Day 590 - Sleep & inflammation - https://golifelog.com/posts/sleep-and-inflammation-1660356189873
Sleep makes chronic inflammation in the body worse. That’s something I learned since starting sleep biohacking, but only something I experienced for myself, on myself recently.
I’ve not been getting good sleep, nor enough sleep.
A deadly combination of low spirits, zero motivation plus household commitments meant my sleep is poorly managed these days.
I don’t sleep on time.
I don’t wind down before bed.
I forget to exercise.
I don’t de-stress.
I eat more junk.
I eat too late.
I scroll my phone even at night.
I drink too much water.
I drink too little water.
And as a result, the inflammation in my body seems to have gotten worse. I think I’ve always had it but it was never that serious. These days, I have eczema on both legs, and it seems to flare and itch on days when I don’t sleep well/enough. Exercise helps to reduce inflammation but I’ve not been on top of that, so inflammation is probably off the charts these days.
My health goal is to be 10 years younger than my calendar age, but seriously I feel like the opposite now, 10 years older, like in my 50s.
What can I do to turn this situation around?
I don’t know.
I’ve not been stuck this long.
But writing down, being aware, identifying it as I am doing here, is definitely the first few steps.
Onwards.
I’ve not been getting good sleep, nor enough sleep.
A deadly combination of low spirits, zero motivation plus household commitments meant my sleep is poorly managed these days.
I don’t sleep on time.
I don’t wind down before bed.
I forget to exercise.
I don’t de-stress.
I eat more junk.
I eat too late.
I scroll my phone even at night.
I drink too much water.
I drink too little water.
And as a result, the inflammation in my body seems to have gotten worse. I think I’ve always had it but it was never that serious. These days, I have eczema on both legs, and it seems to flare and itch on days when I don’t sleep well/enough. Exercise helps to reduce inflammation but I’ve not been on top of that, so inflammation is probably off the charts these days.
My health goal is to be 10 years younger than my calendar age, but seriously I feel like the opposite now, 10 years older, like in my 50s.
What can I do to turn this situation around?
I don’t know.
I’ve not been stuck this long.
But writing down, being aware, identifying it as I am doing here, is definitely the first few steps.
Onwards.
Day 589 - Diverse portfolio to trigger timely changes - https://golifelog.com/posts/diverse-portfolio-to-trigger-timely-changes-1660268617063
It’s nice do a 180º switch up in pace and energy once in a while for work.
My consulting projects do that for me.
Indie hacking is mostly a solo, introverted journey. As much as I’m active on Twitter, it still feels lonesome. We’re running parallel, not together on same path, after all. I do my own work, at my own pace, on my own projects. Others do their’s at their own time. It can start to feel very hermit-like very fast. I almost feel like I’m forgetting my face-to-face social skills with strangers. On lazy days, there’s no external accountability. There’s no one to answer to, or to fulfil obligations for – a good thing when you’re motivated, not always a good thing when you’re unmotivated.
But once I switch to consulting, I’m full on immersed in a team. I’m working collaboratively. I’m talking, socializing, facilitating conversations, sensing emotions, reading body language. I plan ahead, show up, be responsible and disciplined because I’m socially committed. I’m answerable to my client.
That’s the key benefit of a diverse portfolio of products and services.
It gives me a change.
Sometimes—at the right time— a much-needed change.
I’ve been feeling burned out, and in low energy and spirits for a few months now. But the consulting project is making me emerge out from my cave. I have to, I don’t have a choice. But that forcing function works. It works right at a time when I’m also feeling like I want to move but can’t muster the energy.
Sometimes we need both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, and it’s okay.
My consulting projects do that for me.
Indie hacking is mostly a solo, introverted journey. As much as I’m active on Twitter, it still feels lonesome. We’re running parallel, not together on same path, after all. I do my own work, at my own pace, on my own projects. Others do their’s at their own time. It can start to feel very hermit-like very fast. I almost feel like I’m forgetting my face-to-face social skills with strangers. On lazy days, there’s no external accountability. There’s no one to answer to, or to fulfil obligations for – a good thing when you’re motivated, not always a good thing when you’re unmotivated.
But once I switch to consulting, I’m full on immersed in a team. I’m working collaboratively. I’m talking, socializing, facilitating conversations, sensing emotions, reading body language. I plan ahead, show up, be responsible and disciplined because I’m socially committed. I’m answerable to my client.
That’s the key benefit of a diverse portfolio of products and services.
It gives me a change.
Sometimes—at the right time— a much-needed change.
I’ve been feeling burned out, and in low energy and spirits for a few months now. But the consulting project is making me emerge out from my cave. I have to, I don’t have a choice. But that forcing function works. It works right at a time when I’m also feeling like I want to move but can’t muster the energy.
Sometimes we need both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, and it’s okay.
Conducted pre project scoping workshop
💵 Sold yet another single license mobile navbar Carrd plugin (US$15)...thanks Tanaka!
Day 588 - Great expectations - https://golifelog.com/posts/great-expectations-1660176204166
I’m tired of my expectations. What if I just do the thing and don’t expect anything? Would that work? Will I be happier but also effective?
That’s the thing about setting goals and targets. You’re also setting expectations, unintentionally. You’re making a deal to trade off your near-term joy with long-term happiness. With a goal, what I’m really doing is - I’ll be happy when I reach my goal. Until then, the discomfort of incompleteness will haunt me till I hit it.
For some things, it works. Its forcing function helps to garner the right amount of motivation to do it. It works especially well for things which have linear causation from effort to rewards, and can be achieved within a short enough time. Like say, writing an article. Or getting up early.
But not all goals are created equal. Some goals take years. Some say entrepreneurship success takes a decade even. And there’s no certainty that even at the end of ten years you’ll get rewarded. Trading off ten years of joy with happiness with no certainty of a reward is a perfect formula for making yourself very miserable.
I’m tired of doing that to myself.
I need a different approach. A better approach.
Drop my expectations. But that’s a tall order, because I’m only human. It’s hard to have zero expectations whatsoever. Maybe the least I can do is to make it front and centre. The monster you see and identify ceases to be as scary and powerful.
Maybe in every project I do and build, I got to list down my expectations. Every single one of them. Deep dig to uncover even the subconscious ones.
And see if I’ll be okay not fulfilling those expectations. Or if I can actively work on dropping them altogether inwardly.
And then just do the work, find some enjoyment in the process of doing it.
Maybe that’s how I can be happy yet effective.
That’s the thing about setting goals and targets. You’re also setting expectations, unintentionally. You’re making a deal to trade off your near-term joy with long-term happiness. With a goal, what I’m really doing is - I’ll be happy when I reach my goal. Until then, the discomfort of incompleteness will haunt me till I hit it.
For some things, it works. Its forcing function helps to garner the right amount of motivation to do it. It works especially well for things which have linear causation from effort to rewards, and can be achieved within a short enough time. Like say, writing an article. Or getting up early.
But not all goals are created equal. Some goals take years. Some say entrepreneurship success takes a decade even. And there’s no certainty that even at the end of ten years you’ll get rewarded. Trading off ten years of joy with happiness with no certainty of a reward is a perfect formula for making yourself very miserable.
I’m tired of doing that to myself.
I need a different approach. A better approach.
Drop my expectations. But that’s a tall order, because I’m only human. It’s hard to have zero expectations whatsoever. Maybe the least I can do is to make it front and centre. The monster you see and identify ceases to be as scary and powerful.
Maybe in every project I do and build, I got to list down my expectations. Every single one of them. Deep dig to uncover even the subconscious ones.
And see if I’ll be okay not fulfilling those expectations. Or if I can actively work on dropping them altogether inwardly.
And then just do the work, find some enjoyment in the process of doing it.
Maybe that’s how I can be happy yet effective.
💵 Sold yet another single license testimonial slider Carrd plugin (US$15)...thanks Sullivan!
Logistics prep for scoping workshop
Post-its post-its post-its
Day 587 - Porque no los dos? - https://golifelog.com/posts/porque-no-los-dos-1660099933785
They say… Love what you do as a creator, have fun, and it gets easier to keep going even without results.
Follow your passion. Love what you do. Do what feels like play to you but work to others. Only intrinsic motivation lasts. Commit ten years to it and see what happens. As long as you trend up, success will come one day.
Okay I know I know. But there’s only we long we can last without seeing any results. We at least need some feedback and data—positive or negative—to close the causation loop. How long can anyone last on ideals but with ZERO data, for 10 years? I doubt anyone can.
BUT! With just a tiny show of results, it gets more fun and easy to love what you do.
You build and tweet about it in public, and people are excited, so you build and tweet more. You launch, and some people tried it, gave you good feedback, and it drives you to build it out more. People start paying you, and your sense of purpose goes up 10x.
The hard truth is…
Ideals are nice, but we can’t always operate in isolation from reality.
Porque no los dos? (https://twitter.com/jasonleowsg/status/1545709350974472194)
(means Why not both?)
We need both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.
Follow your passion. Love what you do. Do what feels like play to you but work to others. Only intrinsic motivation lasts. Commit ten years to it and see what happens. As long as you trend up, success will come one day.
Okay I know I know. But there’s only we long we can last without seeing any results. We at least need some feedback and data—positive or negative—to close the causation loop. How long can anyone last on ideals but with ZERO data, for 10 years? I doubt anyone can.
BUT! With just a tiny show of results, it gets more fun and easy to love what you do.
You build and tweet about it in public, and people are excited, so you build and tweet more. You launch, and some people tried it, gave you good feedback, and it drives you to build it out more. People start paying you, and your sense of purpose goes up 10x.
The hard truth is…
Ideals are nice, but we can’t always operate in isolation from reality.
Porque no los dos? (https://twitter.com/jasonleowsg/status/1545709350974472194)
(means Why not both?)
We need both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.
Signed 3-year agreement for training workshops for nonprofit governance institute
- 1-day and 2-day workshops for more regular income
- interesting opportunity to travel
- interest to explore longer term collab
- mutual trust
- interesting opportunity to travel
- interest to explore longer term collab
- mutual trust
Prep for scoping workshop
Day 586 - Entrepreneurship: From risky venture to safety net - https://golifelog.com/posts/entrepreneurship-from-risky-venture-to-safety-net-1660016878698
It’s amazing how we went from “entrepreneurship is a risky venture” to “entrepreneurship is a safety net” in the past 10 years.
In the past, starting a business meant:
• Huge capital outlay
• Needing VC funding
• Reserved for the already-rich
• Hiring lots of people
• Quitting your 9-to-5
These days, starting a business:
• Requires minimal capital
• Can be bootstrapped, no funding needed
• Anyone can do it, even if not rich
• You can do it solo, or outsource
• No need to quit day job
And if you consider the how the recession is laying off people in droves, it’s difficult to justify anyone not having any side hustle.
A job—no matter how rosy the outlook of the company—is still a single point of failure. And the nature of black swan events is that they are unknown unknowns. No way for you to be certain of a salary the next month. A job is ultimately, 1 away from 0.
It’s like investing. If it’s not common practice to put all your capital into one stock or fund, why should we put all our time capital into one job? If diversifying helps to de-risk your portfolio, why aren’t we diversifying our work to de-risk too?
Even if you’re too busy, too tired, too stretched doing just one day job, it’s good to have a side hustle in waiting.
Something that you can build at your leisure during good times with a job.
Something that you can lean on and scale up during bad times without a job.
So build an business.
It’s no longer risking it all, but saving it all.
In the past, starting a business meant:
• Huge capital outlay
• Needing VC funding
• Reserved for the already-rich
• Hiring lots of people
• Quitting your 9-to-5
These days, starting a business:
• Requires minimal capital
• Can be bootstrapped, no funding needed
• Anyone can do it, even if not rich
• You can do it solo, or outsource
• No need to quit day job
And if you consider the how the recession is laying off people in droves, it’s difficult to justify anyone not having any side hustle.
A job—no matter how rosy the outlook of the company—is still a single point of failure. And the nature of black swan events is that they are unknown unknowns. No way for you to be certain of a salary the next month. A job is ultimately, 1 away from 0.
It’s like investing. If it’s not common practice to put all your capital into one stock or fund, why should we put all our time capital into one job? If diversifying helps to de-risk your portfolio, why aren’t we diversifying our work to de-risk too?
Even if you’re too busy, too tired, too stretched doing just one day job, it’s good to have a side hustle in waiting.
Something that you can build at your leisure during good times with a job.
Something that you can lean on and scale up during bad times without a job.
So build an business.
It’s no longer risking it all, but saving it all.
Passed 4k followers!
Scheduled LinkedIn posts up to 2 weeks ahead
Scheduled build in public tweets and writing-related tweets up to 3 weeks ahead
Day 585 - Being my own person - https://golifelog.com/posts/being-my-own-person-1659927699175
Reading this random Facebook post and all its comments definitely got me thinking:
"Diamonds are formed under pressure.
Bread dough rises when you let it rest.
[Yet] Bread dough rises faster in the heat. Resting too long ruins the bread.
Seeds grow when it’s dark, after being buried.
[Yet] Plants grow tall when it’s bright, after breaking through the soil.
Boiling water softens the potato but hardens the eggs.
The same pressure that makes diamonds also bursts pipes.
Light is a particle, it’s also a wave.
What’s normal for a spider is chaos for a fly.
The same sun that melts the wax will harden clay.
The same rain that drowns the rat will grow the hay.
The mighty wind that knocks us down if we lean into it will drive our fears away.
Cakes go stiff when they age. Biscuits go soft when they age.
The fire that melts butter also harden steel."
I’m trying to be my own person. But it’s so easy to get swayed by others. Everyone’s different. Broad strokes advice that works for one doesn’t work for another. Yet being discerning and selective takes effort. So so much effort and energy to listen carefully, filter out ruthlessly, and to apply new ideas with nuance.
What’s inspiring to me might be cringey for others.
What’s helpful to my context is disabling to someone else.
We’re all our own persons.
So do we listen and mimic others, or not?
Is comparison really the thief of joy?
Maybe this is the key:
Compare on the small details, the inputs, the process.
Don’t compare on the big things, the outcomes and results.
If I learn from others on how they work, be more productive, how they market and sell, that helps me learn and grow too. My actions and inputs are things I can control.
But if I start comparing the revenue they get, the lifestyle they achieved, how much success they have, then more likely than not it will steal joy from me, because outcomes are not within my control.
So, be my own person, be discerning and independent for the big things. Be humble, curious and open to influence for the small things.
"Diamonds are formed under pressure.
Bread dough rises when you let it rest.
[Yet] Bread dough rises faster in the heat. Resting too long ruins the bread.
Seeds grow when it’s dark, after being buried.
[Yet] Plants grow tall when it’s bright, after breaking through the soil.
Boiling water softens the potato but hardens the eggs.
The same pressure that makes diamonds also bursts pipes.
Light is a particle, it’s also a wave.
What’s normal for a spider is chaos for a fly.
The same sun that melts the wax will harden clay.
The same rain that drowns the rat will grow the hay.
The mighty wind that knocks us down if we lean into it will drive our fears away.
Cakes go stiff when they age. Biscuits go soft when they age.
The fire that melts butter also harden steel."
I’m trying to be my own person. But it’s so easy to get swayed by others. Everyone’s different. Broad strokes advice that works for one doesn’t work for another. Yet being discerning and selective takes effort. So so much effort and energy to listen carefully, filter out ruthlessly, and to apply new ideas with nuance.
What’s inspiring to me might be cringey for others.
What’s helpful to my context is disabling to someone else.
We’re all our own persons.
So do we listen and mimic others, or not?
Is comparison really the thief of joy?
Maybe this is the key:
Compare on the small details, the inputs, the process.
Don’t compare on the big things, the outcomes and results.
If I learn from others on how they work, be more productive, how they market and sell, that helps me learn and grow too. My actions and inputs are things I can control.
But if I start comparing the revenue they get, the lifestyle they achieved, how much success they have, then more likely than not it will steal joy from me, because outcomes are not within my control.
So, be my own person, be discerning and independent for the big things. Be humble, curious and open to influence for the small things.
Everyone has their own pace in life. We should focus on our own paths not other people's milestones
Drafted design sprint project schedule, scheduled email send for tomorrow morning
Day 584 - What I really want - https://golifelog.com/posts/what-i-really-want-1659828822354
What I don't want:
- Becoming a billionaire. That's a true sign I've overreached.
- Running a huge company. Managing people is exhausting.
- Owning expensive cars, houses. At some point these things start owning you.
- Be famous. Fame is overrated. More downsides than upsides.
What I really want:
- Being able to earn enough (survival limit $5k/m, upper limit $100k/m) to give my family a good life.
- Being a digital nomad family, because we can afford it.
- Not worrying about money and financing the education of my child
- Treat my parents well. They won't be around all that long.
- Not let my wife worry about survival. Being able to provide is important to me.
- Having quality time with my closest loved ones.
- Having great health. Being 10 years younger physically than my calendar age.
- Free from physical ailments
- Train hard and get fit
- Getting above 90% sleep scores every single night
- Being able to travel anywhere, anytime, without worry of work or money.
- Travel the world with my wife and kid
- Travel the world with my parents.
- Eating great wholesome foods and not batting an eyelid about price.
- Creating creative sh*t audaciously, and not caring about whether there's traffic or users.
- Making fun stuff that's fun to use and fun to make
- Pick up watercolor painting
- Learn Japanese
- Live in Kyoto long term to learn from a master craftsman
- Live in Iceland and learn their folk myths
- Live in Ubud and immerse in the peace and nature
- Create travel films
- Write poetry
- Learn to drive
- Be rich 'enough' and be good
- Be lazy
- Live near the sea, live in a jungle
- Embrace my weirdness
- Travel to space. because why the hell not?
- Becoming a billionaire. That's a true sign I've overreached.
- Running a huge company. Managing people is exhausting.
- Owning expensive cars, houses. At some point these things start owning you.
- Be famous. Fame is overrated. More downsides than upsides.
What I really want:
- Being able to earn enough (survival limit $5k/m, upper limit $100k/m) to give my family a good life.
- Being a digital nomad family, because we can afford it.
- Not worrying about money and financing the education of my child
- Treat my parents well. They won't be around all that long.
- Not let my wife worry about survival. Being able to provide is important to me.
- Having quality time with my closest loved ones.
- Having great health. Being 10 years younger physically than my calendar age.
- Free from physical ailments
- Train hard and get fit
- Getting above 90% sleep scores every single night
- Being able to travel anywhere, anytime, without worry of work or money.
- Travel the world with my wife and kid
- Travel the world with my parents.
- Eating great wholesome foods and not batting an eyelid about price.
- Creating creative sh*t audaciously, and not caring about whether there's traffic or users.
- Making fun stuff that's fun to use and fun to make
- Pick up watercolor painting
- Learn Japanese
- Live in Kyoto long term to learn from a master craftsman
- Live in Iceland and learn their folk myths
- Live in Ubud and immerse in the peace and nature
- Create travel films
- Write poetry
- Learn to drive
- Be rich 'enough' and be good
- Be lazy
- Live near the sea, live in a jungle
- Embrace my weirdness
- Travel to space. because why the hell not?
Jason Leow
Author
@poppacalypse Hopefully in our lifetime we get to see it get cheap enough!
💵 Sold yet another single license mega navbar Carrd plugin (US$25) on Gumroad...thanks Tatiane!
Day 583 - The utility of acting the fool - https://golifelog.com/posts/the-utility-of-acting-the-fool-1659753063384
I don’t know why but I love and get inspired by stories like this – unassuming ‘fools’ who are actually smarter than they look, know how to game the system, and actually go on to make it big:
Timothy Dexter and “the utility of acting the fool”
———————————————————————
"At the end of the American Revolutionary War, he purchased large amounts of depreciated Continental currency that was worthless at the time. At the war’s end, the U.S. government made good on its notes at one percent of face value, while Massachusetts paid its own notes at par. His investment enabled him to amass a considerable profit. He built two ships and began an export business to the West Indies and Europe.
Because he was largely uneducated, his business sense was considered peculiar. He was advised to send bed warmers—used to heat beds in the cold New England winters—for resale in the West Indies, a tropical area. This advice was a deliberate ploy by rivals to bankrupt him. His ship’s captain sold them as ladles to the local molasses industry and made a handsome profit. Next, Dexter sent wool mittens to the same place, where Asian merchants bought them for export to Siberia.
People jokingly told him to “ship coal to Newcastle”. Fortuitously, he did so during a Newcastle miners’ strike, and his cargo was sold at a premium. On another occasion, practical jokers told him he could make money by shipping gloves to the South Sea Islands. His ships arrived there in time to sell the gloves to Portuguese boats on their way to China.
He exported Bibles to the East Indies and stray cats to Caribbean islands and again made a profit; Eastern missionaries were in need of the Bibles and the Caribbean welcomed a solution to rat infestation. He also hoarded whalebones by mistake, but ended up selling them profitably as corset stays.
While subject to ridicule, Dexter’s boasting makes it clear that he understood the value of cornering the market on goods that others did not see as valuable and the utility of “acting the fool”.
- Source: Wikipedia
What’s interesting is how he seems to take reference from others to gauge what’s not valuable, what’s uncommon, what’s stupid, and go find opportunities in those areas because there would be no competition. Nobody’s ‘stupid’ enough to venture there, but that’s exactly where the opportunity is!
It’s almost like a teachable moment here for me.
This guy’s an opportunistic trickster. I set an identity-based goal (https://golifelog.com/posts/identity-based-goals-1634279678058) like this back in Oct last year, and he has these traits:
• Has too much fun, oftentimes at the disapproval of others
• Takes nothing too seriously, even when others are serious
• Keen sense of asymmetric chances to win big
• Acts on asymmetry and actually wins
• Doing random is second nature
Mr Dexter definitely check off everything on that list! And probably more. This is something I really wish to be able to embody, but in software/internet business.
So… what are some problem spaces that most internet entrepreneurs would see as stupid to venture into?
What’s the internet equivalent of selling ice to Eskimos?
How do I corner “the market on [internet] goods that others did not see as valuable”?
I tried brainstorming a bit on my own but drew blanks. Absolutely no ideas. Obviously this is an area where I’m totally cold.
Much to learn, and to look out for!
Timothy Dexter and “the utility of acting the fool”
———————————————————————
"At the end of the American Revolutionary War, he purchased large amounts of depreciated Continental currency that was worthless at the time. At the war’s end, the U.S. government made good on its notes at one percent of face value, while Massachusetts paid its own notes at par. His investment enabled him to amass a considerable profit. He built two ships and began an export business to the West Indies and Europe.
Because he was largely uneducated, his business sense was considered peculiar. He was advised to send bed warmers—used to heat beds in the cold New England winters—for resale in the West Indies, a tropical area. This advice was a deliberate ploy by rivals to bankrupt him. His ship’s captain sold them as ladles to the local molasses industry and made a handsome profit. Next, Dexter sent wool mittens to the same place, where Asian merchants bought them for export to Siberia.
People jokingly told him to “ship coal to Newcastle”. Fortuitously, he did so during a Newcastle miners’ strike, and his cargo was sold at a premium. On another occasion, practical jokers told him he could make money by shipping gloves to the South Sea Islands. His ships arrived there in time to sell the gloves to Portuguese boats on their way to China.
He exported Bibles to the East Indies and stray cats to Caribbean islands and again made a profit; Eastern missionaries were in need of the Bibles and the Caribbean welcomed a solution to rat infestation. He also hoarded whalebones by mistake, but ended up selling them profitably as corset stays.
While subject to ridicule, Dexter’s boasting makes it clear that he understood the value of cornering the market on goods that others did not see as valuable and the utility of “acting the fool”.
- Source: Wikipedia
What’s interesting is how he seems to take reference from others to gauge what’s not valuable, what’s uncommon, what’s stupid, and go find opportunities in those areas because there would be no competition. Nobody’s ‘stupid’ enough to venture there, but that’s exactly where the opportunity is!
It’s almost like a teachable moment here for me.
This guy’s an opportunistic trickster. I set an identity-based goal (https://golifelog.com/posts/identity-based-goals-1634279678058) like this back in Oct last year, and he has these traits:
• Has too much fun, oftentimes at the disapproval of others
• Takes nothing too seriously, even when others are serious
• Keen sense of asymmetric chances to win big
• Acts on asymmetry and actually wins
• Doing random is second nature
Mr Dexter definitely check off everything on that list! And probably more. This is something I really wish to be able to embody, but in software/internet business.
So… what are some problem spaces that most internet entrepreneurs would see as stupid to venture into?
What’s the internet equivalent of selling ice to Eskimos?
How do I corner “the market on [internet] goods that others did not see as valuable”?
I tried brainstorming a bit on my own but drew blanks. Absolutely no ideas. Obviously this is an area where I’m totally cold.
Much to learn, and to look out for!
Interviewed the boss of my client org to get a overview of the project direction
Wrote discussion guide for core team's project scoping session next week
Wrote discussion guide for interview with client org's boss later
Day 582 - I'm an indie solopreneur - https://golifelog.com/posts/im-an-indie-solopreneur-1659662395379
I updated my Twitter profile bio again. The last time I did that was in May when I launched Sheet2Bio, so that update was focused on marketing it. But this time, the update is more close to heart. It’s about how I want to project myself in a more authentic way, what others to see me as. My own personal brand, but in a way that’s more aligned and congruent to how I see myself.
This is what it looks like now:
——————
Indie solopreneur creating a diverse portfolio of products & services to $5k/m:
⛓sheet2bio.com
✍️@golifelog
🔌plugins.carrd.co
Here to make friends. DMs open.
📍 0 ■■■■■□□□□□ $200 MRR 🔗 sheet2bio.com/jason
——————
I decided to highlight a few new things:
• indie solopreneur – It used to be “indie hacker”, “indie maker” or “creator”. But hacking is more software-related and I don’t just do software, I also do info products and services. Creator feels like it’s more content-related, which isn’t 100% true for me either. Being an internet entrepreneur is more accurate, and running solo is how I like it. So “solopreneur”. I generally cringe at made up words like that, but I see this becoming more common and being used by folks like @thejustinwelsh and @levelsio who I look up to, so I did.
• diverse portfolio of products & services – I’ve always wanted to better reflect the breadth of my work. I have many products that I don’t show in my bio. I used to never talk about my design consulting business Outsprint on Twitter, because none of my target audience for Outsprint is on Twitter. But now I’m increasingly sharing more of it too, and there’s curiosity for sure. I think this just better shows who I really am as a creative professional, not just pigeonholed as a SaaS/writing guy for sake of convenience on Twitter.
• $5k/m – My goal for ramen profitability. $5000 monthly revenue overall (recurring plus one-time). This had always been my goal, but I stopped it sometime back thinking that setting a smaller target $200 MRR would help with my motivation. It didn’t really work. I don’t need that now as I’m set on the long game. I don’t care now. I can just set it back to $5k. Problem with a monthly goal is that some of my business—like consulting—isn’t based on a monthly revenue model. Should it be annual revenue (recurring + one-time) instead then? This might need more tweaks…
• Showing my top 3 products which I want to share with Twitter audience. Left out services like Outsprint because of character constraint in the bio (LinkedIn is its main distribution channel anyway). Will have to lean on the link-in-bio for that.
• Here to make friends. DMs open. – I learned this line from @jakobgreenfeld, how it helps him increase his luck surface area. I love it! It also better reflects why I’m on Twitter. It’s true - I’m there for the connections, to make friends, to learn together, support each other.
• My Sheet2Bio link-in-bio page – That’s in line with showing all the products in my portfolio, so will continue to use it.
Work-in-progress
• My progress bar and metric – That’s the only thing left in the bio to update. MRR no longer makes sense because it’s more for indie hackers running SaaS businesses, so it doesn’t capture the portfolio aspect of my work. Maybe the $5k/m? But that would face the same issues I mentioned about having a monthly revenue metric. Perhaps annual revenue target of $60k/y? More to ponder. Hmmm. 🤔
• My Twitter banner – right now it still shows my launch banner for Sheet2Bio. I want to change that soon, to reflect this new change to being a diversified indie solopreneur.
• My Twitter name – right now it just says "Jason Leow’. I like that it’s simple and not trying to pitch anything. Long Twitter names pitching your product can feel too in your face sometimes. But I still think it’s valuable real estate on Twitter, because not everyone hovers my name to check my profile, or visit my profile page. So having the one thing I want to market in the name title is too good an opportunity to pass up. Will think through more.
• My pinned tweet – The first piece of content anyone will see on my profile page. Right now it’s a log of Sheet2Bio progress. I should change that soon to something more dedicated to this rebrand.
What else can I do to optimise my Twitter profile?
This is what it looks like now:
——————
Indie solopreneur creating a diverse portfolio of products & services to $5k/m:
⛓sheet2bio.com
✍️@golifelog
🔌plugins.carrd.co
Here to make friends. DMs open.
📍 0 ■■■■■□□□□□ $200 MRR 🔗 sheet2bio.com/jason
——————
I decided to highlight a few new things:
• indie solopreneur – It used to be “indie hacker”, “indie maker” or “creator”. But hacking is more software-related and I don’t just do software, I also do info products and services. Creator feels like it’s more content-related, which isn’t 100% true for me either. Being an internet entrepreneur is more accurate, and running solo is how I like it. So “solopreneur”. I generally cringe at made up words like that, but I see this becoming more common and being used by folks like @thejustinwelsh and @levelsio who I look up to, so I did.
• diverse portfolio of products & services – I’ve always wanted to better reflect the breadth of my work. I have many products that I don’t show in my bio. I used to never talk about my design consulting business Outsprint on Twitter, because none of my target audience for Outsprint is on Twitter. But now I’m increasingly sharing more of it too, and there’s curiosity for sure. I think this just better shows who I really am as a creative professional, not just pigeonholed as a SaaS/writing guy for sake of convenience on Twitter.
• $5k/m – My goal for ramen profitability. $5000 monthly revenue overall (recurring plus one-time). This had always been my goal, but I stopped it sometime back thinking that setting a smaller target $200 MRR would help with my motivation. It didn’t really work. I don’t need that now as I’m set on the long game. I don’t care now. I can just set it back to $5k. Problem with a monthly goal is that some of my business—like consulting—isn’t based on a monthly revenue model. Should it be annual revenue (recurring + one-time) instead then? This might need more tweaks…
• Showing my top 3 products which I want to share with Twitter audience. Left out services like Outsprint because of character constraint in the bio (LinkedIn is its main distribution channel anyway). Will have to lean on the link-in-bio for that.
• Here to make friends. DMs open. – I learned this line from @jakobgreenfeld, how it helps him increase his luck surface area. I love it! It also better reflects why I’m on Twitter. It’s true - I’m there for the connections, to make friends, to learn together, support each other.
• My Sheet2Bio link-in-bio page – That’s in line with showing all the products in my portfolio, so will continue to use it.
Work-in-progress
• My progress bar and metric – That’s the only thing left in the bio to update. MRR no longer makes sense because it’s more for indie hackers running SaaS businesses, so it doesn’t capture the portfolio aspect of my work. Maybe the $5k/m? But that would face the same issues I mentioned about having a monthly revenue metric. Perhaps annual revenue target of $60k/y? More to ponder. Hmmm. 🤔
• My Twitter banner – right now it still shows my launch banner for Sheet2Bio. I want to change that soon, to reflect this new change to being a diversified indie solopreneur.
• My Twitter name – right now it just says "Jason Leow’. I like that it’s simple and not trying to pitch anything. Long Twitter names pitching your product can feel too in your face sometimes. But I still think it’s valuable real estate on Twitter, because not everyone hovers my name to check my profile, or visit my profile page. So having the one thing I want to market in the name title is too good an opportunity to pass up. Will think through more.
• My pinned tweet – The first piece of content anyone will see on my profile page. Right now it’s a log of Sheet2Bio progress. I should change that soon to something more dedicated to this rebrand.
What else can I do to optimise my Twitter profile?
Updated Twitter profile bio again
Decided to highlight a few new things:
• indie solopreneur - this seems to becoming more common, less cringey
• diverse portfolio of products & services - a better reflection of my work, which I'm increasingly starting to share
• $5k/m - my goal for ramen profitability. $5000 monthly revenue overall (recurring and one-time). This had always been my goal, but I stopped it thinking setting a smaller target would help motivation. I don't need that now.
• Showing my top 3 products which I want to share with Twitter audience. Left out services like Outsprint because that's for LinkedIn
• Here to make friends. DMs open. - to better reflect why I'm on Twitter! It's true!
Only thing left to update - my progress bar metric. MRR no longer makes sense. Maybe it should be $5k/m? Or annual revenue?
• indie solopreneur - this seems to becoming more common, less cringey
• diverse portfolio of products & services - a better reflection of my work, which I'm increasingly starting to share
• $5k/m - my goal for ramen profitability. $5000 monthly revenue overall (recurring and one-time). This had always been my goal, but I stopped it thinking setting a smaller target would help motivation. I don't need that now.
• Showing my top 3 products which I want to share with Twitter audience. Left out services like Outsprint because that's for LinkedIn
• Here to make friends. DMs open. - to better reflect why I'm on Twitter! It's true!
Only thing left to update - my progress bar metric. MRR no longer makes sense. Maybe it should be $5k/m? Or annual revenue?
