About NIO.tips

Do more. Work less. Tips that save time.

Or: Why read this site when all we need is fewer tabs open

Around 2020, I spent three weeks on and off building the “perfect” task management system. Custom Notion database, some WordPress automations through Zapier, integration with third-party tools, the works. It was beautiful. I used it for nine days.

On day ten, I went back to an Apple note called “todos.”

Then, just last month, I spent 12 hours building a nice, really functional Notion hub/database for keeping track of movies watched. I don’t even watch movies. Last thing I watched was The Hobbit. I didn’t like it.

Goes to show that if I’d tell you I know my stuff, you’d be like, “wait, what?!”

Okay, this is getting off track. Let’s start over.

The problem I’m actually trying to solve

Productivity is often just theater.

We all want to be more productive in our work, trying new tools, setting automations, doing stuff with AI, but oftentimes, all we achieve is just optimizing a task we wouldn’t normally do anyway. Or shouldn’t do.

Most automation advice is procrastination cosplaying as productivity. People who write it love productivity systems more than doing actual work. They’re optimizing for the screenshot, the Twitter/X thread, the “look at my stack” flex.

Not sure if that’s you? Quick vibe check, if you’re optimizing your note-taking system right now, you’re avoiding real work. Or, if you spend more than 15 minutes setting up a productivity tool, you’re procrastinating. The best tool is almost always the boring one you already know how to use.

This site exists to test ideas so you don’t have to.

… To tell you what actually saves time versus what just feels productive.
… To be the friend who says “don’t bother” when you’re about to waste a weekend on the hot new app.

Why trust me? (spoiler: maybe don’t)

Sometimes I’m the least productive person in the room.

❌ Wasted $1,000s on “deals” from AppSumo only to use maybe 1-2 of those tools regularly.
❌ On my 7th project/task management system right now. It’s going great!
❌ Went from digital to paper and back to digital three times for my to-do lists.
❌ Have exactly 57 browser tabs open right now.
❌ Still check email about 15 times per day even though I know better.

But here’s what makes that useful: I’ve made these mistakes with my own money and time. Every tool I recommend here is one I’d use again tomorrow if my hard drive died.

Skin in the game: I run a consulting practice where missed deadlines cost me real clients. Bad tool advice doesn’t just waste your time – it would waste mine first. I can’t afford to recommend junk. At least not now.

My three rules

Rule 1: The Tuesday Test

Will I actually use this strategy/tool/system next Tuesday? Not “should I” or “it would be good if I did.” Will I? Most fail this instantly.

Rule 2: 15-Minute Setup Maximum

If I can’t get value in 15 minutes, it’s not something for me – it’s a hobby. I have enough hobbies.

Rule 3: Boring Is Good

Spreadsheets, text files, and native OS apps beat fancy new startups 80% of the time. I have to prove why something needs to exist before recommending it.

This site is NOT for you if…

You probably want to leave if:

You love tinkering with systems more than using them
You need to tailor make stuff
Your productivity stack is your personality
You think the answer is always “one more tool”

This site is for people who want to do their work and go home.

People tired of productivity theater.

People who suspect the answer might actually be fewer tools, not more.

My current contradiction

I write about automation, and love putting new things into n8n, but I still make all my notes on paper. I know, there are tons of apps for that, and even native ones on iOS, I “should” pivot there somehow. I probably won’t. Sometimes manual is fine. 🤷‍♂️

If that bothers you, we’re not going to get along.

What I’m testing right now
Current experiment: Using Cursor to “code” a presentation file vs doing it in PowerPoint. Hypothesis: If you give it your content, it should handle the design part for you – thus, you focus more on the message than anything else.