How top entrepreneurs manage their inboxes

My biggest productivity hack is that my brain is empty most of the time. I never know what I’m doing next week, sometimes not even an hour from now. My only goal is to free up my brain for the only thing that matters: critical thinking. 👇 This is what works for me and why: 1️⃣ Routine runs my life. I do the same thing every week day. Wake up by 6 or 6:30, inbox zero by 7:30, workout, go to the office, 10–3 for meetings, 3–5 for to-do list deep work, make dinner, inbox zero again, asleep by 10:30. No decisions wasted on the basics. 2️⃣ Todoist is my second brain. The minute I think of a task, I write it down and assign it to a date. Fundraising check-in six months out? Check on a deck next week? I’ll never think about it again until the day it matters. Each morning, Todoist shows me 20–40 tasks my past self assigned to me for that specific date. I don’t see my full, ever-growing to-do list - just today’s focus. 3️⃣ Superhuman keeps my inbox empty. I get to zero every day. If I can’t reply now, I just hit ‘h’ and reschedule the email for a day when I have capacity. My inbox only shows what needs my attention today. Once I move an email to a future inbox, I forget about it, until the date I’ve decided I need to respond or the date I need to read it. 4️⃣ Apple Reminders is for personal life. Anything from “book a doctor’s appointment” to “pick up a package” gets put there. I don’t even need to type which is great; I just say “Hey Siri” and forget about it. I’ll even ask Siri “remind me to start making dinner in 15 minutes” so I don’t have to think about that task for the next 15 minutes. 5️⃣ I live by my Calendar. The moment I commit to something, it goes in my calendar with invites sent. I check it the night before and the morning of. If it’s not in my calendar, it doesn’t exist. 6️⃣ AI is my memory and database. At Draper, we have 350+ portfolio companies. I built a ChatGPT project and an Airtable with AI integrated, both with a dedicated chat per company with decks, transcripts, updates, all searchable. I query what I need on demand. 7️⃣ I try to be the fastest responder you know. If I know you, and you’re messaging me on any channel - iMessage, WhatsApp, LI, email, etc. - I will respond immediately if I’m available so it’s never something left floating in my mind that I have to do. I’ll always do the task asked of me asap if it takes less than 5 minutes, or put it on my todo list and respond right away with when it will be done for sure. I never want to be the bottleneck - I either close the loop or pass it back. Then my mind can be happy to be empty once more. You’d be surprised with how much more productive you are with no energy wasted remembering small tasks. No clutter, ever. Just space to focus on the decisions and conversations that matter most.

Over the last 3 years, I sent nearly 6,000 emails as a startup advisor. But here’s what shocked me: the best predictor of a founder’s trajectory wasn’t their pitch, product, or deck... it was how they responded to email. 📊 Insight: After looking into my own inbox: 51% of my emails were introductions or connections — doors to investors, partners, hires, or accelerators. The founders who replied quickly, followed up respectfully, and kept the loop alive? → Many of them raised funding, scaled, or landed big partnerships. The ones who ghosted, delayed, or never followed through? → Almost all of them stalled. And it wasn’t just speed. It was signal clarity, gratitude, and shared updates that made the difference. 🧠 Takeaway: Your inbox isn’t admin work — it’s your traction layer. If you’re a founder, here’s what your email habits say about you: 📬 Quick + clear replies = "I execute" 🙏 Thoughtful thank-yous = "I build trust" 🔁 Timely follow-ups = "I close loops" 🎯 Shared outcomes = "I create results, not just hype" Founders: Don’t underestimate how much your inbox behaviour builds (or breaks) your reputation in the ecosystem. Advisors, investors, and partners are watching — and we remember the founders who close loops. 🤝 Let’s Flip the Frame: Instead of obsessing over your next pitch deck, try this: Master your inbox. It might be the most underrated startup growth channel you own.

The average corporate employee spends 15 hours every week on JUST EMAILS. As a founder at Mentoresult, a consultant at McKinsey and a B-School student at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, I have received hundreds of emails every week, and have written some pretty damn important emails. I've realised that emails can kill productivity - But also become your superpower if you can work them right. Here are my top 5 email hacks: 📬 1/ Automate your entire inbox with email rules I never have over 5 unread emails in my inbox - Because I use aggressive email rules to filter out every email. Your inbox will be full of automated emails, FYIs, non-urgent CCs, or spam. ✅ Setup email rules to mark all there emails on arrival, keep them out of your inbox and in a separate folder. It takes only 15 mins to clear them at the end of your workday vs hours of wasted time. ⏰📝 2/ Your reply should be either prompt or detailed People don't mind short emails as long as they are fast. People don't mind waiting for your reply if you're sharing specifics. But don't keep re-reading an email and delaying if you can finish it in <5 mins. ✅ Clear out emails fast vs carrying them for days - This will massively cut down on your time and be more respectful to those waiting for a response. 👆🏻 3/ Write with a clear call-to-action When you send an email, before typing the first word, think about your need - Are you sharing an update, asking for help, providing feedback? A clear goal helps you keep your email focused. ✅ Write a clear call-to-action line at the end of your email so that the reader responds. 🎭 4/ Use templates Templates are SO useful, yet I rarely see people using them effectively. 50% of your emails will be repetitive, and you will be spending time typing the same sentences again and again. ✅ If you've sent similar emails 5+ times, them make a template for it and don't repeat work. 📩 5/ Courtesy goes a long way! Your politeness in an email can be a huge-gamechanger. Whether its a colleague, a senior leader, a potential recruiter or a lead - Writing courteously, being polite in your requests, being empathetic of the other person and being complimentary are small things that make a big difference. ✅ Ensure your email is polite and courteous - You might be able to gain more opportunities through your words! Use these email tips to half your time and double your impact! Share your thoughts in the comments on your favourite email tip, or your personal method to be productive 👇🏻🔽 Mentoresult #linkedin #emails #mentorship #careercoaching