Mark Cuban reveals his productivity hack — and everyone can use it

Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has built an empire spanning from selling his first company Broadcast.com to Yahoo for $5.7 billion to owning the Dallas Mavericks and starring on Shark Tank. Despite his packed schedule, Cuban has mastered a deceptively simple productivity system that anyone can implement.

"Email is the most powerful productivity tool ever created," Cuban explains. "But only if you use it correctly. Most people let email control them instead of the other way around."

Cuban's approach centers on treating his inbox as a dynamic to-do list that others can contribute to, but that he ultimately controls. The key, he says, is processing emails in specific batches rather than constantly checking throughout the day.

"I check email three times a day: morning, lunch, and evening," Cuban reveals. "Each session has a specific purpose and time limit. Morning is for urgent items that need immediate attention. Lunch is for medium-priority responses. Evening is for everything else."

During each email session, Cuban follows what he calls the "Two-Minute Rule" – if an email can be handled in two minutes or less, he deals with it immediately. Everything else gets categorized into one of three folders: "Today," "This Week," or "Someday."

The "Today" folder is reserved for items that must be completed within 24 hours. Cuban limits this to no more than five emails at any time. "If I have more than five items in my Today folder, I'm overcommitted," he notes.

The "This Week" folder contains items that need attention within seven days, while "Someday" holds everything else. Cuban reviews the "This Week" folder daily and the "Someday" folder weekly.

Perhaps most importantly, Cuban emphasizes the power of saying no quickly. "The faster you can give someone a definitive no, the more you respect their time and yours," he says. "Don't let emails sit in limbo because you're afraid to disappoint someone."

Cuban also advocates for extremely brief responses when possible. "Most business emails can be answered with yes, no, or a single sentence," he explains. "People appreciate clarity over eloquence."

For those looking to implement Cuban's system, he recommends starting with email batching. "Pick three times a day to check email and stick to it. Turn off notifications. Email is not an emergency communication method – that's what phones are for."

The system has allowed Cuban to manage multiple businesses while maintaining focus on high-priority decisions. As he puts it: "Productivity isn't about doing more things. It's about doing the right things efficiently."