Former Pinterest team redesigns email with Extra — and it’s actually good

A team of former Pinterest designers and engineers has just launched Extra, a new email service that promises to revolutionize the way we manage our inboxes, with over 10,000 users already signed up for the beta version. The traditional inbox is being turned on its head, with Extra focusing on organizing emails around the user's life, rather than the other way around. This means that instead of a long list of emails, users will see a calendar-like interface, with emails grouped by event, project, or task. For example, all emails related to an upcoming trip will be grouped together, making it easy to find and reference them. The team behind Extra has raised 5 million dollars in seed funding to support the development of this new email service. The new approach to email could have a significant impact on productivity, with a study by McKinsey finding that the average worker spends around 28% of their workweek managing emails. By making it easier to find and reference emails, Extra could help workers save time and focus on more important tasks. For instance, a survey by Sanebox found that 62% of workers feel overwhelmed by their inbox, and Extra's new approach could help alleviate this feeling. Background context The idea for Extra was born out of frustration with the current state of email services, which often prioritize the sender over the receiver. The team behind Extra wanted to create a service that would put the user first, and make it easy to manage emails in a way that makes sense for their life. With over 20 years of combined experience working on email services, the team has a deep understanding of what works and what doesn't. They have also conducted extensive user research, with over 500 users participating in tests and providing feedback on the service. What to expect next As Extra continues to grow and develop, we can expect to see new features and integrations added to the service. For example, the team is working on integrating Extra with popular calendar apps, such as Google Calendar and Apple Calendar, to make it even easier to manage events and appointments. They are also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to help users prioritize and manage their emails, with the goal of reducing the average time spent on email management by 30%. The future of email The launch of Extra is just the beginning of a new era in email services, with other companies likely to follow suit and rethink the traditional inbox. With the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning, we can expect to see even more innovative approaches to email management in the coming years. For instance, a report by Gartner predicts that by 2027, 50% of companies will be using AI-powered email services. Conclusion and final thoughts The launch of Extra is a significant development in the world of email services, and has the potential to revolutionize the way we manage our inboxes. With its focus on organizing emails around the user's life, rather than the traditional inbox, Extra is a game-changer for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by their email. The key takeaway is that Extra's new approach to email could save workers around 2 hours per week, which is a significant productivity boost.