Fetchnotes, the lightweight note-taking app launched this April, is adding a new feature today that will allow users to share tasks with each other using a Twitter-like syntax. The best way to describe how this works is to give an example. Co-founder Alex Schiff offers this: if he enters something like “#read Do More Faster @chase,” the note is added to both his and Chase’s hashtagged #read sections and it automatically appears on Chase’s list. As Chase (that’s co-founder Chase Lee, by the way), updates the task on his end, the details are then reflected within Alex’s note, too. In other words, this update makes your to-do lists more social, collaborative like Google Docs, but as easy as messaging.
Like much of what Fetchnotes offers, the feature seems deceptively simple And yet, it’s definitely a different way to think about note-taking. And it makes sense, because how often is your to-do list composed of items that require someone else’s involvement? It’s easy to imagine this being used with small teams, for example, who don’t need the complexities of a more robust project management system. (Alex and Chase say they’ve cut down on 90% of their emails between each other using this option).
Soon, Fetchnotes will update the sharing feature so it works outside the Fetchnotes ecosystem, too, allowing users to share with contacts based on their email address or phone number instead. To use that variation, you’ll add a username as a contact, but Fetchnotes will request their permission in order to avoid issues with spamming. A groups feature for one-to-many sharing is also in the works.
In addition, the startup updated its web user interface with more usability features as well as its desktop widget, which now lets you edit notes within its interface.
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment and give a shout-out to Fetchnotes’ recent fundraising attempts. Alex and Chase set up a Gumroad page where they’re promising to send you a video of them singing karaoke for any donation over $1.00. (Yes, they’re serious.) As of June 1st, they had raised enough to cover 4 months of server costs. Now they’re up to 8 months. Visitors can vote on song choice and, currently, it’s “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, but voting is open until the end of the week. They’ll perform the winning selection mid-June. Now that’s some bootstrapping, folks.
The new version of Fetchnotes will arrive later today – you can pick your platform of choice from the homepage here.
