On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on a TechTO stage in 2016. Every TechTO talk is searchable — ask the archive about Kunal ↗
In their words
Without focus it's impossible — absolutely impossible — to achieve anything. But with focus you can achieve absolutely anything.
I've developed this belief that ninety percent of everything in life is awareness.
I took email off of my phone five years ago, and it's probably one of the best business decisions I've ever made.
Quick answers
What does Kunal Gupta say about multitasking?
That our brains can't do it. True multitasking means doing multiple tasks aligned to one objective, like the simultaneous checks involved in driving a car. Bouncing between your computer, Slack notifications, Facebook, nearby conversations, and lunch is switch-tasking, which constantly disrupts flow and the ability to focus.
How did Polar build focus into its culture?
Through a 'making versus meeting' culture: Tuesdays and Thursdays were meeting-free days. Vacation was mandatory and employees had to actually disconnect — the company tracked it and could check Slack if someone logged on. Everything, from customer issues to sales targets to the product roadmap, had to be a prioritized list.
What happened when he took email off his phone?
He removed it out of necessity, roughly five years before the talk, and only told his team about it a year before. Nobody noticed and the business didn't skip a beat. At the time of the talk he kept Slack installed but unused, his home screen had four icons, and the phone served mainly as a GPS — the one reason he hadn't switched to a flip phone.