---
title: "The Magic of Email Snooze"
description: "Learn how email snooze transforms inbox management from LIFO chaos to strategic prioritization - key insights for startup founders and tech leaders to boost productivity."
categories: ["AI"]
keywords: ["email snooze","inbox management","productivity tools","Google Inbox","Dropbox Mailbox","Boomerang","LIFO email","strategic prioritization","email workflow","decision making"]
ai_summary: "Discover how email snooze enhances productivity by transforming inbox chaos into strategic prioritization."
date: 2015-08-11
lastmod: 2026-07-23
canonical_url: https://www.tomtunguz.com/speed-in-email/
author: "Tomasz Tunguz"
---

![image](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzawgnnlr/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/w_auto/alarm_clock_old.jpg)

In a recent First Round Review article, former Google President of Enterprise Apps Dave Girouard voiced the [importance of speed](http://firstround.com/review/speed-as-a-habit/) in making decisions. "Deciding on when a decision will be made from the start is a profound, powerful change that will speed everything up." I believe this statement is broadly true, and no where else is it more tangible for me than in managing daily email. After all, what is responding to email other than a thousand decisions?

Our inboxes aren't in our control. Which emails arrive, when they arrive, we can't determine. We do control how we engage with email, but I find it's easy for me to fall into the abyss of treating emails as a [task list](https://hbr.org/2014/03/stop-using-your-inbox-as-a-to-do-list).  Without a good discipline, email overruns my day.  

There's a concept from computer engineering called [LIFO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_\(abstract_data_type\)) which stands for last in, first out. LIFO captures this mentality beautifully. Most email UIs frame the situation in a LIFO queue: the last message received is the first one to receive a response, even if it may not merit the priority. For years, I treated email as a LIFO queue. With this workflow, I found it impossible to get to the bottom of my inbox and be effective.

Until I found the email snooze button. 

![image](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzawgnnlr/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/w_auto/Mailbox-Android.jpg)

Like its alarm clock cousin, the email snooze button delays the interruption. Email snooze removes an email from the inbox until a later date and time. 

I first came across email snooze in [Dropbox's Mailbox](http://www.mailboxapp.com/). Now, I use [Google's Inbox](http://www.google.com/inbox/) which has the same feature. And [Boomerang](http://www.boomeranggmail.com/) has it, too. Email snooze has become an essential feature of email for me. 

When opening an email, the first question I ask myself is "when do I need to answer this?" If immediately, then I reply. Otherwise, I snooze the email until I need to respond. And then my inbox is clear. So is my mind, because I'm focusing on the things that matter now.