Why We Built Refloo

For the modern knowledge worker, the browser isn't just a tool; it's the office. An estimated 80% of our workday is spent within its confines—communicating, researching, creating, and managing tasks. We amass vast libraries of bookmarks, each a link to a critical tool or piece of information. Yet, the very system designed to help us save and organize this knowledge is failing us.

The Broken Promise of Bookmarks

Bookmarks were meant to be shortcuts to our most-used digital places. In reality, they've become a digital junk drawer. We save links with the best intentions, only to forget them moments later. When we do remember, we're faced with a new challenge: sifting through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of saved links to find the right one.

The core problem is a design paradigm that hasn't evolved with our workflows. We're trying to manage a dynamic, multi-threaded work life with a static, linear list. It's like trying to run a modern company with a paper-based filing cabinet.

Reimagining the Browser as an Operating System

What if we re-framed our thinking? If the browser is our primary work environment, it should function like a second operating system. And in this OS, the new tab page is the desktop—the central hub from which all work begins.

From this perspective, our bookmarks are no longer just links; they are applications. Each one is an icon for a web-based tool we use to do our job. Following this logic, we should be able to arrange these "apps" on our "desktop" just as we do on our phones or computers. We should be able to create multiple desktops, each tailored to a specific project or context, with its own set of tools.

Furthermore, the constant tab-switching to access small, single-purpose tools creates a fragmented and distracting experience. Essential utilities—a calculator, a notepad, a unit converter—should be built-in widgets, available instantly without derailing our focus.

Our Goal: A Workbench for the Web

This is the vision that drives us at Refloo. We are not just building another bookmark manager. We are building a workbench specifically designed for the web.

Our journey starts with reimagining how bookmarks are displayed and accessed. By treating the new tab page as a customizable desktop, we give users the power to organize their digital tools in a way that mirrors their mental models.

But this is just the beginning. Our ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive, integrated workspace that streamlines the entire web-based workflow. We envision a future where your browser is a powerful, personalized operating system that anticipates your needs and eliminates the friction of modern digital work.

Refloo is our first step toward that future. We're building it because we believe that the most important workspace in the world deserves tools that are just as powerful and intuitive as the work being done within it.