Superhuman CEO scores his weeks with a 4-step system to spend 50% on to-dos

Shishir Mehrotra, CEO of Superhuman, uses a four-step time-management guide to calculate a weekly "alignment score" that measures how well his time matches his priorities, Business Insider reported. Mehrotra said he adapted a productivity hack from Intercom cofounder Des Traynor. Traynor's framework contrasts emails (what others think you should work on), to-do lists (what you think you should work on) and calendars (what you actually work on).

Mehrotra follows four steps: clear your inbox, reorganize your calendar so every task has a dedicated time block, stick to that schedule, and reflect on the time spent to evaluate adjustments. He reviews priorities every Monday with his executive assistant and chief of staff, then calculates the overlap between his email, calendar, and to-do list to produce an "alignment score." Mehrotra said he aims to spend about 50% of his time on items that were on his to-do list; he called 100% "impractical" and said without the framework his overlap would be closer to 20%.

On a good week, he said, the method more than doubles the time he can spend on to-do tasks versus weeks he doesn't use it. Mehrotra described himself as a "zero inboxer," saying he receives hundreds of emails daily and tracks consecutive weeks at zero with Superhuman Mail's Inbox Zero Streaks feature.

"It's like the equivalent of a clean desk," Mehrotra said.

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