMenuU.S.EditionNewsU.S.NewsWorldNewsBusinessEnvironmentHealthCoronavirusSocialJusticePoliticsJoeBidenCongressExtremismEntertainmentCulture&ArtsMediaCelebrityTV&FilmLifeStyle&BeautyFood&DrinkParentingTravelWellnessRelationshipsMoneyHome&LivingWork/LifeShoppingCommunitiesQueerVoicesWomenBlackVoicesLatinoVoicesAsianVoicesSpecialProjectsHighlineHuffPostPersonalVideoHoroscopesFromOurPartnersTheLegacyLivesOnLevelUpYourGiftsNewslettersInternationalAustraliaBrazilCanadaEspañaFranceΕλλάδα(Greece)IndiaItalia日本(Japan)한국(Korea)QuébecU.K.U.S.FollowUsTerms | PrivacyPolicyPartofHuffPostBusiness.©2022BuzzFeed,Inc.Allrightsreserved.NEWSPOLITICSENTERTAINMENTLIFEPERSONALSHOPPINGVIDEOU.S.EditionOpeneditionssubmenuIhavetoadmitthatIamaproductivityjunkie.AndIhavebeenonajourneytofindthebesttooltohelpmebemoreproductive.Ihavegonefrompenandpapertoapplications,backtopenandpaper.Advertisement Butallofthesetoolsalwaysfellshortofhelpingmebemoreproductive.Fortunately,Icametounderstandthatthetoolwasnottheproblem–Iwastheproblem.Iwas…unfocuseddistractedsayingyestoeveryrequestItwasonlyafterfollowingMichaelHyattthatIactuallybegantounderstandwhatitmeanttobeproductive.Advertisement OnceIstartedmodelingHyatt,Ibegantorealizethatnotoolcanhelpyoubeproductiveuntilyoustart…focusingonwhatmattersdiscardingdistractionssayingnotorequestsOnceIwasfocused,Ireturnedtomysearchoffindingatoolthatwouldhelpmegetthingsdone–TodoististheapplicationIfound.ImanagemanywritingprojectsandsometimesitgetsstressfulandTodoisthelpsmestayontask.Inpartbecauseofitssimpledesign.Todoisthasbeenaninvaluabletool.SoIwantedtoreachouttoAmirSalihefendic,founderofTodoistandtalktohimabouthisstory.TheInterviewSoAmir,what'syourstory?Thetruthis,Ineverseenmyselfasanentrepreneur.AndIdidn'tinitiallystartTodoistwithabigcompanyorbigserviceinmind.Thestepofcreatingacompanyjustcamenaturally.Thatsaid,Idocomefromafamilyofentrepreneurs,somybackgroundprobablyinfluencedme.TodoistwasactuallyatoolImadeformyself.Iwasstillastudent,studyingcomputerscienceinAarhus(Denmark)andIhadtwoprogrammingjobsontheside.IhadalotofprojectsgoingonandIneededtoeffectivelymanagemyworkandmyproductivity.IlookedattheothertoolsonthemarketandnoneworkedthewayIwantedthemtowork.WhenIstartedTodoist,Ineverimagineditwouldbecomeanythingsignificant-it'sonlylaterthatIreleaseditstruepotential.Tellmeaboutaprojectoraccomplishmentthatyouconsidertobethemostsignificantinyourcareer.Todoistisbyfarmymostsuccessfulaccomplishment.Itmeansalottometoknowithashelpedmillionsofpeopleaccomplishtheirgoals.Thatsaid,Todoistisn'tonlyanaccomplishmentbymyself,butalsobyanamazingteamofpeoplewhoareworkingveryhardonmakingTodoistevenbiggereveryday.Discussaspecificaccomplishmentofyoursinapreviouspositionthatindicatesyouwillthriveinthisposition.Ithinkoneofthemostimportantthingsinlifeandespeciallyinbusinessisevolvingandlearning.Whenyoustartacompanyit’sjustyouorjustafewpeopleandyoufacetheenormouschallengeofbuildingaminimalproductthatpeoplewant.Afteryouhavesomesuccess,youaddmorepeopleandthingsbecomemorecomplex.Aftermoresuccess,youhaveteams,multipleproductsandmaybeevenentiredepartmentsyouneedtomanage.Everystephasnewchallengesandrequiresnewskills.IamdoingeverythingIcantothriveinmypositionandtothriveasaleader.Idoitbyreadingbooks,readingarticles,followingCourseracourses-anythingthatcanhelpmeprepareforthenextstepsofTodoist'slifecycle.Howdoyouseethecompanychangingintwoyears,andhowdoyouseeyourselfcreatingthatchange?Iamverymotivatedbysolvinghardproblemsandhavingapositiveimpactontheworld,andIamveryinspiredbypeoplewhoarecreatingsomethingofsignificantvalue(e.g.SteveJobs,ElonMusk,etc.).Today,whatwe'redoingwithTodoistishelpingpeopleandteamsgetmoredoneandbecomemoreorganized,inlesstimewithlesseffort.Inthenexttwoyears,myrolewillbetosteerDoisttowardsbecomingsomethingoftruesignificantvalueforpeoplearoundtheworld.Whatdoyouvaluemostaboutyourcompany'scultureandvision?IthinkDoisthasaveryuniqueculture.Wehavehiredpeoplefromalmostallthecontinentsintheworld.Wealsoworkremotely,somethingthatwasnotevenpossibleafewyearsback.Collaboratingwithpeoplewhocomefromverydifferentculturesisawesome,sinceeveryonehasaverydifferentperspective.Ithinkthismulticulturalandmultiracialaspectwillenableustocreateproductsthattrulytargettheworld-insteadofjustaspecificdemographic.Canyoutellmeaboutatimewhenyoualmostgaveup,howyoufeltaboutthat,andwhatyoudidinsteadofgivingup?Ineverfeltlikegivingup.Ithinkthereasonissimple:IneverputmyselfinapositionwhereTodoist/Doistwastheonlythingthatpaidmybills.Infact,IworkedonTodoistforoverfiveyearsbeforeitcouldevenpaymysalary!Whenyoustartsomething,Idon'tthinkyounecessarilyneedtocommiteverythingtoit.Youcanstartitonthesideandseehowitevolves.That'satleasthowIstartedTodoist.ThiswayIwasneverforcedtogiveuportotrysomethingelse.OnMakingYourChoiceToFailThejourneyofanentrepreneurispepperedwithfailure.Thosefailurescaneitherpushyoutoprogressortogiveup.Butitallcomesdowntoonething–makingachoice.Andwhenyouareatthatcrossroadthechoicetoeitherprogressorgiveupissuffocating.Becausethewrongdecisioncouldbedevastating.InthecaseofSalihefendic,hetookaslightlydifferentpath.HischoicetoprogresswasfedbythefactthatifAmirfailed–hehadotherthingstofallbackon.Salihefendicalwaysmadesurethathehadotherprojectsontheside.Andwhenyouhaveoptionsthechoicedoesn’tseemasdaunting.Moreover,thoseoptionsallowyoutobemoretolerantoffailure.Amir’sstrategyworked–eventhoughittook5yearsbeforehecouldtakeasalaryfromTodoist.AndwhathecreatedhasallowedtheTodoistteamtohelpmillionsofpeoplegetthingsdone.Question:Whattooldoyouusetogetthingsdone?InterviewLinksTodoistDoistMichaelHyattCourseraOriginalPost:ramonbnuezjr.comRamonB.NuezJr.,ContributorBuildingalatticeworkofmentalmodels.SuggestacorrectionMore:BusinessEntrepreneurshipentrepreneursstartups 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