Handling unread emails for busy founders

Executive: “My inbox is out of control.” Assistant: “Say less. I’ve got a plan.” If your executive’s inbox looks like a digital black hole of unread messages, never-ending CCs, and urgent requests buried under newsletter subscriptions, you’re not alone. But if you are working with a strategic lens, you’re not just here to “check emails.” You’re here to build a system that makes their inbox WORK FOR THEM. So, when an executive drops the “My inbox is a mess” bomb, here’s how a next-level assistant responds: Step 1: Set the Rules of Engagement Before touching a single email, ask: ➡️ What actually requires your eyes, and what can I handle? ➡️ Who are your VIPs, and who gets a same-day response no matter what? ➡️ What’s your preferred communication style—daily summaries, flagging urgent emails, or handling 80% of it so you only see the top 20%? If they don’t have clear answers, guess what? You create the system for them. Step 2: Automate, Filter, and Declutter The goal? Inbox Zen. ✅ Set up VIP folders. So high-priority emails don’t drown in the noise. ✅ Use rules & filters. Newsletters, FYIs, and non-urgent emails? Sorted automatically. ✅ Create canned responses. If they’re constantly typing the same replies, save that time! Step 3: Control the Chaos with an Inbox Routine No more inbox panic at 4 PM. Put a system in place: 🔹 Morning: Quick scan for what’s urgent? What can be delegated? 🔹 Midday: Check-in for any new priorities? 🔹 End of day: Review unanswered emails, summarize key items, prep for tomorrow. Step 4: Train Your Executive to Trust the Process Your exec needs to know: If you’re managing the inbox, they don’t have to. Show them the system works by keeping them focused on what actually matters. Over time, they’ll stop drowning in emails and you become the secret weapon behind their inbox sanity. Remember, you’re protecting their time, ensuring priorities don’t get lost, and making sure their inbox serves them and not the other way around. I want to hear it. Drop your best tips below for taming a wild inbox! 👇🏽 #evolvedassistant #administrativeassistant #executivesupport #administrativeprofessional #executiveassistant

As a VC, Hustle Fund Partner Eric Bahn handles 300+ emails / day while managing countless founder conversations, he's learned that the right tools can 10x your output. Here are the three that transformed how he works: 1. Voice Dictation (Willow) He barely types anymore. AI-enhanced voice input has doubled his productivity by: 🤺 Correcting grammar automatically ➖ Reducing redundancies 🗒️ Perfect formatting Voice is the future of human-computer interaction. Period. 2. AI Note-Taking (Granola) This desktop + mobile app automatically detects conversations and delivers: 💎 Flawless transcripts ✅ Action items extracted 🌏 Multi-language support (tested in Korea/Japan!) No more frantic note-taking in meetings. Just pure focus on the conversation. 3. Email Mastery (Superhuman) 359 weeks straight of inbox zero with 300+ daily emails. Here's why it works: ⚡ Speed: Every action under 100ms (vs Gmail's sluggish response) 💬 Snippets: Template 40 similar emails in under 5 minutes 🏆 Team templates: Crowdsource efficiency across your whole team Bottom line: The compound effect of small efficiency gains is massive. 💸

People often celebrate the cult of “inbox zero” but don’t explain why it actually matters or how to do it. After many years of working at it - here is where I have ended up. WHY EVEN TRY? The speed of the flow of (quality) information around an organisation is incredibly important. Founders are often the worst bottleneck for this flow – with our various inboxes (across email, Slack, Notion, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc) being the places where this information can pile up. Therefore, the faster that a decision maker can clear out their inboxes, the better the information health of their team / organisation. (You could make a crude analogy for a heart pumping blood around the body) MY APPROACH You cannot be everywhere at once! It is important to tell folks to use certain inboxes and focus mostly on clearing these out. For external people, I direct them to my email and, internally, I mostly use Slack. These are my primary inboxes. I make it clear to the most important folks (my team, investors, customers, etc) to get in touch via these channels. I then dedicate time throughout the week (Monday morning, Wednesday afternoon and Friday afternoon) to clear things out. On top of this, it’s important to try and have a sensible system around instant replies, archiving, forwarding, snoozing, etc. to help manage your clear out sessions. When I open email during the day I'll try to resolve important things instantly, forward emails to the right person / team (even if I have to reply properly later), and snooze things that can wait 24hrs to my next deep session. For my secondary inboxes (LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Twitter, Notion, etc) I try to look at these at least once a week and direct anything/anyone important to my preferred inbox for all future communications. Over time, this compounds and it all becomes more straightforward. Remember, fellow founders, it’s totally allowed to have clear internal policies around communication with you and, if you want it, norms for communication at your entire organisation. At its core, maintaining healthy inbox habits isn’t just about personal productivity. When information moves swiftly and efficiently, so do decisions and outcomes. OVERDOING IT Some people turn Inbox Zero into their full time job. This is stupid and harms them and the org. You cannot let others dictate your life or your work - you need to be in control and give yourself time for deep work. This is why the boundaries I've set up around clearing things out multiple times a week helps - I know that I'll deal with it soon so I can safely ignore it for now. Fellow inbox zero folks, I’d be interested in hearing any other top tips that you may have on staying on top of things!

The average corporate employee spends 15 hours every week on JUST EMAILS. As a founder at Mentoresult, a consultant at McKinsey and a B-School student at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, I have received hundreds of emails every week, and have written some pretty damn important emails. I've realised that emails can kill productivity - But also become your superpower if you can work them right. Here are my top 5 email hacks: 📬 1/ Automate your entire inbox with email rules I never have over 5 unread emails in my inbox - Because I use aggressive email rules to filter out every email. Your inbox will be full of automated emails, FYIs, non-urgent CCs, or spam. ✅ Setup email rules to mark all there emails on arrival, keep them out of your inbox and in a separate folder. It takes only 15 mins to clear them at the end of your workday vs hours of wasted time. ⏰📝 2/ Your reply should be either prompt or detailed People don't mind short emails as long as they are fast. People don't mind waiting for your reply if you're sharing specifics. But don't keep re-reading an email and delaying if you can finish it in <5 mins. ✅ Clear out emails fast vs carrying them for days - This will massively cut down on your time and be more respectful to those waiting for a response. 👆🏻 3/ Write with a clear call-to-action When you send an email, before typing the first word, think about your need - Are you sharing an update, asking for help, providing feedback? A clear goal helps you keep your email focused. ✅ Write a clear call-to-action line at the end of your email so that the reader responds. 🎭 4/ Use templates Templates are SO useful, yet I rarely see people using them effectively. 50% of your emails will be repetitive, and you will be spending time typing the same sentences again and again. ✅ If you've sent similar emails 5+ times, them make a template for it and don't repeat work. 📩 5/ Courtesy goes a long way! Your politeness in an email can be a huge-gamechanger. Whether its a colleague, a senior leader, a potential recruiter or a lead - Writing courteously, being polite in your requests, being empathetic of the other person and being complimentary are small things that make a big difference. ✅ Ensure your email is polite and courteous - You might be able to gain more opportunities through your words! Use these email tips to half your time and double your impact! Share your thoughts in the comments on your favourite email tip, or your personal method to be productive 👇🏻🔽 Mentoresult #linkedin #emails #mentorship #careercoaching