Productivity Heros

This details the list of all productivity heros of which I can conjure

• David Allen -- The "Father" of modern productivity. His GTD is referenced in myriad productivity apps, resources, and books. The uber-productivity trend-setter, David coined words like "mind like water productivity" "blackbelt GTD" and other Zen-like terms. He has a martial arts background, lives in Ojai (sweet, a neighbor!), and has to have some kind of computer programming background with his references to LIFO, FIFO, and the entire "closed" loop GTD system is set up like a computer program with if-then statements. If anyone wants to know about productivity, they've got to understand or at least get the gist of Collect, Process, Organize, Review, Do. Here's David giving a stellar speech to Google:
  I suggest you subscribe to some of his RSS Feeds and checkout the DavidCo Forum.


• Merlinn Mann -- If anyone knows GTD high-tech style, it's Merlin Mann. In a way he's like David Allen 2.0. He invented an amazing program called Quicksilver for the mac. With that handy gem you can load most any program or document with the keyboard, making it an essential for keyboard jockeys. Using words like "byzantine", "email bankruptcy", and "attrition" all in the same paragraph, he really cracks me up and reminds me of a high-tech jim Carrey infused with hyper-intelligence. Check out his hyserical mockery FlockedUp site debut.
  or the more traditional presentation of his essential productivity material "Inbox Zero" with this video presentation at google or at the main Merlin Mann hub. The guy has numerous pages, blogs, and sites, so it's hard to pinpoint a central hub, but if one existed it would be 43folders.com.

• Cameron Johnson -- This may be transforming into a "leaders of business" by listing Cameron, but I had to include this guy. Cameron wouldn't typically make the productivity list because his expertise is entrepreneurialism, not productivity. But, come on...if you started 12 business by the age of 21, how could you call that NOT productive! Here's a rundown of his startups:
  TrueLoot.com 2004
  CertificateSwap 2004
  KazaaGator 2003
  AimBuddy 2003
  ChooseYourPrize.com 2002
  Zablo.com 2001
  SearchOmega 2001
  VoteStation.com 2001
  SurfingXChange 2001
  SurfingPrizes.com 2000
  EmazingSites 1999
  MyEZShop.com 1999
  MyEZMail.com 1998
  Cheers and Tears/
  Beanie Wholesale 1997
  Cheers and Tears
  Printing Co.
  His book is well-written, well-organized, and massively helpful for anyone eager to launch their own business. The best part? Cameron writes from my (Generation Y) generation, so instead of hearing some garbage about 1980s reveries at Harvard or how "back in the day we didn't have computers", you just get waves of solid, clean, lucid business advice...plus the guy's just massively intelligent. Additionally, he wrote "You Call the Shots" like an autobiography, giving it the "true novel" flavor to the prose.