Behind the Build: My Tools & Workflow

TL;DR: "A craftsman must first sharpen his tools before he can do his work well." As an INTJ, I've spent the past few years constantly refining my productivity system. Through dozens of iterations, I've developed a streamlined workflow that supports how I think and work. Here, I share the tools and insights that have shaped my process—hopefully, they'll inspire yours too.

My Essential Tools

Thought, Action, and Change

Each of us has the same 24 hours in a day. Perhaps it is the most "equal" thing we all share. Under this premise, the constant pursuit of efficiency feels like a fundamental human need. I started to realize this, and became fascinated by productivity tools, back in 2020 when I was developing Miaodi, a cross-platform Markdown app. During the user research process, I came across many tools that later became well known in the KPM space, including Notion and Roam Research.

After nearly four years of exploration, I have gradually formed my own thoughts on personal tools and workflows. The purpose of a tool is to inspire thinking and action. On a deeper level, it should guide actions that can lead to real changes in life. Aside from that, having a folder full of bookmarked articles from years ago doesn't really mean much. I haven't gone through any fundamental transformation. All I've gained is a sense of satisfaction from collecting a lot of links.

Just Use Apple Notes...

Back in 2017, when I was in high school, the iPhone 6s Plus was my very first iPhone. At that time, I hadn't heard of Markdown syntax or fancy concepts like PKM or the Second Brain. I simply started using Apple Notes to jot down thoughts, study notes, and bits of daily life. I didn't think much about systems or frameworks — I just wrote things down, and used search when I needed to find something. That workflow has stayed with me until now. In a way, it feels like a return to simplicity, but it works. Whenever something comes to mind, my first instinct is to open Apple Notes and start typing.

Principal 1: Native First

Unless a third-party tool clearly outperforms the system's built-in option in meeting a real, non-negotiable need, I prefer using native tools.

Unlike other note-taking tools, Apple Notes has one key advantage: it's built into the system. That means there are many ways to trigger it, and its support for Shortcuts is relatively comprehensive. This allows for a high degree of customization, even for features that aren't officially supported. For example, I built a custom "Random Notes" shortcut to help me revisit and re-activate forgotten notes.

Ways to Activate Apple Notes

If you have an iPad and Apple Pencil, that combination can almost completely replace pen and paper — especially in situations where visual thinking is important. You don't have to drag things around or type. Otherwise, using a mouse and keyboard often disrupts the flow of thought.

Of course, Apple Notes has its downsides. It lacks good support for Markdown and LaTeX, has limited export options, and sticks to a plain folder structure. But for me, these are manageable. Their usage frequency is relatively low, and there are workarounds — such as creating Shortcuts to extend functionality, or using enhancements like Pronote, a plugin that adds power features to Apple Notes.

On Apple's own App showcase page, they say:

Connect, create, and get things done with powerful and intuitive apps designed to be accessible, private, and secure.

I deeply agree with that. From an interaction perspective, the ability to double-tap Apple Pencil on the iPad to bring up Quick Note from the lock screen, or to use Hot Corners, is a great example. These are system-level features that make the experience intuitive — and being truly intuitive is what allows a tool to help us get things done. In a way, it reflects Apple's early philosophy: if you care about software, you should make your own hardware.

The Two Redefined the Structure of 'Word'

If there's anything that truly stands apart from Apple Notes, it has to be Notion and Roam Research. I've used both extensively at different times, yet I always find myself circling back to the embrace of Apple Notes. Still, these two remain my favorite third-party note-taking apps to date—each designed with a radically different philosophy.

Notion is like a seamless blend of Excel and Word. The Office suite has dominated the workspace for decades, but Notion carved out its place with exceptional product design and a thriving community. Initially, I used Notion to manage almost every aspect of my life—work, study, personal planning—and became obsessed with building databases. But as the number of blocks grew, my workspace became increasingly bloated and heavy. The cost of maintaining and updating it soared, especially for someone like me who tends to obsess over details.

That said, I still rely on Notion heavily for team collaboration and showcasing, such as blogging or building personal websites. I used to code my own site, but every update or blog post inevitably required tweaking configurations—especially when introducing new features like LaTeX support. I'd have to dive deep into how to integrate LaTeX from scratch, and often ended up fussing over aesthetic details nobody really cared about. As a result, blog posts never accumulated, but the list of minor design tweaks kept growing. With Notion, however, it's much more convenient. Thanks to its robust database features, I can write and publish directly within Notion, which greatly streamlines the whole process.

Content is greater than form.

Roam Research, on the other hand, was the first to introduce bi-directional linking into note-taking, giving each note more context. I was among the earliest users back in 2020 and became a "Shamer," which still grants me free access to Roam today. Interestingly, the current Roam experience isn't very different from what it was back then. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up for debate—but it certainly speaks to the enduring value of Roam's linked-thinking model.

At one point, I used Roam as a daily work log, helping me track tasks, reviews, and ongoing progress. I could clearly feel how each day built upon the last. The bi-directional link system closely mirrors how our brains actually work: when writing, related concepts or past contexts often surface automatically, and Roam lets these mental connections materialize between blocks. That's when insights are triggered—and this is precisely why I still use Roam today.

Unfortunately, Roam's mobile editing experience is quite poor, and that's been a major obstacle in using it more extensively. Thankfully, Apple Notes eventually introduced note-to-note linking as well. While it doesn't support true backlinks, it does cover some of Roam's functionality to a degree.

Raycast: The Entrance to (Almost) Everything

If the Mac completely abandoned the Dock and Launchpad, and all you needed was Cmd + Space to trigger Spotlight Search — a single input box that lets you do anything — that might have been part of Jobs' original vision. Unfortunately, Spotlight is just too clunky. Its indexing for apps and actions is weak. That's why tools like Alfred, and later Raycast, emerged and thrived.

Cmd + Space (or Cmd + Cmd) is the king of all shortcuts. It's quick to activate, always accessible, and has almost zero friction. Raycast has become my SOP hub — a little toolbox where I keep pre-defined Quicklinks, Shortcuts, or Scripts. Once set up, I can trigger them anytime, anywhere. It's incredibly convenient.

After ChatGPT launched, I began to believe that the interaction model of Spotlight or Raycast could shape the future of AI interfaces. When Raycast AI was released, it showed that the team was thinking seriously about how to integrate AI. But after using it, I still feel there's a lot of room for improvement:

• Weak contextual awareness. This may be a shared challenge for many AI/Agent apps. I want it to know me: my background, goals, and what I'm working on. Only then can it truly help me take action in a meaningful way.
• Limited support for real actions. Since Raycast is already my toolbox, it could evolve into something more powerful. With proper agent integration, it should be able to perform tasks across apps, automate repetitive workflows, and act more like a true digital assistant. That would be very cool.

Superhuman: Why Just A Email Client Worth $30/mo?

Email has become one of the most frequently used tools in my daily workflow. Even though Apple Mail received a major update at WWDC 2025, I still feel like something's missing. Initially, my main requirement for an email client was simple: multi-account management. I wanted to check and handle my personal, school, and work emails all in one place. In general, there's limited room for innovation in email tools — their core and high-frequency functions are fairly constrained.

That was until I discovered Superhuman, which reshaped my view of what a workplace app — especially an email client — could be:

• It's fast. Almost no delay for any action. This matters. Users should receive immediate feedback for every interaction, whether it succeeds, fails, or is still pending.
• Full keyboard support. The average reaction time when observing a screen and using a mouse is around 3.445 seconds, limited by human physiology. Keyboard commands, by contrast, can be 1.5 to 4 seconds faster per action, boosting efficiency by 60% to 85%. While there's a learning curve, Superhuman handles user education well — you can even book a 1-on-1 call where someone walks you through key tips, and almost every actionable element displays its shortcut on hover.
• AI integration. When drafting emails, AI can generate a solid draft in seconds. From my experience, the model is well-optimized for this specific use case. With a few prompts, it can produce a professional, ready-to-send email in under 10 seconds — especially useful in workplace communication.

Today, email plays two main roles in my workflow: newsletter consumption and networking. Superhuman supports this in many ways. For example, Split Inbox lets me categorize emails by attribution — I've created a dedicated Job Alert split for tracking job board updates. Its Snippet feature is also a big time-saver, allowing me to turn commonly used messages into reusable templates.

Rethink Efficiency

This is a widely circulated meme from the PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) community, and I've actually used every tool shown in the image. In the beginning, I was obsessed with building a "grand unified system," dreaming of complete interoperability—if I could seamlessly transfer data from one app to another, I'd never have to copy and paste again! But that turned out to be unrealistic. These are commercial tools, after all, and developers aren't obligated to provide open access—unless openness is part of their business model.

Over time, I became fatigued with trying out new tools, because in the end, they're more or less the same. Truly great work doesn't depend on the tools you use; it depends on real thinking and action. All forms of input—reading, listening to podcasts, taking notes—exist for the sake of better output. And all output ultimately converges into one destination: writing. Whether it's writing code, blog posts, or even a short LinkedIn or Instagram post, it's how you use your thinking, actions, and experiences to make an impact on the world.

Tags: Product Thinking