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Future Plans
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Ummagumma |
From where I sit, the enterprise level task management is typically a part of a larger data management and team collaboration suite, and it’s typically based on either a major provider ( e.g.MS Teams, Onenote, Outlook, Sharepoint, OneDrive for Business, or Google suite) or a custom tailored in-house solution (which in my industry at least seem to be losing ground).
I agree with others - if Toodledo is looking to expand into enterprise market. It has to be a part of a total project collaboration suite. Of course there’s always a myriad of small businesses that aren’t as structured. Either way, I’d be very cautious about the long term suitability for a private user. I’ve been paying the current subscription price despite having a full blown collaboration suite provided for free at work, but there’s a limit on how much I’d pay out of my own pocket while having to jump through hoops to make it somehow mesh with my work environment. This message was edited Jul 10, 2018. |
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donald.guloien |
Like many others, I’m a little leery about the ownership change. I have a lot of time invested in setting up Toodledo for my needs, and trepidatious about someone trying to change it with the intent of “improving it”, or alternatively, merging it with another task manager software for the sake of operational efficiency or “synergy” without providing a very easy transition for existing users.
Please don’t do that. We paid for the app with the implicit expectation that it would exist for a while, in more or less the same format; and while few things are forever, nothing will erode goodwill faster than abrupt changes without an effective transition mechanism. |
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aleding |
@Jim_Lewis
Many of the "problems" you mention I did touch on at a very high level in a very speculative fashion in an earlier post. Regardless, I never said the new owners will do multiple versions nor even want to..nor that it even made good business sense vis-a-vis their goals\economics. What I did do, aside from speculate as to the new owners' motivations and goals, was to pushback against unsubstantiated statements that assert multiple versions is a bad idea. Aside from Jake, Sam, Anant, & Ramon, I don't think anyone on these threads has requisite intel (i.e. the economics before the ownership change, what the new owners' goals are, what their economics and\or funding looks like, etc.) to make any assertions - if someone, including you, does happen to have that intel, then please feel free to share. It would be most helpful;... Anywho...If you've been in tech for any appreciable amount of time, I suspect you'll agree with me when I say folks often like to summarily tear down suggestions\ideas\etc. without really having good data to rely upon. I think it's good to counter that when possible... In any event, you and others have your view, I and others have mine...there is some delta which is completely fine. Fortunately, I think most of us do agree that we like\love Toodledo and hope it stays in the game. Personally, my fingers remain crossed but as I said in an earlier post, I think the worst case is that we still have Excel and of course, we can always build anew...hopefully it won't come down to that... :=) |
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aleding |
Posted by GSP1963:
I wasn't playing a card, nor did I intend to offend you. No offense really - your or my resume doesn't really matter to me in the context of these message boards. But if someone brings it up, then I often mention mine for parity purposes in the off-chance others consider that when reading the posts...other than that - I was pitching deh-fo... :=) If you think the new owners of Toodledo ought to do that and might do that, fine. I don't think they should, nor do I think they will. We'll have to agree to disagree here. I'm not making any declarations as to what the new owners' should or should not do. I know what I would like them to do but I can't even really offer an opinion as to what they should consider because I do not have the requisite data to do so. All I'm doing is countering the assertion that having more than one Toodledo flavor is a horrible idea. Of course I agree that the goals and economics must favor 2-apps but I presumed this bit was self-evident... |
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GSP1963 |
@aleding: All your points are well-taken. Indeed, I probably overstated the inadvisability of creating two versions of the product. After reading Jim_Lewis's comment regarding Slack, an app I use and love, and thinking about your comments, I'm beginning to think that perhaps two versions wouldn't be a bad idea, something like the following.
Toodledo Solo An application like the Toodledo we all know and love, that maintains the extensive customizability that those of us with OCD can't get enough of. Long-standing user requests, such as the ability to change completion dates, are addressed. Also, the application has been given a freshened-up UI that makes more use of color. Custom searches remain an integral part of the app. Users can pick and choose what fields they want, how they're displayed, and can more or less build the app they want, for exactly their own idiosyncratic needs. Toodledo Team An application designed for team collaboration that has the same UI as Toodledo Solo, but some of the ability to pick and choose fields and reorder their display has been curtailed. Users don't have quite as much leeway with the data (for example, completion dates cannot be changed). The app has a slightly more generic feel to it by design; if you go from one project to another, you can be sure Toodledo Team looks familiar. Custom searches are supplanted by predesigned searches. I sure hope the new owners weigh-in with their intentions soon. If not, this castle in the air I'm building could get out of hand. :) This message was edited Jul 10, 2018. |
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aleding |
Posted by GSP1963:
Toodledo Solo An application like the Toodledo we all know and love, that maintains the extensive customizability that those of us with OCD can't get enough of. Long-standing user requests, such as the ability to change completion dates, are addressed. Also, the application has been given a freshened-up UI that makes more use of color. Custom searches remain an integral part of the app. Users can pick and choose what fields they want, how they're displayed, and can more or less build the app they want, for exactly their own idiosyncratic needs. Toodledo Team An application designed for team collaboration that has the same UI as Toodledo Solo, but some of the ability to pick and choose fields and reorder their display has been curtailed. Users don't have quite as much leeway with the data (for example, completion dates cannot be changed). The app has a slightly more generic feel to it by design; if you go from one project to another, you can be sure Toodledo Team looks familiar. Custom searches are supplanted by predesigned searches. Both great app descriptions...If they did that, it's hard to imagine very many complaints... ...this castle in the air I'm building could get out of hand. :) Totally understand where you're comin' from... :=) |
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craig_1417698147 |
LOL, just reading through how many nervous users there are!!
Don't stress until you have to. These guys won't have purchased a great product like this without a) having many indepth discussions with the previous owner to thoroughly research the product and b) knowing they have to keep the current users on side so the renewwals continue to flow in and fund their improvements. Sam and friends have stressed they won't make any changes without checking with current users which leaves me unstressed. I know a lot of you depend heavily on this tool but sit back and give some faith to let them have space to work in. (Plus you should always have a backup plan!!!) I'm looking forward to what you can do Sam. Here's to settling the nerves of the current users and wowing the new ones. All the best and here's to many years of successful partnering with Toodledo Craig |
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frogboy |
I have until recently used Toodledo to manage the chemistry education of 1200 young people, in my role as head of subject at a large school teaching kids aged 11-18. No other tool cut the mustard. Used it for 5 years.
However, despite @Jake being an absolute legend and clearly working like a trojan this app needs some GUI love. New owners, please in order of priority: 1) Fix the damned iOS app. Just speed it up, cut the battery drain, make it modern 2) Bring in colours, emoji etc into tasks 3) iCal feeds per folder not just for entire database. 4) a desktop tool, Mac & Windows even if just for input and notifications - browser only still makes input a chore 5) attachment picker - would rather have links to docs in Dropbox etc rather than importing, thus duplicating every time. Demands asside, I wish Jake all the best for the future. |
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Bill Kennedy |
I have been a ToodleDo user for many years and like many my use of the system has changed over time as my search for the perfect GTD system has changed. ToodleDo has been the only system that is flexible enough to enable me make these changes without changing platform.
Currently I am working on a very simple system based on Linenberger's MYN and with the changes and uncertainty behind ToodleDo's future have opened a Remember The Milk free account. I am still using ToodleDo while my current subscription is active to record my habits. I hope ToodleDo all the best and will keenly keep an eye on the changes but I have been bitten before when systems have changed owners/developers fool me once - shame on you, fool me twice - shame on me. |
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targheauto |
I've been a subscriber of Toodledo for some years. I was never able to exploit its functionalities in a proper way to fit my need. For this reason, for some projects, I still ferquently make use of a desktop tool called ToDoList by Abstractspoon, that has some features ToodleDo doesn't have. Above all, multiple subtask levels, this is something that many users have requested in the years but has never been implemented and is something really very important in order to manage the outline of your tasks.
Another great improvement would be to provide a desktop tool, I don't mean just a web interface, but a real desktop application that speeds up insertion and working on your todo lists. For all these reasons, I welcome the new developers and hope they'll be able to do something in this direction. Thank you. |
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tsinvest |
Posted by Jim_Lewis:
Haven't read through all the previous posts but besides a dark theme, having a ToodleDo "skill" for each of the various ambient AI assistants might be helpful to many users. I'm kinda a "Microsoftie" and I like to be able to set reminders and add tasks to Wunderlist using Harmon-Kardon Invoke Cortana. I'd rather do it with ToodleDo. I've set up ToodleDo to get Grocery List items and Shopping List items through IFTTT channels but it's kinda clunky. You can't create a new list on the spot. Using Note to Self in Android and the Ultimate To-Do List works reasonably well to add items to ToodleDo via the Ultimate To-Do List but there is too much manual interaction whereas with Wunderlist and the HK Invoke Cortana, you can create both an item and a new list for it to go into at the same time, all verbally. (Sorry, I haven't tried the Android ToodleDo app; it's so clunky, I hardly ever use it). Don't know if the Ultimate To-Do List is for sale (to add to the ToodleDo stable) but by far, it is my preferred task management app. Some of its features and abilities differ from ToodleDo, like the ability to manually reorder tasks in a list just by dragging them. I think a good selling point of both ToodleDo and The Ultimate To-Do List is that you can use these apps as simply or as powerfully as one wants. I hope the new owners of ToodleDo if they add or change features will keep that it mind. A lot of users just want simple list-making/list-sharing as found in Wunderlist/MS ToDo as their starting point. It's wonderful to have the power of ToodleDo/The Ultimate To-Do List when you need it but an app that's easy to pick up when you first start using it will attract and keep the most users over the long term. For me, the reason I need/want ToodleDo above anything else is the ability to do very powerful searches, to save the search configuration as views, and then to do Batch Edits of a view as I need to (delete completed recurring tasks). Must agree with Jim, I’ve tried them all and for me the Ultimate To-Do List is by far the best Android Toodledo third party client available. The UTDL, feature wise, is probably the best todo app currently on the market. It needs a bit of UI updating, however if the new toodledo owners were to acquire UTDL , what a great combination that would be. |
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thunderhorse221984 |
I initially used "Producteev" as my task manager. It was later purchased by "Jive." Jive tanked that program within two months, with "improvements." I lost over 1,000 tasks when they "improved the user experience." It is now defunct, as of May, 2018. I can't imagine the lost revenue derived from this blunder, nor can I imagine the loss to that company in general. I wouldn't trust ANY product that Jive had to offer, PERIOD. EVER. You have big shoes to fill, Sam. If you get too radical and re-invent the wheel, this customer is GONE. This should be a cash cow for you. Don't "improve" yourself out of a steady cash stream provided by your devoted customer base (like Jive did). I will use this program until I die, even if a "snappier" product is offered by a competitor. With 6 years behind me and at least 25 ahead, that is almost $1,000 of my money into your pocket, and happily, I may add. But screw this up and I am off and running to a product with long-term stability (Read: Remains the same and "improvements" don't take a week to figure out where everything went!). Good luck, Sam, this customer is hoping for your long-term success!
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Ummagumma |
Posted by thunderhorse221984:
I initially used "Producteev" as my task manager. It was later purchased by "Jive." Jive tanked that program within two months, with "improvements." I lost over 1,000 tasks when they "improved the user experience." It is now defunct, as of May, 2018. I can't imagine the lost revenue derived from this blunder, nor can I imagine the loss to that company in general. I wouldn't trust ANY product that Jive had to offer, PERIOD. EVER. You have big shoes to fill, Sam. If you get too radical and re-invent the wheel, this customer is GONE. This should be a cash cow for you. Don't "improve" yourself out of a steady cash stream provided by your devoted customer base (like Jive did). I will use this program until I die, even if a "snappier" product is offered by a competitor. With 6 years behind me and at least 25 ahead, that is almost $1,000 of my money into your pocket, and happily, I may add. But screw this up and I am off and running to a product with long-term stability (Read: Remains the same and "improvements" don't take a week to figure out where everything went!). Good luck, Sam, this customer is hoping for your long-term success! I’m afraid you’re really overestimating the “cash cow” potential of a task manager. Not to be snide, but $1000 over a lifetime, wow... how many paying customers would it take to sustain a company in San Francisco ? My best guess is that with the current rates, just to provide the three new owners with a fairly modest yearly income (by SF standards) they would need around 30-40 thousand Gold plan members. That’s without taking into account any staff, building and utility costs, taxes, etc. so more like a 100,000 Gold members just to keep things going forward. There’s a reason this was essentially a one man operation for all these years. The changes are inevitable. It’s a niche market and the enterprises who spend most money on such products also have very specific requirements that are not aligned with needs of individual subscribers paying out of their own pockets. In an ideal world (for the current users), Toodledo should be able to become the leading product targeting small teams and individuals rather than an enterprise solution. But regardless of how things work out, and quite honestly regardless of what anyone including the new owners may think, some big changes are inevitable. To put it bluntly, you now have three people who (rightfully) expect a payback on their investment and it’s a whole different game than one guy doing it as a side hobby. |
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Purveyor |
Posted by targheauto:
I still frequently make use of a desktop tool called ToDoList by Abstractspoon, that has some features ToodleDo doesn't have. That's quite a piece of software! It has a lot of features that Toodledo doesn't have, including a Calendar that displays task names, and Gantt charts, Burndown charts and Kanban views, plus several import and export options. Two key features that are missing: Online access and a mobile app. It is complex and highly customizable but it's overkill for most users who want to track tasks and simple projects. I noticed that one of the Export/Import options is to/from MyLifeOrganized, which has recently released a beta version with Markdown and Google Calendar sync. There's a desktop app for Windows and mobile apps for iOS and Android. You can sync through WiFi and there's Cloud syncing through a paid subscription. No online app, though, and no Mac app. This message was edited Jul 11, 2018. |
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Jake Toodledo Founder |
First, let me thank everyone for the kind words posted in this thread towards me. It has been a pleasuring working for you all these years.
Also, thanks to everyone who posted suggestions and feedback. They are all being processed even if we have not replied to you personally. Lastly, I've read a lot of interesting theories about Toodledo's past and future in this thread. You guys have a very vivid imagination! There are a handful of people predicting doom and gloom but I don't see that in Toodledo's future. I wouldn't have done the deal if I saw that as a possibility. Toodledo is my baby. Lets give the new guys a chance to show what they can do. I have full confidence in them. |
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khensonsrq |
I am very fond of toodle do. I looked for a long time for an electronic/interbased replacement for my old Franklin Planner. Toodledo is the best I have found. It is a good combination of the Franklin Planner method and GTD principles. I am happy to pay for the service if it is good. I do not want to be used as source of revenue from third party advertisers. The information I put in my Planner is for me and me only. If it is shared with anyone it should be my choice and with my consent. Once again, I do not want to be baraged with marketing ads and info. This system works well. Do not screw it up.
KDH |
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Martys To Do |
Jake,
Thank you for all your great work. I hope you keep posting from time to time. This is a great , comprehensive service affecting many lives. Thanks again. Welcome to the new team. |
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jason.deal |
I think the UX could be improved -- but don't assume this means a simplification of the functionality. We don't need a pretty but dumbed down productivity app (the app store promotes plenty of these). The uniqueness of the product is its flexibility and broad feature set.
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Jim_Lewis |
BTW, for folks worried about backups and moving things elsewhere for whatever reasons, I'd like to recommend gSyncit by Fieldstonsoftware.com
I have been using it for years to backup and sync (and also archive important completed tasks for a record) to desktop Outlook. I have it set up to sync to a Tasks folder in my Office 365 and sync to my Office 365 Exchange Server account - and the two processes, ToodleDo to desktop Outlook, then desktop Outlook to the Exchange Server, can go on concurrently without any conflict.. Refreshing my mind a bit here, the lowest common denominator for gSyncit is desktop Outlook. If you move your tasks from ToodleDo to Outlook, there are then a variety of other Task Managers with which you can sync/move your tasks, e.g., Google Tasks, Pocket Informant, Nozbe, etc. It's not perfect. For instance, there is no negative priority level in Outlook Tasks so I accommodated by ceasing to use negative priority in ToodleDo and I had syncing problems if I included the ToodleDo folder field in my Outlook backup (the dev said it was probably because the folder was deleted or renamed in ToodleDo between syncs). But other than that hiccup for me, you can add ToodleDo Task fields as user-defined custom fields to your Outlook Tasks folder, etc. My main reason for syncing to Outlook is I can get by with a Silver subscription (have since 2011) except for the fact that COMPLETED Tasks only have a 2-year life on a Silver subscription. By archiving important completed tasks to Outlook, e.g., home improvements, I can delete them from ToodleDo and do fine with my Silver subscription. I also periodically make XML backups from ToodleDo. |
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ray.hogarth |
Hi
I love toodledo, it the of its type arround. New owners. The apeal is its simplicity. Please don’t spoil a superb product. Ray |
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