How Notion Became the Ultimate Note-Taking App

Notion is a productivity and note-taking web application that has taken the world by storm. With its versatile features, elegant design, and powerful integrations, Notion has become the ultimate tool for managing projects, tasks, notes, wikis, and databases. But how did Notion achieve such success? What is the story behind this remarkable app?

The beginning

Notion was created in 2013 by Ivan Zhao and Simon Last, two students who shared a vision of building software from Lego-like bricks. They wanted to empower users to create their own tools without coding, inspired by the pioneers of computing like Douglas Engelbart and Alan Kay. They started working on prototypes of a wiki-like document management system, but their initial attempts failed to gain traction.

In 2015, Notion faced a near-death experience when their app crashed and lost all their user data. They had to rebuild the app from scratch, using a new technology stack and a new design philosophy. They decided to focus on simplicity, elegance, and usability, rather than on features and complexity. They also adopted a user-centric approach, listening to feedback and iterating based on user needs.

The launch of 1.0

n 2016, Notion 1.0 was launched, offering a sleek and intuitive interface that allowed users to create pages with different types of content blocks, such as text, images, tables, lists, kanban boards, calendars, and more. Users could also link pages together to form a wiki-like structure, or embed web content from other apps like YouTube, Google Drive, Spotify, and more. Notion quickly gained popularity among tech enthusiasts, creatives, and entrepreneurs who appreciated its flexibility and customizability.

In 2018, Notion 2.0 was released, adding more features and integrations to the app. Notion introduced templates for common use cases, such as personal wiki, project management, notes and drafts, reading list, travel planner, and more. Users could also create their own templates or browse through a gallery of community-made templates. Notion also added integrations with popular apps like Slack, GitHub, Zapier, Figma, and more.

Skyrocketing growth

In 2019, Notion reached 1 million users and received $50 million in funding from Index Ventures and other investors. The company also launched its official Android app and expanded its team to 10 employees. In 2020, Notion became valued at $2 billion and grew its user base to 4 million. The company also made its personal plan free for unlimited pages and blocks.

In 2021-2023, Notion continued to grow and innovate. The company acquired Automate.io, a startup that enabled users to automate workflows between different apps. It also raised $275 million in a new round of funding led by Coatue Management and Sequoia Capital, valuing the company at $10 billion. The company also launched the Notion Certified Program, an official accreditation for users who wanted to expand their expertise. It also joined the Security First Initiative, a coalition of tech companies that pledged to share security information with their customers. Notion also acquired Cron, a calendar software that it added to its suite of productivity apps. It also announced its official Japanese release and added multi-factor authentication for its users.

Notion is more than a note-taking app

Notion is now one of the most popular and successful note-taking apps in the world. It has revolutionized the way people organize their information and collaborate with others. It has also inspired a vibrant community of users who share their tips, tricks, templates, and use cases on social media platforms like X.com, TikTok, YouTube, and more.

Notion is not just an app; it is a community. It is a movement that connects users to create their own tools and systems that suit their needs and preferences. It is a movement that celebrates creativity, productivity, and collaboration. It is a movement that challenges the status quo of software development and design