Why founders drop follow-ups
Most founder follow-ups aren’t lost to bad intentions. They’re lost to volume. The investor who said “come back when you have three months of numbers,” the customer who asked for a feature, the advisor who offered an intro, the candidate who wasn’t ready to leave yet: each one is a small promise that’s easy to make and easy to forget in a busy week. BlackBook keeps those details with the person, so the follow-up happens when you said it would.
What BlackBook does for a founder
| You want to… | In BlackBook |
|---|---|
| Remember what each investor asked for | Notes and conversation history for each person |
| Follow up when you said you would | Follow-up reminders, so “check back next quarter” actually happens |
| Know who to reach out to this week | Pulse turns your notes, history and reminders into a suggested next step |
| Keep customers and advisors close | The same notes and reminders for key customers, advisors, mentors and the people who make intros |
| Never miss a birthday | Birthday reminders with the personal details you saved |
| Keep your notes private | No account; data stays on your iPhone and private iCloud; no ad SDKs, never sold |
A 10-minute weekly routine
- Add your 25 most important relationships first: current and potential investors, key customers, advisors, and candidates you’re courting.
- After each meeting, add one note: what they care about and anything you promised.
- Set a follow-up reminder for the next natural update, like after your next milestone or next month’s numbers.
- Each Monday, open Pulse and work the list it suggests.
- Before each call, reread your notes so you pick up exactly where you left off.
For more on follow-ups, read how to follow up after a networking event and how to follow through on the promises you make.
When a team or sales CRM is better
BlackBook is a personal CRM on your iPhone, not a team or sales pipeline CRM. It doesn’t track deals, share records with your team, sync with email marketing, or report on revenue. If several people need to work the same accounts, or you run a structured sales process, use a sales CRM built for that. BlackBook is for the relationships you own personally: the investor, advisor and customer conversations that depend on you remembering.
BlackBook facts
- Platform: iPhone, iOS 17.6 or later
- Price: free download; optional BlackBook Pro subscription (prices shown in the app)
- Free plan: 25 people, 2 notes per person, 30 days of interaction history
- Pro: unlimited people and full history, VIP reminders and insights, relationship notes with tags, duplicate detection, BlackBook AI
- AI: on-device via Apple Intelligence (Pro, iOS 26, compatible iPhone)
- Privacy: data on your device and private iCloud, no account, no ad SDKs, data never sold
- Developer: Preston Earnest / Earnestly Studios LLC
Frequently asked questions
Is BlackBook a sales pipeline or team CRM?
No. BlackBook is a personal CRM for one person on one iPhone. It has no deal pipeline, team sharing or sales reporting. If you need a shared pipeline for a sales team, use a sales CRM built for that, and use BlackBook for your own relationships.
Who should I put in it?
The people whose follow-ups matter most to you: investors and potential investors, key customers, advisors and mentors, candidates you’re courting, and the people who make intros for you. The free plan holds 25 people, which is enough for your most important relationships.
Do I need an account?
No. BlackBook needs no account, sign-up or login. Your people and notes stay on your iPhone and in your private iCloud.
Is it free?
BlackBook is free to download with a free plan of 25 people, two notes per person and 30 days of interaction history. BlackBook Pro is an optional subscription for unlimited people and full history: in the US it’s $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and the annual plan includes a 1-week free trial. Prices are shown in the app.
Can I dictate notes after a meeting?
With BlackBook Pro on iOS 26 and a compatible iPhone, BlackBook AI uses on-device Apple Intelligence to help turn a quick spoken recap into a follow-up for you to review.
Does it sell my data or show ads?
No. BlackBook includes no advertising SDKs and never sells your data.
Be the founder who always follows up.
BlackBook is free to download for iPhone (iOS 17.6+). Start with 25 people, no account needed.
Get BlackBook – Personal CRM