How I would setup our knowledge tools if I was starting from scratch

It’s painful to get to the end of the functionality of a tool and have to move to another one, or add an extra.

Even in our small team it’s taken a lot of time to setup, use, wear out, test new tools, migrate and get used to another tool (just because we’re nerdy about digital tools, doesn’t mean we enjoy changing tools all the time!).

This is what I would do if I was starting from scratch:

• File storage: Google Shared Drive (Business Standard edition)

  • To collaborate on docs with external folks and store stuff we want to keep but not in Notion

  • Don’t be tempted to use Shared Folders, thousands of organisations have ended up in a mess because individual accounts own crucial folders.

  • Use PARA for folder structure (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives)

• Chat: Slack (free version)

  • To reduce internal email to zero, enable remote office culture and a place to harness the hive mind.

  • A few crucial channels and a bunch of optional ones so that people don’t get overwhelmed.

• Wiki/knowledge: Notion

  • To store the outputs of the hivemind from Slack, a much more collaborative wiki than Google sites.

  • Enables integrating projects and area’s of responsibility with: resources, meeting notes, people information, tasks (just to name a few crucial ones!)

  • Start with a good template inspired by @tiago forte’s PARA methodology and do the same thing with your Shared Drive, personal bookmarks and personal note taking apps.

• CRM: ?? A bit more challenging.

  • Commercial orgs needing good email and social media integration: Pipedrive (That’s us for now)

  • Orgs with very basic needs: Notion. Integrate with all your other knowledge.

  • Orgs with simple CRM needs but need tight integration with complex Operations: Knack

  • Nonprofits who need to fundraise more effectively: Virtuous CRM

If I’d done all of that from the start, I would have saved a ridiculous amount of time!