Well compared to, say, sticky notes (I tried this, yuck) or Google Keep (also tried this), it's a bit more costly, but the subscription is not mandatory so it tampers that edge. But I'm not sure you can fully dismiss the value. Some find the aesthetics of rainbow sticky notes unappealing -- or dislike high tech solutions of web/mobile app for their proximity to other time wasting activities and vices -- there is appeal in a low tech, sleek and visually appealing card system like this. I've done some hobby woodworking, and even ordered cards printed overseas before to resurrect a board game that went extinct, and I think you can even make an argument you can DIY it much cheaper (sans labour of course) but anybody who's done a big enough project can relate that sometimes it's okay to defer that to someone else (who lives in Pennsylvania I assume) if it brings more time and value to you and you value the product -- and especially here where I would argue that value pays dividends in the future in being more productive due to the compounding effects of it all.

But despite this all, I would align myself to your viewpoint just out of principle of having anti-consumerism alignment.

> This is like a caricature of modern day entrepreneurship.

Well, let me refer you to the wild hustle and bustle world of NFTs where you don't even get something physical!

Yeah... By chance the YouTube video of this come across my feed last night but hadn't looked at the price yet.

$50 would have been questionable, would have pulled the trigger at $35. Odds are this will end in a pile of other flavor of the week productivity solutions (see bullet journal, panda planner, hipster PDA, moleskines and other notebooks).

That said, I find just switching to a new system keeps me on track for a month or two of productivity boost, then I revert to my old ways.

Heck, I thought Levenger https://www.levenger.com/ was a bit expensive. I do love using note cards and such for some organization, but I cannot give up search. I do admit I still use some CRC-like techniques when building software.

Some people like things that look and feel good.

Personally I don't care about that, but I think it's fine that other people do.

Yup this is hilarious. Maybe I'll start selling special sticky notes you can put on your monitor.

speaking as someone who bought this:

* for me it's not a status symbol. I work at home. No-one but me uses or sees my desk. My desk is filled with clutter so you wouldn't notice it even if you did. I doubt my wife has noticed its existence. I don't run around telling people about it unless they specifically mention seeing/wanting something similar.

* it's specifically _not_ for carrying around. it's for sitting on your desk. "easier to carry around" is not a feature for _this_.

* I don't have space on my desk for a notebook standing up. I don't want to use up that much visual real estate. I would hate to have it on my water bottle or anything like that because i use that constantly and that would be damn annoying.

* yes, the bubble symbols are nothing special. but they had to print _something_ there to address the idea of checking of the task and their choice seems perfectly valid to me. I don't think anyone believes they're some revolutionary idea.

* yes, although you didn't say it, i could use standard 3x5 note cards with it. I may do so. It wouldn't really make a difference.

suggesting that folks who buy this are "mak[ing] themselves feel better for having such an elegant productivity system" is unnecessarily derogatory and dismissive.

I seriously doubt that anyone who buys this actually believes it is a "productivity system". It's just a wooden note card stand with some cards that match its aesthetic. I don't think anyone believes they're more functional than a deck of blank 3"x5" cards from the corner store.

I like things that look nice. This looks nice to me. I am also more likely to use something that looks visually appealing to me than something that looks janky. So, i _could_ spend money on a cheap-ass solution, or 3d print some plastic equivalent, but i wouldn't use it long and the result would be wasted money and goods. I've been using this for months and like it very much.

your whole tone is dismissing this as if everyone who bought it is a dupe, too stupid to realize it's something more than it actually is. That's like suggesting that everyone who buys a Rolex with diamonds (or whatever) all over it somehow thinks it tells better time, or will get them to their meetings better, than a cheap quartz watch. I don't think that's reasonable at all.

Liking "nice" things (for whatever your definition of "nice" is) doesn't mean you loose IQ points when you indulge that affinity. Buying nice things you enjoy is not a bad thing. Choosing to surround yourself with items that make you smile is not a bad thing. We shouldn't try to make people feel bad for buying things they like. (ignoring the minimalism / consumerism debates)

I'm using this in combination with a Python script I wrote that sends me SMS messages for tasks as hard deadlines approach. So, if I get too distracted for some days, because of a technical issue or whatever, to pay much attention to the paper task process, I still get the SMS messages. Since I always check any SMS messages that come in, this prevents me from missing a deadline. And the physical setup of the Analog system means I can always aim my eye at the list that's standing up toward the side of my desk when I have time to do something. And adding something to the paper list is trivial; instead of having to navigate to the right app and type it in, I can just write a quick note on the paper that's always right there within immediate reach.

I think that this combination is great for people with ADHD that can cause one highly compelling task or technical issue to take them over for days so that mundane tasks don't get done (or even noticed) for that period. At least it is for me.

I assumed this was just a parody until maybe 3/4 through. Even then I had to click on through to the "buy" page to make sure it wasn't a joke.

I saw this last year! You can replicate this system with a stack of index cards and a hair tie. :)

You can even make the top card stand at a similar angle if you want: take the top card off the stack, bend the edge inward by 120 degrees or so, and tuck that "hook" of the bent card back into the hair tie to stand it upright. You can even put a pen in there. It's great to take to the store for shopping!

I've used this system for years, but never considered buying this overpriced product. I am quite sad to see this be so marked up as a designer / minimalist type of product to make productivity seem more sexy than it really is. I know people buy it, but it feels wasteful.

I buy dotted grid index cards and use an old smartphone stand to keep it upright. Total cost is maybe $20 total for a couple years of supply. I use my own notecard template I came up with and bullet journal syntax for each line item. I plan only individual days with notecards. Usually it's one highlight(i'd be happy with my day if done) and three things I want to get done that day.

The benefits of writing things down on paper are insane. It definitely sticks better than apps or websites that provide similar functionality and syncing. I usually use todoist in combination with my notecards. I see the notecard method as my daily "tactics" and a notebook or app as my longer term "strategy".

For those who want a similar system but stay digital, you can use Things from Cultured Code. It has the concepts of Today, Someday, and Anytime.

The process for me is similar to OP: each morning I add tasks to my “Today” list, which can carry undone tasks from the previous day. If you complete the list, you can always add some more tasks.

You can also plan ahead and build a backlog of tasks to do, and just browse through them to add them to your “Today” list.

Simple system, with not many parts, but extendable with Projects, Notes, Repeatable tasks, Reminders… Also integrates with your calendar to keep everything in one place.

Very polished product that can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be (but mostly simple).

side-note but related: a 1-page year calendar

This is my favorite way to organize a year - a beautiful design, one page to collect everything:

https://davidseah.com/node/compact-calendar/

If you like analog, you may get some tidbits from here also[0].

[0] https://github.com/slowernews/hamster-system

This reminds me a little bit of the "bullet journal" technique [0]. It will make a great gift for my very todolist-oriented spouse!

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_journal

For anyone looking for a non-precious, well-designed analog companion for work, I've really enjoyed using David Seah's Emergent Task Planner notepads [0]. They're great if you've got a busy day interspersed with meetings. I like the full-sized version. You can print them up yourself or just pick up some very nice pre-printed pads from his store [1].

[0] https://davidseah.com/node/the-emergent-task-planner/ [1] https://shop.davidseah.com/

The best system I came up with:

1. Get a small spiral-bound notebook, say 3x5 or whatever is sitting in the supply cabinet.

2. Write today's date on the top of the first page. Write each task on one line on the page. (You only need enough detail to remember what the task is.)

3. As you complete tasks, draw a line through them. It's more satisfying that check marks or whatever.

4. As you add tasks, just write them on the today page.

5. Or, if you know you aren't going to get to them until tomorrow, write tomorrow's date at the top of the next page and put them down there.

6. Or, if you know you can't get to it until Monday, write the dates on the pages in between, one page per day, until you get to Monday and write it there.

7. At the end of the day, look at the list of tasks you didn't get to. Carry them over to tomorrow's page and mark them out on today's. It feels great.

8. Try not to carry too many over to any particular day; after two or three, put the rest on the next day's page. Some days I'm only good for one or two things.

It's all about a) making sure you remember things, and b) making sure you aren't overwhelmed by what you have to do at any one time. (I almost never move a task up.)

I bought a similar card holder on Etsy for $20 and been a fan: https://www.etsy.com/listing/859030214/task-card-holder

And these todo cards off Baron Fig for $10 (they have a dot pattern and a todo pattern): https://baronfig.com/accessories/strategist-index-cards

I am honestly surprised to find that the cards used in this incredibly overproduced riff on Getting Things Done's method are the same size as commonly-available index cards, so you can use the cute tray without spending $10 for a pack of 50 cards. Or maybe not - the tray has rounded corners designed to fit snugly with the branded cards, while a $5 pack of 300 blank white index cards from Office Depot has sharp corners.

I have a pretty similar system, except instead of pen and paper and 'symbols', it's "folder with files with custom icons" (a process made extremely easy with Total Commander on Android).

It works like a charm, and can be synced with Dropbox for access from all relevant devices. In theory you can go nuts with it and even create scripts when things change in dropbox, but I haven't seen the need for that.

It is true, however, that there is something about having a piece of paper in front of you that still beats having to physically grab your phone to check stuff (and obviously I don't have devices to spare in order to waste one of them as a glorified picture-frame so that it's in front of me all the time). Which means I've often found myself jotting down notes on paper anyway. So Analog does seem interesting in that regard ...

He should extend this to an analog "device" that can be used to structure meetings. I'd bet that companies would pay a lot for things reducing the cost of their meetings and you would need way more of the cards :-)

Did you also once work in a company that was paying hundreds of dollars for SCRUM office utilities? :-)

Now that I think about it, maybe I'll print some content of my article[1] notes onto cards and make a quick buck...

Well, at least there is no obvious sign that something so secret about Analog, that it cannot be told in the video and that you can't rebuild it yourself without paying.

I like it though (if you don't take it quite so seriously)...

[1] https://pilabor.com/blog/2021/04/tips-and-tricks-for-meeting...

In the past I'd eyeroll at $100 for some index cards, as something for the 20s/single/300k programmer crowd. But these look great I have to admit its tempting. I like 2 or 3 things on my desk MAX and it does matter those things are pleasing to look at 14 hours a day.

I really hate everything that tries to bring your focus back to you as it should be. I think it's all bull*hit. The one true thing is that focus is on the psychological side and we just have to deal with discomform, that's how you win, not by buying some magic paper.

I really love the simplistic, analog system. But, I'm more interested in the metadata of my habits, which is why I prefer a digital based system. How many tasks have I written down in the last week and not touched? How many tasks have I abandoned in the last 30 days. etc

I’ve tried these kind of systems with pre-printed forms/lists/labels on cards or pages. I’m not convinced they’re worth the extra $ beyond my good old fall back: a couple different colored post it note pads and notes organized around the edge of my monitor.

LMFAO

All jokes aside, this looks really well designed and thought out, but the pricing is hard to justify even if you're the type of person who can drop $100 on a block of wood and index cards without wincing, especially if you're the kind of person who is self-aware of their socioeconomic status. I do applaud the creator for giving an overview of how he came up with Analog in the intro video (which includes him mentioning he first found success with index cards).

I do agree with him that it's hard to stay on track when using digital productivity tools. I use a whiteboard I bought at Walgreens, draw a bunch of checkboxes on it, and keep that over my desk, so I can't ignore it.

I understand the sentiment, and it's a nice looking bit of desk clutter, but if you're looking for a organising tool, just buy a cheap notebook for pete's sake. Keeping a notebook on your desk is invaluable if well used.

A nice "analog" producvity system with gameficiation features: https://thetodaysystem.com/

The tangibility is a plus. Index cards have presence (if not gravitas). But at this point can't we take a photo of the "Today" card at the end of the day, after it has been annotated with checked boxes and with other marks including proofreaders' marks, and get these notations handled automagically, including the "Today" card for tomorrow ?

It almost feels like we have to divest from the current technology landscape to be productive again

On a tangent, does anyone know where you order custom cards from? I have always wanted 3x5 cards with a little bit of white space on top (for a title) and then isometric graph paper for the rest.

I tend to avoid self-promotion, but this was just too on the nose to ignore: what you've described is almost quite literally the functionality of https://teuxdeux.com.

We like to say that our biggest competition is pencil & paper.

After years of trying to be productive with to-do apps, I've found that nothing beats the flexibility of plain old pen and paper. Even analog systems like Analog or Bullet Journal impose rules of varying inflexibility, and that made them very unappealing, for me at least.

I guess this is because people have different ways of thinking about goals, tasks and timeframes. For me what works best is a 'week todo' that contains coarser/larger tasks and a daily todo that contains more granular tasks, often sub-tasks of the weekly ones. Adopting this method has made me more productive than I've been in years.

I've done exactly this and it works well. However, I've tweaked a couple things over time.

1. Tasks not completed may carry over to the next day, or a backlog if the next day already had something planned in my calendar.

2. Minimal markup to backlog tasks, such as a hard due date (i.e. other people expect it done by this date) and/or an urgency marking.

3. Keep the list on my phone so it is always with me. Having it digital reduces busy work (such as moving tasks between today and the backlog). I don't like using my phone so I don't tend to get sidetracked, thus YMMV with this.

Ah, but that wouldn't let someone charge a subscription of $10/month for thirty small pieces of paper.

For comparison's sake: a small-ish clairfontaine cloth-bound notebook costs about $10

I've used exactly same system for more than a year, and now still using it combined with digital app.