Forte Labs

The modern frontier of productivity.

Dec 28, 2017

Progressive Summarization III: Guidelines and Principles

In Part I, I explained Progressive Summarization, a method for easily creating highly discoverable notes. In Part II, I gave you many exampl

May 22, 2018

Just-In-Time PM #6: Evolving Deliverables

In Part 5, I introduced The Iron Triangle of Project Management and the idea that any given deliverable can be reduced or expanded in scope

Oct 9, 2018

A Maker’s Ethos in the Era of Networked Attention

Once upon a time, we faced the scourge of Information Overload. Too many emails with too many details producing too many open loops to keep

Aug 17, 2017

Strategically Constrained: How to Turn Limitations Into Opportunities

I first came across the idea that great strengths can emerge from great constraints in Ryan Holiday’s book The Obstacle is the Way. He takes

Oct 14, 2019

Interview with Billy Broas of Email Boss

This is an interview with my online course marketing coach and creator of the Email Boss program Billy Broas. It is an in-depth discussion i

Jun 1, 2018

Just-In-Time PM #14: Personal Productivity Networks

In Part 13, we looked at the benefits of Component Thinking, which involves thinking of any product we are working on as made up of subcompo

Jan 17, 2018

The Annual Review is a Rearchitecture

I previously described how the weekly review is an operating system, funneling each bit of information you captured during the week to its p

May 7, 2018

Just-In-Time Project Management: A Digital-First Framework for Modern Projects

Technology has transformed every aspect of business, from the tools we use to communicate and collaborate, to how products and services are

Feb 13, 2019

The Free Agent Ecosystem

One of the most exciting trends in coming years will be the formation of cooperative working groups made up of independent contractors.  Whe

Mar 5, 2018

Progressive Summarization V: The Faster You Forget, The Faster You Learn

In Part I, I introduced Progressive Summarization, a method for easily creating highly discoverable notes. In Part II, I gave you examples a

Dec 4, 2018

10 Things I Learned as a VA with Tiago

By Kathryn Tongg 1. Establish the preferred method of communication right away. Everyone has a way they prefer to communicate. Whether this

Aug 15, 2018

The 5 Challenges of Becoming a Digital Nomad

In Part 1 of the Going Nomad series, I explained why my partner Lauren and I are moving to Mexico at the end of the year. In Part 2, I’ll te

Oct 17, 2020

Crafting a Book Proposal

Your proposal is like a business plan for your book. It needs to justify why your book is worth not just years of your time and effort, but

Oct 17, 2020

Launching Your Book

Everything you’ve done up to this point has been preparation for this singular moment: the launch of your book. An incredible amount of time

Jul 21, 2019

Tiago’s 2019 Mid-Year Review

The following are the results of my Mid-Year Review, which I do every year around the beginning of July. It is a simple process of reflectio

Oct 28, 2018

Just-in-Time PM #21: Workflow Strategies

Now it’s time to look at the JIT Project Manager’s toolkit. How do we put these ideas into practice in our day to day work? Through Workflow

May 20, 2018

Just-In-Time PM #4: Intermediate Packets

In Part 3, I argued that having a personal knowledge base is the linchpin of success in a creative economy. A knowledge base allows you to r

Mar 9, 2019

The Four Pathways of Modern Book Publishing

In The Future of Ebooks, I laid out a vision for what books could become in a world free of technological constraints. But the modern realit

May 31, 2018

Just-In-Time PM #13: Component Thinking

In Part 12, I described the shift from a just-in-case to a just-in-time philosophy of work, using late starts as an example of the benefits

May 19, 2018

Just-In-Time PM #3: Flow Cycles

In Part 2, I described the sublime and powerful experience of flow, which could be considered the “holy grail” of productivity. I argued tha

Oct 17, 2020

The Ins and Outs of Offers

After you’ve written your proposal and sent it to publishers, the future of your book is in their hands.  If you’ve done your job effectivel

Jul 25, 2018

Why I’m Moving to Mexico

My partner Lauren and I are moving to Mexico City later this year. This post explains why, both to clarify for myself, and to be able to sha

May 27, 2018

Just-In-Time PM #10: Structure, Features, and Purpose

In Part 9, I explained why it is so important to create placeholders for your work-in-process: to allow you to pursue multiple projects acro

May 1, 2019

Superhuman: The Fastest Email Experience Ever Made

This is a recording of a live walkthrough of Superhuman, an email client that works in the browser and on iOS and connects to any Gmail acc