January 8, 2026
Inbox Hero or Inbox Villain?
The Napoleon Technique: Postponing Things to Increase Productivity
Napoleon’s “Do It Later” Hack has commenters split: genius or ghosting
TLDR: A classic “wait and see” method—delaying non-urgent replies so problems fix themselves—sparked big debates. Some praised real-world wins and decision-making optionality, while others called it glorified procrastination with dark jokes. It matters because knowing when to wait can save time—or burn trust.
Napoleon’s trick for getting more done by waiting—yes, literally not replying right away—has the internet clutching its collective inbox. The article retells how the general let letters sit for weeks, and most problems solved themselves, backed by Emerson’s account and Bourrienne’s memoirs (Emerson’s essay, Bourrienne’s memoirs). But the community? They turned this into a full-on productivity cage match.
Nostalgia hit hard: one user pined for Google Inbox’s snooze-as-task magic, calling it the perfect system for people who actually check email. A former teacher flexed a real-world “leave it unread for a fortnight” case study, claiming anxious parent emails fix themselves—cue applause and side-eye. Then came the strategy crowd, arguing that waiting creates optionality—extra time to learn before making “one-way door” choices you can’t undo. Meanwhile, the cynics chimed in: if most mail is junk, wait or bin it—Napoleon style. And the hot-take brigade? They dropped dark jokes about an “Attila Method” and “Pinochet Hack,” sparking a messy debate over whether strategic delay is wisdom or just dressed-up procrastination. The vibe: Inbox Zero is canceled; Inbox Hero is trending—depending on whether you’re saving time or dodging responsibility.
Key Points
- •The Napoleon technique postpones action on non-urgent matters to let issues resolve without immediate intervention.
- •Historical sources (Emerson and Bourrienne) report Napoleon left most letters unopened for three weeks.
- •During this delay, four-fifths of communications no longer needed replies, reducing workload.
- •Napoleon’s practice included opening only letters from extraordinary couriers, deferring the rest.
- •Modern applications include delaying non-urgent email replies, waiting on minor computer issues, and deferring project decisions until later stages.