Learn More, Scroll Less: Content Filtering Tools

Staying up-to-date with content without feeling overwhelmed can be made much easier with the right tools.

In this email, I’ll cover the tools I use to manage incoming content from videos, articles, podcasts, and more—allowing you to keep learning without trying to watch or read everything in real-time.

Using Content Aggregation Tools to Stay Informed and Productive

With so much content available, it’s easy to feel like you’re always behind. That’s why I recommend setting up a simple content aggregation system, allowing you to stay informed while filtering out what’s less relevant. Here’s how I manage incoming content efficiently.

My Recommended Tools for Content Aggregation

1. Readwise Reader
   Readwise Reader acts as a central hub for saving and organizing articles, PDFs, emails, and more. I use it to clip content from the web that I want to read later. Instead of getting distracted when I come across an article, I save it directly to Reader and review it during a scheduled time. The app also allows tagging, which keeps everything organized.

2. Summarily for YouTube Summaries
   Summarily pulls new videos from my YouTube subscriptions into one place, summarizing each video and providing timestamps. This way, I can jump directly to the parts I’m interested in. This is great for staying updated with key content without needing to watch everything in full.

3. Podwise for Podcasts
   With Podwise, I get summaries, mind maps, and key points of long podcasts. This tool helps me focus on specific topics or moments in a podcast without needing to listen to the entire episode.

4. Regular Inbox Processing
   Each week, I go through my Reader inbox to review what I’ve saved and archive anything I no longer need. This way, I keep things organized without feeling bogged down by too much content.

This Week’s Favorite

What About Books?

For anyone who enjoys reading but doesn’t always have time to finish every book, I highly recommend Shortform. This tool provides detailed book summaries, which are great for deciding if a book is worth investing time in.

I use Shortform not just to preview books, but also to get the main ideas of books I might not finish.

With Shortform, you get one-page overviews, in-depth chapter summaries, and even audio versions. I especially like that Shortform syncs with Readwise, so I can highlight key takeaways and revisit them in my notes later. If you’re looking for a way to keep up with your reading goals while managing time, Shortform is worth checking out.

Extra Extra

• I needed to find a way to get the URL for a YouTube playlist for some RSS magic - a few hundred people have found it useful, you might too: https://youtu.be/qQLlQM9k5kU

• New Book Review / Summary - A Time Of Gifts & Between The Woods And The Water. Interesting travel story from Patrick Leigh Fermor who walked from Rotterdam to Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1933!

One quick question 👋

I love hearing from readers, and I’m always happy to hear feedback from active subscribers. How am I doing with the Productivity Academy newsletter? Is there any content you’d like to see more or less of? Which parts of the newsletter (or articles, or podcast) do you enjoy the most?

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P.S. Looking for resources to improve your productivity? Check out the tools I use right here.