Hey 👋

I've come to realise that the hardest part of writing this newsletter each week is figuring out what to put in my intro (lol). Writers block hasn't really been a thing for me because I dont consider myself a writer. I do consider myself a "newsletter-er" or something along those lines. 

Believe it or not but coming up with ideas actually isn't easy and I envy people who can. I'd really love to pick the brains of those people who make these really interesting, tiny, one man internet businesses. Like how the fuck are you getting these ideas man! Like really, I'd legit pay good money to see the thought process of these people, and just how not normal they are. It's actually commendable. Some prime examples of these inspiring makers are, Jon Yongfook, AJ, Pieter levels, Danny Postma. 

My philosophy on the idea process is not by reinventing the wheel, but rather innovating on the wheel because let's be honest, coming up with something that is truly 100% unique is really challenging.

The idea to me is just the first step of the puzzle, consistency does play a big part in this, so here is some food for thought after observing these makers. 

How to build a great product:
1. Build a terrible product. 
2. Keep shipping.

Eventually with time it just becomes great. Thats consistency.

- Nic 

Notice:

Sponsorship and classified slots now officially available. Book here 

Free workshop! The Start Writing Session takes you from thinking about writing to actually writing. Write in class and walk away with lists of ideas. Sign up here 

Hy.page is a platform that allows you to create and customize a landing page for your bio link to generate revenue with digital products, memberships, fan requests and donations. 

Put simply, SendFox is an affordable and simple email marketing platform for content creators.

Here is a simple think shortener that I found recently. I actually picked up the lifetime deal on Appsumo for a few bucks and so far I'm super stoked with it! It isn't overly complicated and it does the job when it comes to brand able links. 

An ode to slowness: the benefits of slowing down
"Hustle culture uses speed as a measure of performance. How fast can you ship a new feature? How many prospective clients can you call in an hour? How much of your day can you devote to work? If you’re not fast, are you even being productive? This harmful mindset results in burnout, poor decision-making, and bad communication." Read More

How we built a $1m ARR SaaS startup
Want to know what it looks like to build and scale an online business to $1m ARR? Here is a really awesome and detailed journey of Canny scaled to become a successful bootstrapped business in under 3 years.  Read more

Inside Neeva, the ad-free, privacy-first search engine from ex-Googlers
At first blush, it may seem like a textbook example of a startup idea destined never to get anywhere. By definition, any new search engine competes with Google, whose 90 percent-plus market share leaves little oxygen for other players. And we’ve been accustomed to getting our search for free since well before there was a Google—which might make paying for it sound like being expected to purchase a phone book. Read more

Why we should end the data economy
I know that you know you’re being watched. But I’m not sure you realize the extent of it, or its implications. Hundreds of corporations that you’ve never heard of, as well as many governments around the world, are surveilling you.

They know who you sleep with because both you and the person you share your bed with keep your phones nearby. They know whether you sleep soundly at night or whether your troubles are keeping you up. They track whether you pick up your phone in the middle of the night and search for things like “loan repayment. Read more

Move fast, but understand the problem first
"Startup founders need to do two things: (1) figure out what to do, (2) do it. (I suppose that applies to anyone, but I'm writing about founders). My beef with "move fast" is that I don't naturally associate it with figuring out what to do. To me, "move" is physical, outward, observable. Shipping features and talking to people... but not thinking." Read More 

s/o to Jacob, I know you're a subscriber 😜

Words of encouragement for somebody thats lost in life. 
Here was a post made on Hacker News not to long ago. I found reading this and its replies to be really reassuring. Read it, and take a look at the comments. I'm sure you will find as much value from it as I did. Read more 

How to learn how to sell
Here is another Hacker News thread but this time on the topics of learning how to sell. Which I think is actually an important skill to have regardless of the job or industry you are in. If you think about it, your entire adult existence is based on the notion of how well you can sell yourself. Read more

How to work hard
It might not seem there's much to learn about how to work hard. Anyone who's been to school knows what it entails, even if they chose not to. There are 12 year olds who work amazingly hard. And yet when I ask if I know more about working hard now than when I was in school, the answer is definitely yes. Read more

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