01 · Two models, not one
Match the model to the task
Haiku classifies the rough shape of a capture, Sonnet extracts the clean task. Starting all-Sonnet cost ~$15/month; splitting the work by difficulty cut it to ~$3/month with no quality drop. The classifier job is genuinely easier than the extractor job, so it gets the cheaper model. That is just engineering discipline.
02 · Voice as the only input that matters
Capture has to be reflexive
Under a second, eyes-free, usable while walking or mid-conversation. iOS Shortcut to dictation to a webhook to Claude to a Notion row. If you have to think about how to capture something, you won't.
03 · Notion as datastore, PWA as interface
Database in one layer, interface in another
Notion is a wonderful database and a slow daily driver, four or five taps just to mark a task done. So it stays as the owned, queryable source of truth, and a custom React PWA sits on top, presenting the data the way you actually use it.
04 · Notifications with manners
Push that resolves from the lock screen
A worker watches for overdue items and pushes them via Web Push with action buttons, Done and +1 day, straight from the lock screen. Scheduled nudges add a Monday roundup, a Sunday review, monthly resurfacing of parked items, and streak milestones at 7, 14 and 30 days.
05 · Confidence-driven UX
Ask for help only when genuinely unsure
Low-confidence captures are flagged for a quick review rather than silently guessed. The system is confident enough not to interrupt during capture, and honest enough to raise its hand afterwards.
06 · Cutting calendar on purpose
Knowing what not to build
A calendar view was scoped out deliberately. It would have doubled the surface area for a feature that fights the reflexive-capture idea. The decision to not build it is the decision.