SaaS Founder Productivity Tools You Need to Try: My Top 5 Picks

Being a CEO or even more, a Founder CEO, is no walk in the park.

Steering the organization towards its goals, constant fundraising and negotiations, managing complex documents, spearheading digital transformations, and staying up to date with industry news and conferences, the expectations are endless.

According to a study by Harvard Business Review, ‘CEOs are always on’ working on average 9.7 hours per weekday and on 79% of weekends working at least 4 hours per day.

There is no doubt that there are a lot of tasks on CEOs’ shoulders and not enough hours in a day to complete them all. At least not if you’re not cheating. And by cheating, I mean using the plethora of productivity tools available today. In this article, I will share the top 5 productivity tools I’ve found useful in my career.

Notion | All-in-One Workspace

First up, we have Notion. Think of it as the Swiss Army knife of productivity tools. Notion is a powerhouse for organization, note-taking, project management, and collaboration. Whether you need to jot down meeting notes, plan your quarterly goals, or track projects, Notion has got you covered.

Why I Loved It:

• Customizable Templates: Notion lets me tailor my workspace to fit my specific needs with endless templates. I created a personalized dashboard that keeps all my important tasks and information in one place.
• Integration Galore: It connects seamlessly with other tools I use like Slack, Google Drive, and Trello. This means I can centralize all my work and communications without hopping between apps (check out my article on Context Switching to understand why this is important).
• Collaborative Features: I can work with my team in real time, making remote work a breeze. Shared pages and real-time updates ensure everyone is on the same page.

Calendly | Scheduling Without Hassle

Next, we have Calendly—the ultimate scheduling assistant. Gone are the days of endless back-and-forth emails to find a meeting time that works for everyone. With Calendly, you can set your availability preferences and share your link. It’s that simple.

Why I Loved It:

• Time Saver: Calendly automates meeting scheduling, freeing up more of my precious time. No more email ping-pong to find a suitable slot.
• Integrates with Everything: It works with Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom, and more, ensuring my schedule is always up-to-date and in sync.
• Customizable: I can tailor my meeting types, availability, and notifications to suit my workflow. This flexibility means I can accommodate different types of meetings without hassle.

RivalSense | Staying Up-to-Date With My Competitors

In the competitive world of business, knowledge is power. That’s where RivalSense comes in. This tool is designed to provide deep insights into your competitors’ strategy and operations including layoffs, market entries, changes in product offering, regulatory hurdles, and much more.

Why I Loved It:

• Crisp Insights: The competitor insights that RivalSense provides are crisp and informative enough for me to make decisions without checking the root data source. Plus they give a screenshot from the source as well.
• No Additional Apps: They email their updates once a week. This is perfect for me because I hate using 100 different apps so e-mail is the perfect medium for me.
• Exceptional Data: I was even a bit surprised of how good some of the insights were. Of course, many of them are sourced from LinkedIn but once in a while there are some very insightful news from less-known sources.

Miro | Ultimate Whiteboard for Collaboration

Ever wish you could brainstorm with your team, even when everyone’s remote? Enter Miro—an online whiteboard that makes collaboration feel like everyone’s in the same room. From brainstorming sessions to project planning, Miro’s got the tools to bring your ideas to life.

Why I Loved It:

• Visual Collaboration: Miro’s visual tools like sticky notes, diagrams, and mind maps help flesh out ideas. I can visualize complex projects and break them down into manageable parts.
• Remote-Friendly: It’s perfect for distributed teams, offering real-time collaboration. No matter where my team members are, we can all contribute and share ideas as if we were in the same room.
• Templates & Integrations: Miro offers tons of templates and integrates with Slack, Jira, and more. This means I can start working on a project immediately without setting up everything from scratch.

Neurable | Headphones of the Future

Last but definitely not least, we have Neurable headphones. Alright, I know what you’re saying - headphones are not a ‘productivity tool’. Well, hear me out - Neurable is. These aren’t just any headphones—they’re designed to boost your focus and productivity using neurotechnology. Say goodbye to distractions and hello to deep work.

Why I Loved It:

• Focus Mode: Neurable uses brain activity to detect when I’m distracted and plays soundscapes to bring me back on track. This feature has significantly improved my concentration during work sessions.
• Comfort & Quality: The sound quality is top-notch, and the design is perfect for all-day wear. I can wear them for hours without any discomfort.
• Insightful Analytics: Neurable provides feedback on my focus patterns, helping me optimize my work habits. The data-driven insights have helped me understand when I’m most productive and how to maintain that focus.

Final Thoughts

There you have it—five tools that have transformed the way I work. Whether you’re looking to streamline your schedule with Calendly, organize your life with Notion, gain competitive insights with RivalSense, collaborate effectively with Miro, or enhance your focus with Neurable, these tools are essential for staying productive and ahead of the curve. So, give them a try and watch your productivity soar!

Happy working, and here’s to getting things done! 🚀