Notion

What it is and why

Notion is a "Lego set" for working with knowledge and data: pages, nested pages and databases (tables with different views — board/calendar/gallery). The flexibility is almost unlimited. Take it when you need a single knowledge base/wiki + lightweight tasks + documents in one place and you are willing to spend time on structure. It is not a rigid tracker, it is a flexible workspace.

How to do it (step by step)

1. Sign up at notion.so — free for personal use. Billing (for teams) is in foreign currency.
2. Build the skeleton. Create top-level pages: 📥 Inbox, ✅ Tasks, 📚 Knowledge base, 🎯 Projects.
3. A task database. /database → Table. Add properties: Status (select), Assignee (person), Due (date), Project (relation). Switch the view to Board (Kanban) with the button at the top.
4. Relations. Link the Tasks database to the Projects database through a Relation property → tasks get grouped under projects and progress becomes visible.
5. Page templates. Inside a database, create a Template (for example, a "Meeting template" with ready-made sections) — a new entry then arrives with the right structure already in place.
6. Filters and sorts. Save a "My tasks this week" view (filter: Assignee = me, Due ≤ 7 days).
7. Ready-made templates. Grab one from the Notion gallery (CRM, content calendar, OKR) — don't reinvent from scratch.
8. AI and integrations. Notion AI (paid) for generation/summarization; integrations via the API, Make/Zapier, embeds of external services.

A ready-made recipe/combo

A content hub for a business: a Content ideas database (status, channel, date) with a calendar view → linked to a Materials database (finished texts/scripts) → a post template filled in to a set structure → finished items go out to SMMplanner/Telegram through a Make scenario (trigger: status = "Ready") → a separate Knowledge base page holds the brand guidelines that get pulled into every piece. All inside one Notion.

What it costs (honestly)

The logic: free for personal use (generously so), Plus/Business are per user per month for team work (version history, permissions, guest access); Notion AI is a separate add-on. Billing is in foreign currency. Exact amounts are on Notion's site and they change.

When it fits / when it doesn't

• Fits: you need a flexible knowledge base/wiki + documents + lightweight tasks; you like customizing; solo or a small/medium team; you are willing to maintain the structure.
• Doesn't fit: you need a rigid development process (Jira/Linear); large data volumes (it gets slow); you need ruble billing; a team without discipline (it will slide into chaos).

Risks and responsibility

Data on foreign servers plus billing in foreign currency — a 152-FZ concern if you store client personal data. Don't use Notion as your main CRM holding real client personal data in a Russian context without assessing the risks. See the section disclaimer.

🤖 Prompt helper

You are a Notion workspace architect. I need to organize {tasks/content/knowledge base/CRM} for {solo work/a team}. Design: (1) the structure of top-level pages; (2) which databases to create and which properties/relations connect them; (3) useful saved views and filters; (4) page templates. Give it to me so I can assemble it in one evening, and warn me where it can easily slide into chaos.