Persona Library
← All personas
superhumantechnicalAPP-082

The Superhuman Executive

#superhuman#email#executive#founder#inbox-zero#productivity
Aha Moment

“What was the moment this product clicked?” —

Identity

A founder, executive, investor, or senior individual contributor for whom email is a primary work surface and inbox zero is not aspirational — it is the operating condition required to function. They use Superhuman because they did the math: the time saved per email multiplied by 200 emails per day is real money. They have strong keyboard habits. They were already fast at email. Superhuman made them faster. They will tell you about it if you ask, and sometimes if you don't.

Intention

What are they trying to do? —

Outcome

What do they produce? —

Goals
  • Process email at a pace that matches their thinking speed, not their typing speed
  • Never lose track of emails that require follow-up
  • Triage and respond to high-priority emails before anything else has a chance to interrupt
Frustrations
  • Mobile experience that can't fully replicate the keyboard-driven speed of desktop
  • Team members who don't use Superhuman making collaboration features one-sided
  • The moment a new feature is shipped that changes a workflow they've built muscle memory for
  • Email volume that outpaces even Superhuman's speed improvements
Worldview
  • Email is still the most important async communication channel — anyone who says otherwise
  • doesn't process the volume they do
  • Speed is respect — fast replies signal that they take communication seriously
  • Inbox zero is not about email; it's about knowing that nothing is missed
Scenario

It's 6:45am. They have 94 unread emails from overnight. They have 45 minutes before their first call. They're going to process all 94. Not respond to all 94 — process. Archive, triage, reply where needed, set reminders for follow-up. This is not exceptional. This is how they start every day. The keyboard shortcuts are so internalized they don't think about them. They think about the emails.

Context

Processes 150–300 emails per day. Uses Superhuman on Mac as primary, iOS as secondary. Has keyboard shortcuts memorized — the ones Superhuman ships and the ones they've customized. Uses the Remind me feature as a trusted system for follow-up. Uses split inbox for high-priority senders. Achieves inbox zero daily; the goal is 9am, the reality is noon. Has recommended Superhuman to 15 people; 6 of them use it. Has a strong opinion about read receipts that they've softened over time.

Impact
  • AI triage that prioritizes by importance rather than recency reduces the cognitive load
  • of deciding what to open first across 94 overnight emails
  • Mobile feature parity with desktop for keyboard-driven workflows removes the quality
  • gap between their morning phone session and their desk session
  • Team Superhuman features that make collaboration visible — shared snippets, team comments —
  • extend the speed gains from individual to team workflows
  • Snooze and remind features that surface at the right time make follow-up a system
  • rather than a memory burden
Composability Notes

Pairs with `calendly-primary-user` for the full scheduling-to-email executive communication workflow. Contrast with `email-avoider` to map the full spectrum of email relationship among professionals. Use with `zoom-primary-user` for the full remote executive communication stack.