How Notion's AI Pivot Offers a Playbook for Sports Teams

The Game Changes: From Notebooks to AI Workspaces

Notion started as a humble note-taking app in 2013. Today, it's a productivity powerhouse used by millions. But its real story—the one that matters for sports teams—is how it reinvented itself when the game changed. In 2025, Notion's annual recurring revenue topped $600 million, and half of that came from AI products. That's not incremental growth; that's a pivot.

For sports organizations, the message is clear: the playbook that got you here won't get you there. Whether it's a college athletics department or a pro team, the landscape shifts under your feet. Notion's founder, Ivan Zhao, didn't just add AI features; he rebuilt the company around a new reality. Sports teams can learn from that.

First Rebuild: The Kyoto Reset

Notion wasn't an overnight success. Early on, the company struggled to find product-market fit. Money was running out. So Zhao and co-founder Simon Last made a drastic call: they cut the team, moved to Kyoto, Japan, and started over. They rented out their San Francisco spaces, and for the first time, the company was cash-flow positive.

In Kyoto, the routine was simple: code, eat, code again. Without distractions, they returned to fundamentals. What problem are we solving? Why does this matter? For sports teams, this is like a mid-season reset. When things aren't working, sometimes you need to strip away the non-essentials and focus on the core mission: winning games, developing athletes, and building a culture.

Second Rebuild: The AI Wake-Up Call

The second rebuild came after GPT-4. Zhao got early access and realized the software world had been interrupted. Notion had already launched AI writing features before ChatGPT, but Zhao wanted more. He envisioned AI agents that could understand context, retrieve information, and execute tasks. But the path was rocky. For a year and a half, the team struggled with unstable models.

This is a familiar feeling for sports coaches. You try a new system or a new training method, and it doesn't click right away. The temptation is to give up. But Zhao persisted, adjusting the product development process. In sports, that means being willing to experiment, even when the results are messy.

From Toolbox to AI Workspace

Notion's strength was always flexibility. Users could build their own systems with pages, databases, and tasks. AI made this more valuable because AI needs context. All those documents, meeting notes, and project updates become the raw material for intelligent assistance.

For sports teams, think of your playbook, your scouting reports, your injury logs, your practice plans. If they're scattered across email, spreadsheets, and paper, AI can't help you. Notion's shift to an AI workspace shows the value of centralizing information. When everything is connected, AI can surface insights: which plays work best against certain defenses, which training loads correlate with injuries, or what opponents tend to do in clutch situations.

Rethinking the Team: Jazz Band, Not Marching Band

Zhao describes Notion's ideal organization as a jazz band, not a marching band. Marching bands execute predetermined moves. Jazz bands have structure but allow improvisation. In the AI era, software companies need to be more like jazz bands because change happens weekly, not quarterly.

Sports teams are already jazz bands in many ways. A good coach adjusts on the fly. Players read each other and react. But too often, organizations become rigid. Departments silo, communication breaks down, and innovation stalls. Notion's approach—keeping hierarchy but encouraging flexibility—is a model for sports front offices and coaching staffs.

Hiring for Taste and Initiative, Not Just Experience

Notion changed its hiring criteria. With AI leveling the playing field on basic skills, what matters more is taste—knowing what good looks like—and initiative—actually doing things. They want people who are curious, optimistic, and action-oriented. They also hire a mix of senior architects and young, energetic engineers, rather than only superstars.

In sports, this translates to scouting. You can't just look at a player's stats or a coach's resume. You need to assess their feel for the game, their work ethic, and their ability to adapt. Notion's first-round interview asks candidates to build something with Notion. Similarly, a tryout is more telling than a highlight reel.

Marketing Split: Storytelling and Sales

Notion split its marketing department into two parts: storytelling (close to product) and demand generation (close to sales). The reason? Product changes too fast for traditional marketing layers. In sports, this is like separating player development from ticket sales. You need one team focused on the product on the field, and another on getting fans in the seats. Both are essential, but they require different skills and timelines.

Not Just Cost-Cutting: Changing Knowledge Work

AI in Notion isn't just about doing the same work with fewer people. It's about changing how knowledge work happens. Traditionally, company knowledge was scattered and underused. With AI, that knowledge becomes searchable, actionable, and even executable. Notion's database of templates, projects, and decisions becomes an asset.

For sports teams, think of your institutional knowledge: game plans, practice drills, player development frameworks, even scouting philosophies. If you can digitize and connect that knowledge, AI can help you make better decisions. Notion's success shows that the teams that harness their data will have an edge.

Founders Must Get Their Hands Dirty

Zhao advises other founders to not just read about AI but to build with it. The same applies to sports leaders. Don't just hire a data analyst; learn to read the data yourself. Don't just buy a new software; try it with your team. The insights come from doing, not from reports.

Lessons for Sports Organizations

Here are five takeaways for sports teams from Notion's journey:

• Don't just add AI as a gimmick. Integrate it into how your team actually works.
• Embrace uncertainty. Experiment and iterate, even when results are messy.
• Break down silos. Cross-functional teams are more agile.
• Respect the human element. Sales, scouting, and coaching still require trust and relationship.
• Leaders must be involved. Don't delegate the transformation entirely.

The old way of doing things won't survive the new era. But with the right mindset, even a veteran organization can reinvent itself. Notion did it. Your team can too.