Building the world's most customizable workspace with Ivan Zhao, co-founder of Notion, and Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year

Building the world's most customizable workspace with Ivan Zhao, co-founder of Notion, and Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year

In the early days of Notion, co-founder Ivan Zhao realized the importance of connecting with users on a personal level. He spent a significant amount of time replying to users one-on-one on Twitter, ensuring that they knew there was a human behind Notion. This personal touch helped build a strong foundation of trust and loyalty among users.

Notion also recognized the value of user feedback. Every piece of feedback they received was logged and carefully tagged so that it could be used to develop new features. This approach allowed Notion to constantly improve and meet the evolving needs of its users.

Two years ago, Notion took a step further by reaching out to its biggest power users. These users were building amazing things on Notion in ways that the team had never imagined. By developing closer working relationships with these power users, Notion was able to better understand their needs and provide them with the necessary support.

One interesting trend that Ivan Zhao noticed recently is the use of Notion as a tool for startups to raise venture capital. Instead of traditional slide decks, startups are using Notion pitch decks to communicate their ideas and plans. Notion has become more than just a note-taking tool for these companies; it has become their operating system, managing everything from project management to documentation.

This brings us to the concept of identity-based habits. The key to building lasting habits is to focus on creating a new identity first. Our current behaviors are a reflection of our current identity. If we want to change our behavior, we need to start believing new things about ourselves.

There are three layers of behavior change: outcomes, processes, and identity. Outcomes are the results we want to achieve, processes are the actions we take, and identity is our beliefs about ourselves. Many people start by focusing on the outcomes they want, but this leads to outcome-based habits, which may not be sustainable.

Instead, we should ask ourselves, "Who is the type of person that could achieve the outcome I want?" By creating an identity that aligns with our desired outcomes, we can make lasting changes. Changing our beliefs about ourselves is not as difficult as it may seem. It involves two simple steps: deciding the type of person we want to be and proving it to ourselves with small wins.

Proving our identity to ourselves is more important than achieving amazing results. Motivation alone is not enough; we need to become the type of person we want to be. This starts with small victories that reinforce our new identity.

So, how can we apply these insights to our own lives and workspaces? Here are three actionable pieces of advice:

• 1. Connect with your users on a personal level: Take the time to engage with your users individually and let them know there is a human behind your product or service. This personal touch can build trust and loyalty.

• 2. Embrace user feedback: Log and tag every piece of feedback you receive. Use it to develop new features and improve your offering. By listening to your users, you can better understand their needs and provide the necessary support.

• 3. Focus on creating a new identity: Instead of solely focusing on the outcomes you want to achieve, consider the type of person you need to be to achieve those outcomes. Prove your new identity to yourself through small wins and reinforce it over time.

In conclusion, building a customizable workspace like Notion requires a deep understanding of user needs and a commitment to personalization. By connecting with users, embracing feedback, and focusing on creating a new identity, we can build habits and workspaces that truly align with our goals and aspirations. So, let's start believing in ourselves and creating the world we want to live and work in.