The average knowledge worker switches between 13 different apps per hour. That’s 13 context shifts, 13 mental resets, and 13 opportunities for distraction.
Microsoft’s research shows each switch takes 23 minutes to regain full focus. The math is brutal – we’re burning daylight chasing efficiency.
Consider Notion’s rise. Teams ditched Evernote, Trello, and Google Docs for one unified workspace. Their reported productivity jumped 32% – not from better features but fewer switches.
Basecamp’s Jason Fried puts it sharply: “The best tool isn’t the one with the most features. It’s the one that lets you stay in flow.”
When Navy SEALS prep for missions, they use integrated command centers instead of best-in-class point solutions. Lives depend on reducing friction.
Your tools might excel at their singular tasks. But excellence in isolation creates collective drag. Every switch has a tax. Unlike subscription fees, this tax is compounded by time and team size.
Next time you evaluate a tool, count the switches it saves, not just the features it adds.
