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The Vergecast

The great Evernote reboot

Sep 15, 2024
Federico Simionato, the Evernote product lead at Bending Spoons, discusses the app's rocky journey from a peak era with 100 million users to its recent revitalization efforts. He shares insights on modernizing the platform while balancing user needs, tackling the challenges of integrating new features without overwhelming loyal users. The conversation delves into privacy enhancements and recent pricing changes, all while envisioning Evernote's future direction in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
01:00:03

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Quick takeaways

  • Evernote, once a peak productivity app, struggled with user engagement and identity until its acquisition by Bending Spoons sparked a revitalization effort.
  • Technological modernization is central to Evernote's strategy, highlighted by real-time editing features that enhance user experience and collaboration capabilities.

Deep dives

The Evolution of Evernote

Evernote, a prominent productivity app established over two decades ago, gained significant attention when it launched in the first iPhone app store in 2008, peaking at 100 million users by 2014. Despite its initial success, the company struggled to maintain user satisfaction and relevance, diverting into lifestyle markets and cluttering its platform with unnecessary features, which led to performance issues and a decline in user engagement. After being acquired by Bending Spoons in late 2022, Evernote faced major layoffs and a shift of operations to Europe, raising questions about its future. However, under new leadership, the app has started to refine its identity and improve its core functionalities, signaling a potential revitalization.

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