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💫 Elevator Pitch

"Imagine a world where staying productive is not a chore, but a seamless part of your daily routine. Todoist is a productivity app, designed for the modern knowledge worker, helps you manage tasks, collaborate effortlessly, and achieve your goals with ease. Whether you're juggling multiple projects or simply trying to stay on top of your daily to-dos, Todoist integrates with your favourite tools and provides real-time insights to keep you on track. Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to a more organised, stress-free life. Welcome to the future of productivity"

⏰ Todoist

1. Product Overview

Todoist is a digital productivity app designed to help knowledge workers manage tasks, collaborate with teams, and stay organized in their personal and professional lives. It’s built to seamlessly integrate with other popular productivity tools, making it an essential part of the user’s workflow.

2. Key Features:

• Task Management: Create, prioritise, and organise tasks into projects. Set deadlines, add labels, and assign tasks to team members.
• Collaboration Tools: Share projects and tasks with others, assign responsibilities, and communicate within the app to ensure everyone stays on the same page.
• Integrations: Connect with other productivity tools like Google Workspace, Slack, and Asana for a unified experience.
• Productivity Tracking: Gain insights into your productivity patterns, track progress over time, and identify areas for improvement.
• Reminders and Notifications: Stay on top of deadlines with customizable reminders and real-time notifications.
• Cross-Platform Access: Access your tasks and projects from any device, ensuring continuity no matter where you are.
• Customization Options: Tailor the app to your workflow with customizable themes, views, and shortcuts.

3. What Problem is Todoist Solving?

Task Overload:

Many knowledge workers struggle with managing multiple tasks and projects, leading to stress and decreased productivity. Your app helps users organize and prioritize tasks, reducing overwhelm.

Lack of Collaboration Tools:

Traditional task management tools often lack robust collaboration features. Your app solves this by allowing users to share tasks, communicate, and collaborate within a single platform.

Disjointed Tools:

Users often have to juggle multiple productivity tools that don’t work well together. Your app solves this by integrating with other popular tools, providing a seamless experience.

Lack of Insights:

Users struggle to track their productivity and identify areas for improvement. Your app offers productivity tracking features that give users actionable insights.

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Exhibit 1 : Adoption by features

Core Value Proposition

"Empower knowledge workers to achieve their goals with less stress"
Todoist offers a seamless blend of task management, team collaboration, and productivity tracking, all in one place. By integrating with the tools users already use, it eliminates the need for switching between multiple platforms, saving time and reducing overwhelm. Whether you're managing complex projects or everyday tasks, Todoist helps you stay organised, meet deadlines, and maintain focus, so you can work smarter, not harder."

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Exhibit 2 : Todoist as Habit Tracker

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Exhibit 3 : Top votes indicating the core value prop for Todoist

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User interview outcome

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Understanding your ICP

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B2C Table

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Understand Market

Total Addressable Market (TAM)​

Market:
The productivity software market, particularly targeting knowledge workers globally, is vast. This includes professionals in technology, marketing, finance, consulting, education, and other industries that require task management, project management, and collaboration tools.

Estimation:

• According to market research, the global productivity software market was valued at approximately $62 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.4% over the next few years.
• Knowledge workers make up a significant portion of this market, with estimates suggesting that there are over 1 billion knowledge workers globally. This includes roles such as project managers, software engineers, marketers, and consultants who require productivity tools to manage their tasks and workflows.

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TAM Calculation:
If we consider the average annual spend per user on productivity tools to be around $50, the TAM for Todoist targeting all knowledge workers would be:

TAM = 1 billion users × $50 per user = $50 billion

Serviceable Available Market (SAM)​

Market:
Given the current feature set and integrations of Todoist, the focus is on knowledge workers in industries that heavily rely on digital tools, such as technology, marketing, finance, and education. These industries have a high adoption rate for productivity tools, making them more accessible for Todoist.

Estimation:

• Focusing on developed markets with high adoption of productivity tools, such as North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, we can estimate that about 30% of the global knowledge worker population falls within Todoist’s SAM.
• This equates to approximately 300 million knowledge workers.

SAM Calculation:

SAM = 300 million users × $50 per user = $15 billion

Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM)​

Market:
By focusing on product integration and referral design, Todoist can target a subset of its SAM, particularly those users who prioritise seamless workflows and are likely to refer the product within their professional networks.

Estimation:

• Considering competitive factors and realistic adoption rates, Todoist could aim to capture about 5% of the SAM in the short term. This equates to 15 million users.
• By leveraging integrations and a strong referral program, Todoist can expand its reach within this market segment.

SOM Calculation:

SOM = 15 million users × $50 per user = $750 million

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Acquisition Channels​

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Implementation of channels

Organic Channel (SEO and Content Marketing)

Insights from Organic Search

• Atlassian (5.8M visits) and Asana (4.6M visits): These platforms excel in organic search, likely due to their strong SEO strategies and high-ranking content.
• Trello (3.9M visits): Trello also captures significant organic search traffic, reflecting its strong presence in search results.
• Todoist (846K visits): Todoist has room to grow in organic search. By optimizing content for relevant keywords, Todoist can increase its visibility and attract more users.

Insights from the Keyword Gap Analysis​

1. Keyword Opportunities:
2. • Missing Keywords: Todoist is missing out on ranking for several high-volume keywords that its competitors, Trello and Notion, are ranking for. These include keywords like "calendar," "slack," "project," "jira," and "asana." Ranking for these keywords could significantly increase Todoist's visibility and organic traffic.
   • Weak Keywords: Todoist is also ranking lower than its competitors for some important keywords like "template," "meeting agenda format," and "social media calendar template." Improving rankings for these keywords could help Todoist capture more search traffic.
3. Keyword Overlap and Competition:
4. • Keyword Overlap: Trello and Notion have a higher number of organic keywords compared to Todoist, with Notion having a significantly larger keyword footprint (25.4K keywords) compared to Todoist's 5.7K. This indicates that Notion and Trello are capturing a broader audience through a more diverse set of keywords.
   • High Competition Keywords: Some of the missing and weak keywords are highly competitive (e.g., "calendar," "project management tools"). This means Todoist will need a strong SEO strategy, potentially including content creation and backlink building, to improve rankings for these terms.
5. Intent of Keywords:
6. • Many of the missing keywords for Todoist are informational and commercial, which are crucial for attracting users in the consideration and decision stages of the customer journey.
7. Specific Keyword Challenges:
8. • Calendar (1M searches): A high-volume keyword where Todoist is currently not ranking, despite being a critical feature in productivity tools. Optimising content around calendar-related features could help Todoist capture this traffic.
   • Slack (246K searches): Given the popularity of Slack as a collaboration tool, integrating with Slack and optimising content around this integration could drive additional traffic.
   • Project Management Tools (12.1K searches): This is another high-intent keyword that Todoist is missing out on. Content that positions Todoist as a viable project management tool could be beneficial.

• App Store Optimisation (ASO)
• Email Marketing

Referral Program

Market Research

• Atlassian (13.9M visits): Atlassian benefits from strong referral traffic, likely due to partnerships, integrations, and mentions on other websites.
• Trello (7.5M visits) and Asana (4.7M visits): Both platforms also receive substantial referral traffic, which contributes to their overall visibility.
• Todoist (751K visits): Todoist has the lowest referral traffic among the competitors, indicating a need to boost referral sources, such as partnerships and collaborations.

User Research

Exhibit 4 : Referral is the biggest opportunity cost

Todoist Referral Program Strategy

Objective:

To design and implement a referral program that increases user acquisition through word-of-mouth marketing by incentivising current users to refer Todoist to their networks. The program will aim to capitalise on key moments in the user journey where satisfaction and engagement are high, driving organic growth through both direct referrals and partnerships.

1. Why Would Anyone Refer Todoist?

• Aha Moments & Happy Moments: Identify key moments in the user journey where Todoist delivers significant value, such as completing a large project, achieving a productivity streak, or discovering a new feature that enhances their workflow. These moments are ideal for prompting users to share their experience with others.
• Brag-Worthy Features: Leverage features or achievements that users would want to share with their peers, such as completing 100 tasks or reaching a specific productivity milestone. Encourage users to share these accomplishments through social media or direct referrals.

Key Actions:

• Conduct user journey mapping to identify Aha Moments.
• Develop messaging that highlights these moments and integrates referral prompts.

2. Do User Insights Support a Referral Program?

• User Research Insights: Analyse user feedback, testimonials, and survey data to determine if there is an existing pattern of word-of-mouth referrals. If a significant portion of users discovered Todoist through friends or colleagues, this indicates a strong potential for a referral program.
• Happy Moments Identification: Use qualitative and quantitative data from user interactions to pinpoint the moments when users are most satisfied. These are the touchpoints where referral prompts should be strategically placed.

Key Actions:

• Review user surveys and feedback for patterns indicating organic word-of-mouth referrals.
• Align referral prompts with high-satisfaction moments in the user journey.

3. Referral Rewards:

• For Existing Users (Referrers):
• • Offer rewards that enhance the Todoist experience, such as free premium months, discounts on subscription renewals, or unlocking exclusive features.
  • Consider monetary incentives, such as gift cards or cash rewards, but ensure these align with the brand and product goals.
  • Introduce gamification elements like points, badges, or leaderboards to incentivize multiple referrals.
• For New Users (Referees):
• • Provide extended free trial periods (e.g., 30 days instead of 14 days) to new users who sign up through referrals.
  • Offer a discount on their first premium plan purchase as an incentive for initial conversion.

Key Actions:

• Determine the most valuable rewards for both referrers and referees.
• Implement a gamification strategy to motivate users to refer more frequently.

4. Referral Flow Design:

• Optimal Touchpoints: Integrate referral prompts at key moments of user satisfaction, such as after completing a project or achieving a productivity streak. Avoid interrupting critical tasks, such as payments or focused work sessions.
• Seamless Integration: Ensure the referral process is easy and non-intrusive. Allow users to share referral links with one click, via email, social media, or messaging apps.
• User-Friendly Interface: Design a clean and intuitive referral dashboard where users can track their referrals, rewards, and referral status.

Key Actions:

• Use tools like Whimsical to create a flowchart mapping out the referral process.
• Design the referral dashboard and ensure it integrates smoothly with the user experience.

5. Referral Message Crafting:

• Message Clarity: The referral message should be concise, clear, and compelling. It should communicate the value of referring in a few words.
• Example Message: "Boost your productivity with Todoist! Get a free month of Premium when you invite a friend – and they get a discount too! Start sharing now."
• Highlight Benefits: Emphasize what both the referrer and referee will gain from the referral.

Key Actions:

• Craft several versions of the referral message and A/B test to determine the most effective one.
• Ensure the message is adaptable for different channels (e.g., email, social media).

6. Tracking and Reward Transparency:

• Referral Tracking: Create a user-friendly dashboard where referrers can track their referral progress, view earned rewards, and understand when they will be available for use.
• Reward Transparency: Ensure users can easily redeem rewards and understand the process for doing so.

Key Actions:

• Develop a tracking system that accurately records referrals and rewards.
• Ensure the reward redemption process is clear and easy to follow.

7. Increasing Average Referrals Per User:

• Incentive Multipliers: Offer additional rewards for multiple referrals (e.g., refer 5 friends and get an extra month of Premium for free).
• Group Referrals: Enable users to refer multiple friends at once, with group rewards for everyone who signs up.
• Referral Challenges: Introduce time-limited referral challenges with exclusive rewards or recognition for the most active referrers.

Key Actions:

• Implement referral multipliers and group referral features.
• Plan and launch referral challenges to drive engagement.

Paid Advertising

User Research Insight : CAC to LTV ratio is favourable to use paid advertising as one of the acquisition channel.

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Exhibit 5 : LTV indicator

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• ICP Description:
• • Role: Mid-level managers and team leaders in the tech industry, specifically in product management or project management roles.
  • Age: 30-45 years old.
  • Demographics: Based in urban areas in the US, UK, and Canada. Primarily English-speaking.
  • Need: Streamlined task management and productivity solutions that integrate well with other tools they use, like Slack or Google Workspace.
  • Pain Points: Managing multiple projects simultaneously, collaborating with remote teams, and staying organized.
  • Behavior: Active LinkedIn users who engage with content related to productivity, leadership, and project management.
  • Perceived Value of Todoist: A robust, reliable productivity tool that enhances task management and collaboration.
• Targeting Criteria:
• • Job Titles: Product Manager, Project Manager, Team Leader, Operations Manager.
  • Industries: Technology, Software Development, IT Services, SaaS.
  • Skills: Project Management, Task Management, Productivity, Agile Methodologies.
  • Interests: Productivity tools, leadership strategies, project management methodologies.
  • Company Size: Mid-sized to large companies (200-5000 employees).
  • Geography: Focus on the US, UK, and Canada, with potential to expand to other English-speaking countries.
• Primary Channel: LinkedIn
• Why LinkedIn?
• • Professional Network: LinkedIn is the ideal platform to reach professionals in the tech industry who are likely to benefit from a productivity tool like Todoist.
  • Targeted Ads: LinkedIn offers highly specific targeting options, allowing you to reach users based on their job titles, skills, and company size.
  • Content Engagement: LinkedIn users actively engage with content related to productivity, leadership, and project management, making it a fertile ground for Todoist’s messaging.
• Marketing Pitch:
• • Core Pitch: "Master your projects and boost productivity with Todoist. The go-to tool for professionals who want to get more done with less stress."
  • Tweaked Pitch for ICP: "As an executive leader, you need a tool that keeps you on top of every task, every deadline. Todoist helps you manage your projects efficiently so you can lead your team to success."
  • Ad Creative:
  • • Headline: "Stay Ahead of Deadlines with Todoist"
    • Description: "Manage your tasks, collaborate with your team, and track progress—all in one place. Start your free trial today!"
    • Visual: Image of a clean, organized workspace with Todoist on a laptop screen, highlighting task lists and deadlines.