Split messages that need a reply from the rest

Most messages that land in your inbox do not actually need your personal reply, they only need to be seen. Splitting the two means sorting incoming messages into ones that truly require you and ones that are simply information passing through.

Treating every message the same way, as if it all needs your personal attention, is what makes a founder's inbox feel endless. Once you separate the two piles, the pile that actually needs you turns out to be much smaller than it looked.

Try this today: go through your messages from today and mark each one either "needs my reply" or "just information." Notice how small the first pile really is compared to how much time you spend on the second.