Inbox Airlock

What email should be (and how Inbox Airlock makes it so) Let’s face it: email, in its current form, is a hot mess. It’s like a dumpster fire that’s been smoldering for decades. Despite the rise and fall of technologies like RSS, YOUR email remains the ultimate playground for marketers, cold email spammers, and anyone vying for an online audience. But here’s the twist: email is also the lifeblood of workplace communication. So why does sifting through our inboxes feel like wading through quicksand? Why do we sacrifice precious hours to this digital deluge? (Spoiler alert: we’ve surrendered to the status quo.) Picture this: Your urgent client email or colleague’s message is drowning in a sea of substack updates, unsolicited WordPress development offers (you don’t even use WordPress), and H&M spring sale announcements. It’s a cacophony of chaos. Sure, there are tools like Superhuman that turbocharge our inbox navigation. And yes, Hey and Spark offer fresh email perspectives, but they demand a leap of faith and a radical shift. Frankly, email isn’t exciting—it’s a chore. Most of us just want to clear it out and move on with our day. Enter Inbox Airlock, a refreshingly lightweight solution that injects joy into your Gmail inbox routine. Here’s the scoop: 🦋 Seamless Integration: Inbox Airlock seamlessly integrates with your Gmail. No new UI to learn, no new email address, no installation headaches. It’s like slipping on a familiar pair of shoes. 🎩 The Magic Ingredient: What does Inbox Airlock do? It’s simple yet revolutionary. It sweeps away the clutter from your main inbox. When a new email arrives, it’s like a bouncer at an exclusive club. If the sender is a trusted contact—someone you’ve emailed before, or explicitly added to the list—it gets VIP access to your inbox. You’re in control. 📦 Nothing is lost: The clutter has it’s own neat place - an “Airlock” folder. You can search it, you can read it, but only when YOU choose to do so, not when THEY want your attention. I’ll be as bold as to say that you can re-enable your email push notifications. And here’s the personal touch: trying Inbox Airlock would mean a great deal to me. As an advocate for better email experiences, I genuinely believe this tool can transform how we interact with our inboxes. There’s a 2-week free trial waiting for you. Use discount code “linkedinfriends20” for an extra 20% off. If you're not a Gmail user, I'd also equally appreciate a share. Let’s make email enjoyable again! 🚀

The email Subject field is ineptly named. It should be called Summary, and written LAST. (Personally, I'd call it TL;DR) Use the Subject field more effectively to simultaneously: 1. Get your message across. 2. Get the recipient's attention. 3. Show consideration for the recipient's time. This is how I do it: 1. Craft your subject line to be a super-brief SUMMARY of the bottom-line of your message rather than a descriptive title. 2. Make it more specific, to distinguish it from similar items in your recipient's inbox, and to give it as much context as you can. 3. If you can, include a verb in command form. Or ask a question. If you want the recipient to act, tell them how! 4. When replying to a badly named thread, change the subject! Examples: ❌ Draft Agreement ✅ DEF Ltd. / Draft Agreement - please edit or comment ❌ Trip Expenses ✅ ABC conference / trip expenses - please approve ❌ Alice Smith's CV ✅ Alice Smith's CV looks good: invite for interview  ❌ Proposal ✅ Proposal to reduce costs - what is next step?   ❌ Bob / Itzy Meeting ✅ Glad to have met you; let's stay in touch ❌ PQR feature ✅ PQR feature - expected delivery date? ❌ Jack Bloggs - Reference ✅ Jack Bloggs - highly recommended! ❌ Jill / Itzy Meeting ✅ Thank you for your helpful advice! ❌ Decision on XYZ Project ✅ XYZ Project - It's approved! When your recipient takes a quick peek and scans their inbox, they'll know what you want at a glance. P.S. What good (or terrible) email subject lines have you seen? P.P.S. What email-related pet peeves do you have? ----- Algorithm: 📈 Grow your software engineering team. ⛔️ Hit inevitable process & tech roadblocks. 🤙 Call me to help you overcome & speed up again.