You lose time because your calendar is in one app.
Your chats in another.
Your files are somewhere in Google Drive.
And your brain… somewhere between tab 14 and 27 (we’ve all been there).
It seems like I’m talking about a first world problem but, this isn’t.
I’ll confess I’ve become a productivity geek since I’ve moved to being a VC. But, as founders we’ve all been here.
I saw this Zoho Workplace ad and actually paused. I find these ads are usually boring but, this one resonated.
Running a startup, I’ve seen this chaos firsthand. The team is not slacking, they’re just scattered. One person’s writing content in a Google Doc. Another is dropping edits on a WhatsApp group. Someone else is setting up a meeting in yet another app. And, nothing talks to anything else.
We’re not short on productivity. We were short on structure. And honestly, that lack of structure kills momentum more than anything else.
That’s why this ad stood out — not because it promised a magical AI fix or another tool.
But because it made a simple promise: “Your tools should work together. Your team should feel like one team.”
Zoho Workplace (I’ve tried it) brings together:
• Mail (with calendars, notes, and tasks inside your inbox)
• WorkDrive (so files live in one place — no more “v2_FINAL_revised_updated_LAST”)
• Cliq for communication
• And even an AI assistant (Zia) that pulls info, summarizes notes, and drafts mails and much more!.
But beyond features, the ad itself was refreshing. No fake smiles. No overused stock shots of people fake collaborating. Just some sharp, tongue-in-cheek storytelling that mirrors the mess we all deal with.
As someone who’s built teams, led chaos, and tried (and failed) to create “one system to rule them all” — this one made me think.
It’s not about doing more. It’s about getting out of your own way.
I’m trying even harder to declutter my life and add efficiency. Any tips that have worked for you?
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