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Summary
Ask any DesignOps practitioner to name their “go-to” tool and you’re likely to hear them wax poetically of their love for spreadsheets. We get it – the spreadsheet is a reliable workhorse with a number of tricks up its sleeve. But, it’s not the only game in town. In fact, if you haven’t ventured outside of Excel lately, you may be surprised to learn that there are a number of nifty new tools in town, and we’ve got the perfect opportunity for you to get a taste of what they can do.
Key Insights
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Traditional knowledge tools like Excel and Confluence are insufficient for cross-disciplinary collaboration in modern product teams.
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Next-generation platforms like Notion and Coda offer integrated relational databases enabling dynamic linkage of data across teams and departments.
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Notion’s roll-ups and linked databases allow for flexible views tailored to specific team roles, improving data relevance and collaboration.
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Coda supports advanced formulas, automations, and integrations (e.g., Jira and Figma) that reduce manual status updates and errors.
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Embedding various content types (videos, Google Slides, Figma previews) inside pages fosters richer, centralized documentation.
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Automation within these tools can streamline onboarding workflows and generate routine reports like weekly newsletters or training metrics.
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The rise of a new role, 'document architects,' is emerging to design and manage complex knowledge management systems within these platforms.
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Coda’s pricing model only charges for document creators, not editors, allowing large organizations to scale affordably.
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Both tools now support integrations with common workplace systems including Jira, Slack, Zoom, and Trello, keeping teams connected.
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Users can monetize custom templates and automations by publishing them in communities, creating new income streams from expertise.
Notable Quotes
"Excel is a little bit outdated; there are much more advanced tools today like Notion and Coda."
"Cross-functional teams using their own tools without integration raise time to knowledge and risk of error."
"Notion is a really good tool to bring loads of different teams' knowledge into one space and make it easily accessible."
"Coda is like the next-generation Excel that lets you create relational databases and automate workflows."
"You can create different views for the same data table tailored for designers or engineers, all synced in real time."
"You can sync Jira issues directly into a Notion database so sprint tasks update automatically without manual entry."
"Using template buttons in Notion, you can automate an onboarding checklist that is reusable for any new team member."
"Document architects are emerging as a new role specifically designing these knowledge management systems."
"Coda's pricing charges only for document makers, so editors in large organizations don’t increase costs."
"You can publish your own templates and automations in the community to make money, turning your knowledge into income."
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