Memory and relationships, written carefully and backed by research. The science of why writing people down works, and what to do about it day to day.
The single most-asked question we get. Start here.
The full guide. Why names are uniquely hard, the methods that work, and how to build a habit. Cited.
The Baker/baker paradox, the next-in-line effect, and what cognitive science says about name failures.
Link a name to a vivid image and a distinctive facial feature. What the research supports, and its limits.
How to space your reviews so they cost less time and stick longer.
The same methods, applied to the places names pile up fastest.
A first-weeks plan for learning coworkers' names, plus what to say when one slips.
Know Ava's mom but not her name? Pair each parent with their child, then review.
Who's who at a wedding, as a guest or as the couple meeting new family.
What to actually write down. Concrete examples, not abstract advice.
Gifts, sizes, allergies, addresses, partner and kids' names. The boring details that make you feel like a thoughtful friend.
How to tag a conference or wedding so it's still useful months later, when you've forgotten the room layout.
Step by step, where the Notes field falls short, and what helps.
Small, repeatable habits for keeping up with the people you care about.
The case for the maintenance work, in research.
Remembering details makes people feel valued; being forgotten signals the opposite. And almost nobody does it on purpose.
The Holt-Lunstad meta-analysis, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and the U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 advisory.
What a personal CRM is, and honest comparisons with the popular options.
What a personal CRM is, who it helps, and how to choose one.
An honest comparison of six personal CRM apps, and which to pick.
Six iPhone apps compared: Contacts-based or a separate list, privacy, and price.
Clay is now Mesh. How it compares with betterpal, a private iPhone and Mac app.
LinkedIn-powered networking or a private list of your people.
An open-source web CRM vs a native iPhone and Mac app with no account or server.
A cross-platform, business-leaning CRM vs a private iPhone and Mac app.