For those building in Google Workspace: what limitations are you hitting?
We’ve been building a few tools that run inside Gmail and Google Workspace over the past months.
Things like a Kanban board on top of Google Tasks, and a simple CRM using Google Contacts.
What’s been interesting is that the challenges aren’t always technical. A lot of it comes down to how people actually use Gmail day to day.
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I hear you, it's really tough to build things that fit naturally into people's existing workflows. I actually know a couple of Google Workspace power users who'd probably be happy to answer your questions, I could ask them for you.
“That’s the part most people underestimate — Workspace tools are less about technical capability and more about existing user habits and friction tolerance.
If you’re building on top of Gmail, the real constraint isn’t what’s possible via APIs, it’s what users are already conditioned to ignore or avoid inside their inbox flow.
You should test this in a live setting as well — we’re running a small round where builders explore workflow-heavy ideas like this. $19 entry, winner gets a Tokyo trip (flights + hotel).
Round 01 just opened (100 cap) — best odds right now.”
That’s actually a solid point, and honestly something we’ve been learning the hard way.
You can build something technically “correct” on top of Gmail, but if it asks people to behave even slightly differently from their normal flow, it just… doesn’t stick. The inbox has its own gravity.
Curious how you’re evaluating that in your round. Are people testing inside real inbox workflows or more controlled scenarios?
That “inbox has its own gravity” line is spot on — that’s exactly where most tools break.
In our round, we lean more toward real workflow testing rather than controlled setups. The idea is to see how something holds up when it’s actually used in context — not just whether it works, but whether people keep using it without friction.
For something like Gmail-based tools, that usually means:
→ does it fit into existing habits without extra steps
→ does it save time immediately (not after setup)
→ does it get used again without reminders
Also — this could actually be a strong angle to test in Tokyo Lore itself, since you’re already thinking in terms of real usage vs theoretical fit.
It’s a $19 entry, includes a structured analysis + entry into the live round (Tokyo trip for the winner). Round 01 is still early (100 cap).
Would you be open to trying it with your current workflow idea? Happy to share the link 👍