Notion's Narrative-Violating Persistence
by Matt McGinnis on December 28, 2025
Situation
In the highly competitive productivity software market, Notion faced seemingly insurmountable odds. The space was dominated by tech giants Google and Microsoft, making it "virtually impossible" to carve out a successful business. Most startups in this position would have failed or pivoted away quickly.
Actions
- Extreme persistence: The founding team continued working on the product for approximately four years despite multiple setbacks
- Radical commitment: The team relocated to Japan at one point to focus deeply on the product
- Pivot flexibility: They went through multiple pivots to find the right approach
- Craftsmanship focus: Founder Ivan Zhao maintained an "absolute insistence on craftsmanship" throughout the journey
- Meditation and reflection: The team literally "sat in kimonos and meditated on what they were going to build"
- Resisted conventional wisdom: Ignored the typical Silicon Valley advice about failing fast and pivoting quickly
Results
- Market success: Notion became "wildly successful" in a market where success seemed impossible
- Narrative violation: Their success story directly contradicted the conventional Silicon Valley wisdom about when to quit
- Investor validation: Early investors like Matt McGinnis saw extraordinary returns
- Category creation: Established a new category between traditional productivity tools and more flexible workspace solutions
Key Lessons
- Success through idiosyncrasy: "Every company succeeds on the foundations of the idiosyncrasies of the founder" - Notion's success stemmed directly from Ivan's unique approach and values
- Narrative violations create outliers: The most successful companies often break conventional wisdom in some significant way
- Timing matters enormously: Success depends on market timing - "Notion had it been started in 2014 would not be what it is today"
- Non-replicable journeys: You can't simply copy another company's path to success - "You can't replicate Notion's success as an entrepreneur... because you're not Ivan"
- Founder-market fit: The specific qualities and obsessions of the founding team must align perfectly with what the market needs at that moment
- Persistence isn't universally good: While Notion's persistence paid off, this approach is "not a good idea for very many people" and worked because of their specific circumstances