Google Tasks: The "Sleeper" App That Could Kill Asana
Google Tasks has been the "ugly duckling" of Workspace for years. But with Gemini, it’s transforming from a simple checklist into an autonomous workflow engine that should terrify Asana.
Productivity is moving from "Managing Lists" to "Managing Agents." Google Tasks is the native container for that agentic output.
Inspiration: Telling Gemini to "remind me to prepare documents for my flight" and watching it populate my calendar and task list without me ever opening an app.
For years, Google Tasks was ignored. It was the ugly duckling of the Workspace suite. It was too simple. Power users went to Todoist, Things, or Asana.
But Gemini just changed the interface. You don't need a complex UI if the input mechanism is intelligent.
I don't "open" Tasks anymore. I just tell Gemini: "Remind me to check in for my flight." It parses the date, the context, and the priority instantly.
The "Work About Work" Killer (Ecosystem Integration)
Platforms like Asana and Monday are "Systems of Record." You have to log in, create a card, tag people, and set dates. It is manual labor. It is "Work about Work."
Google Tasks is becoming a "System of Action."
It is embedded where you actually work (Gmail, Docs, Slides).
- Gmail: "Remind me to reply to this on Tuesday." (Deep link created).
- Docs: "Assign this comment as a task to John." (Done).
The "Meeting" Loop: This is the killer app. Instead of someone taking notes in a meeting and manually typing them into Asana, Gemini listens to the Google Meet. It identifies action items. It automatically assigns those tasks to the specific people in Google Tasks. No manual entry.
The Missing Piece: UI & Desktop App
To truly kill Asana, Google needs to give Tasks a "Home."
Right now, it lives in the sidebar. It needs a dedicated, full-screen Desktop App (or a robust Web View) with Kanban boards.
If Google releases a "Tasks Pro" view that visualizes these AI-generated tasks on a board, the mid-market project management tools are in trouble.
Conclusion: The Ecosystem Moat
Asana has better features. But Google has the Context.
Asana cannot read your email. Monday cannot listen to your meetings (natively). Google can.
My Prediction: Productivity is moving from "Managing Lists" to "Managing Agents." Google Tasks is the native container for that agentic output.
