Category: GmailCategory: Gmail

I hosted two “Let’s Break Up 💔 With Gmail” calls last week, and one guest mentioned this as we were wrapping up on Friday:

“This was very helpful if for no other reason than just to know I’m not the only nut in the room.”

It’s such a relief knowing other people are facing the same challenges. That we’re not alone.

Because, at the end of the day, it’s not just about email, but also the lock-in with Google Calendar, collaborative docs, and photo management. This makes a move look harder to manage, and so then we never start.

And we landed on two big points:

1. The replacement will never feel “perfect” because Gmail feels so familiar – some of us were beta-users of Gmail back in early 2004!
2. Do we want to replace one “all in one” soultion with another? What will some of these companies look like in ten years?

A good place to start? Stop researching and just sign up for a free trial with another email provider like Fastmail or Proton (affiliate links) or Hey. Get a feel for them, because if the vibes are off, you’ll never switch over.

Start small. Switch something like your Netflix account first, then maybe a store account. There’s no need for a big announcement, to tell everybody about your move. Just update your email here and there as you migrate, and leave the critical accounts (like banking, work stuff) for later on.

Two people were bewildered by my recent Break Up With Gmail video call.

“What’s wrong with email?”

“I thought you wanted people to get back to email?!”

I’ve got nothing against email, it’s Gmail I’ve got a problem with.

Google harvests too much data, has too much control over what you see (or don’t see), and if you ever get locked out your account, good luck talking to a human to get that sorted out!

Sign up for Fastmail here to save 10% off your first year (affiliate link).

​This Focus Escape Pod is a 90-minute group conversation for people who are ready to get away from Gmail and Google, but want a calm, chill, honest place to talk through what comes next. No pitches or demos or upsells. Just shared experiences, calm conversation, and practical paths forward.

Wednesday, February 25 from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST

​Things we’ll explore during this 90 minute call:

• ​Understanding the basics of forwarding messages, exporting your emails, and more.
• ​Real stories from people who left Gmail and discovered their work, relationships, and inboxes were fine!
• ​How others chose a new provider based on values like privacy or simplicity

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