MS

Hello, I’m Michael Sliwinski, founder of Nozbe - to-do app for business owners and their teams. I write essays, books, work on projects and I podcast for you using #iPadOnly in #NoOffice as I believe that work is not a place you go to, it’s a thing you do. More…

Michael Sliwinski

I’ve been helping small business owners and their teams maintain a work-life balance since 2007. I work from home, I don’t email my team, we have few meetings and I don’t work on Fridays!
My projects: ✅Nozbe to-do app and 📖#NoOffice book
Side projects: 🖋Journal, 🎲Dice, ▶️YouTube watcher and 🇺🇦FCKPTN

⭐️ Featured article:

Latest articles and posts:

🍎 💼 For Developers to win Apple doesn’t have to lose - why Tim Cook should listen to Steve Jobs

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 /good-job/

I am an Apple fanboy and happy user of their products: iPad, iPhone, Watch and iCloud and everything in between. However, as a developer of Nozbe which is available on both of Apple’s platforms: iOS and macOS I have very mixed feelings about the company. Actually, I’m disappointed in them and the way they guard the App Store “Services” revenue and exercise their position, making fun of anti-steering provisions or EU’s DMA laws. Instead of making their platforms better, they are doing everything in their power to keep the status quo. That’s why I think it’s time for Tim Cook and all Apple executives to listen to the late Steve Jobs from his keynote at MacWorld Boston in 1997:

For Developers to win Apple doesn’t have to lose - why Tim Cook should listen to Steve Jobs


💼 ✅ 🎬 Two Michaels walk into an office… and argue if virtual meetings are real!

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 /michaels/

I’m a huge fan of videos where there are two talking heads and both are the same person. Especially I’m a fan of Pitch Meetings by Ryan George. That’s why as I started my new @MichaelTeam YouTube Channel I wanted to try it out myself and finally yesterday as I had my favorite “Design Fight” meeting with my Nozbe team I decided to take this opportunity and try it out:

Two Michaels walk into an office… and argue if virtual meetings are real!


💻 How I upgraded old iMac and MacBook Pro to the latest MacOS giving them a second life!

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 /oldmac/

Back in December of 2013 I bought a 13” MacBook Pro which two years later in summer of 2015 I swapped by the iMac 5K which I eventually replaced in 2022 with M1 MacBook Air. As I never sold the old Macs, I decided to give them a new life by upgrading them to the latest MacOS. Turns out it was fairly easy:

How I upgraded old iMac and MacBook Pro to the latest MacOS giving them a second life!


🏝 ⭐️ Forget 9-5 and embrace modern flexible workday for everyone, not just the bosses!

Monday, March 4, 2024 /workday/

Last week posted a short video on my new YouTube channel about playing tennis in the middle of the workday. The video wasn’t meant to show off my fantastic lifestyle of being able to take a break in the middle of a Wednesday for some sports, but to highlight that in my company, Nozbe everyone can do that. Everyone has that flexibility:

Forget 9-5 and embrace modern flexible workday for everyone, not just the bosses!


💌 Are you a SMART business owner? Do you believe in what we believe?

Thursday, February 29, 2024 /smart/

I took the well-known SMART acronym and adapted it to the way I describe my ideal customers - people who have been supporting my Nozbe app since 2007. Let’s find out what SMART way of working means:

Are you a SMART business owner? Do you believe in what we believe?


🔗 ⌚️ WatchNotes - multiple notes on an Apple Watch!

Tuesday, February 27, 2024 /watchnotes/

Two months ago I posted WatchNote - a Shortcut to add a simple note directly to the Apple Watch which I use with my Ultra’s Action Button. After using it for a while I realized I could do something much more powerful: How about viewing or editing many notes directly from a watch? Well, here it is:

WatchNotes - multiple notes on an Apple Watch!


😎 ✈️ ⭐️ My family car turns 7 today and there are 7 things I still find awesome about it

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 /q7/

Exactly 7 years ago today, I took ownership of my first ever new car. I remember being very apprehensive about getting such an expensive car, even though I had a unique opportunity of getting it at significant discount. I was studying its price list very diligently trying to find the perfect balance of specs, extras and value for money. Turns out, this car has aged exceedingly well and not only do I keep driving my family in it today, but we are immensely enjoying it. Here are 7 outstanding features that I still enjoy after 7 years of ownership of Audi Q7:

My family car turns 7 today and there are 7 things I still find awesome about it


😎 Time for reading glasses

Friday, February 9, 2024 /glasses/

This day has come. 🤓 Today I picked up my first pair of prescription glasses for reading. My 20/20 eyesight is gone. Now I need glasses for reading. It’s only a 0.75 correction, but it’s meaningful. Especially when I’m writing on the iPad which is pretty close to my face. I’m in my mid-forties and the time has come. So how do I look?

Time for reading glasses


✅ 💼 ✏️ ⭐️ Nozbe - app for SMART business owners and teams - turns 17!

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 /nozbe17/

Last week, on February 1, Nozbe turned 17 years old and as I reflect over these last years I’d like to dig deeper into who is Nozbe really for? While working with Seth Godin’s marketing book I was thinking how to really convey to our current and future customers what we as Nozbe believe in. What’s our why? Because people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Not only our core values but also how we work, how we’re remote first, we don’t use email to collaborate, or have very few meetings. How to create this tension and play with status. How to say that people like us do things like this. Being a productivity nerd and loving the SMART acronym for goal setting, I decided to piggy-back on it and create my own way.

Nozbe - app for SMART business owners and teams - turns 17!


🗓 ⭐️ 2023 review - just keep iterating!

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 /2023/

This is my 10th yearly review. 2023 was yet another challenging year, but in a good way. I’ve re-discovered the power of slow but consistent iteration and this has been a theme all year long to me:

2023 review - just keep iterating!


💌 ✔️ 🔟 Steps To Ultimate Productivity At Work

Thursday, January 25, 2024 /10steps-webinar/

Today I’ll be hosting my first webinar of 2024 and to inspire you all, I’ll be talking about the basics of productivity with particular focus on SMART business owners and work/life balance.

🔟 Steps To Ultimate Productivity At Work


🤖 Building R2D2 Star Wars Lego robot which I got last Christmas

Wednesday, January 3, 2024 /r2d2/

This past Christmas I got a very special Lego set which I won’t reveal just yet, but last Christmas (in 2022) the Star Wars geek in me got a companion for my baby Yoda - the R2D2 droid. Here’s the build process:

Building R2D2 Star Wars Lego robot which I got last Christmas


✈️ 📱 📲 ⭐️ What’s in my backpack and tech pouch in 2024?

Monday, January 1, 2024 /backpack24/

Hello and Happy New Year 2024! Today is day 1 and I’m starting off this year with an update to my travel pouch and backpack, now that I’ve upgraded my trusty iPhone 13 Mini to USB-C powered iPhone 15 Pro. This changed helped me to streamline my setup and get rid of many Lightning dongles:

What’s in my backpack and tech pouch in 2024?


🔗 Roll the Dice Shortcut for your iPhone or Apple Watch!

Tuesday, December 26, 2023 /dice-shortcut/

A long time ago I built a page to roll the dice so that I can pull it up and use it when I’m playing games with my daughters and for some reason we have misplaced the dice: michael.team/dice - but recently as I was playing more with Shortcuts I decided to build a Shortcut that could let you roll the dice on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or even an Apple Watch. And here it is:

Roll the Dice Shortcut for your iPhone or Apple Watch!


📝 On December 25 I am…

Monday, December 25, 2023 /now231225/

It’s Christmas Day! I’m back with my family celebrating Christmas, my parents today celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary and I’m taking 2 weeks off to review the year and prepare myself for a challenging 2024!

On December 25 I am…



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Hi, I’m Michael Sliwinski, the host of this site. Are you a fellow small business owner? Make sure to give Nozbe a try - my app will help you and your team get your professional and private life organized in a simple way. It’s FREE and you’ll get a bonus of $15 for Premium version by signing up below:

Nozbe - the way for smart business owners to get their personal and business life organized in a simple way.