Jason Leow

https://www.indiehackers.com/post/confetti-button-in-carrd-d8414f99c9

- Used to use Lists but found the feed for Lists to have too much noise. I just want to engage the accounts on their own tweets, not their replies to other people's tweets. So changed my Twitter List into a Bookmark folder on Chrome browser - just right click and open all profile pages as tabs and engage from there - more efficient

Yes it’s sweet to support an indie hacker, out of no other intention than to support his work. It’s like being a patron for an artist.

But something about the patronage approach for indie hackers always bothered me.

It means that someone bought your product without necessarily seeing value in your product. They just wanted to support you, the person, the maker.

Though I appreciate it, I find that adds noise. The signal that I’m seeking from the market isn’t how many people support me, but how many people find my product useful and valuable in helping them solve a tiny problem in their lives.

Customers > patrons

So the best way to support me is by buying my product because it solves your problem. Buy because you need it, because you will actually use it, not (solely) because you want to support me.

If it doesn’t solve a problem you have, don’t buy it.

If you want to support me, you can always do so in other ways - retweet my tweet, talk about my work to your friends, buy me a coffee, DM me how you enjoy your content. All that is sincerely appreciated.

It might sound foolish turning away free money, no matter how fleeting, even if it’s out of patronage support than actual utility. But that’s just how I roll. I’m purist that way, a pragmatist that way.

I take a practical sort of pride in my craft, and there’s no better praise that affirms my craft than a paying customer who uses my product every day.

When your monthly revenue matches your monthly expenses, you hit infinite runway.

Some call this ramen profitability. I like ramen, but not that much. There’s a larger sense of possibility by calling it “infinite runway”. By not calling out the bare minimum but highlighting the theoretical maximum, it’s so much more inspiring.

Infinite runway is that ideal state where you can keep going, working on your product, at your own pace and time, yet still keep feeding your family. It’s where you can start to taste the freedom. The total freedom from not needing to think about going back to a 9-to-5. That sense of relief, that freeing feeling, is the best feeling in the world.

Taste that freedom long enough, and you start to acquire a liking—even addiction—to it. It becomes your default. You can’t do it any other way anymore.

You become unemployable.

Yes, infinite runway is where I want to end up on.

- Every day on Twitter, dont just read to engage. Read to spot opportunity. FIND ONE OPPORTUNITY EVERY DAY.

I’m clear! Tested positive for everyone’s favourite virus on 17 Mar, then turned negative on 25 Mar.

Nine days.

I’m just relieved the episode is over for the family.

After two years of bracing ourselves for this eventual showdown, I’d say we survived intact.

Now, back to some semblance of normalcy. We’re heading out for a family dinner to celebrate. Just as the government announcement easing of more social distancing measures.

Finally, something’s looking up this year.

A ray of sunshine and hope.

Hopefully, a sign of better things to come.

Experiment - Using my own Carrd sites to advertise my new Carrd plugin!

I want to run a calm company of one. Like the folks at Basecamp say, it doesn’t have to be crazy at work.

“It’s crazy at work.” has become so normalized that it’s crazy.

Even though I work for myself, it’s still easy to get sucked into the craziness. In fact, exactly because I work for myself that it’s easier to push myself even harder.

I’m not there yet, but I want to get there.

The real reason I’m building my own business is that I’m tired of helping someone else build their dream.

“Why not me?” I asked myself.

If I’m going to give so much of myself into my work—and it’s good work I do—then might as well let myself be the main beneficiary of that effort.

In fact, “Why not me?” should be a default way of being. I’m realising it’s a powerful way to prompt thinking and promote action.

“Why not me?” gets me out of my own comfort zone.
“Why not me?” makes me think I can achieve what others did too.
“Why not me?” shows me where I’m lacking in imagination.
“Why not me?” prevents me from talking myself out of trying.

“Why not me?” invites social comparison, yes. They say “Comparison is the thief of joy”. It’s true. If you just compare and don’t do nothing, envy and jealousy will embitter your heart. It’s also true if you compare on the big things in life (that you have no control over) than the small things (that you can actually act on).

But here’s the nuance – social comparison can be a force for change, if you know how to use it as bushmen use small bush fires to fight the larger forest fire.

Just compare the small things and actually go do it.

It’s friendly competition.
It’s mutually empowering rivalry.

It’s like Edison versus Tesla. It’s Einstein versus Hilbert. It’s Wright versus Langley.

I dare say, “Why not me?” fulfilled more dreams than “I can do it”.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Carrd/comments/tj4pq3/another_accordion_dropdown_faqs_template/

The subreddit seems mostly dead though... might need to try other subreddits

Naval’s roadmap for life:

First… get out of your parents’ basement
Then… get your own place
Then… ditch the commute to work
Then… ditch the alarm clock
Then… ditch the calendar
Finally… get away from email & text messages

https://podclips.com/c/its-better-to-do-nothing-than-work-on-something-youre-not-excited-about

Now that’s an interesting roadmap there. What I like about it is how progression and success is a series of letting go, of getting out of stuff, rather than gaining or accumulating more things to own or do.

A via negativa approach to winning at life.

Where success means asking myself, “How much have I let go of so far?”

Can’t wait.

Avoided Gumroad for the longest time because of the horror stories I hear about Paypal randomly freezing accounts. That's why I used Flurly. But decided no loss to just try giving an additional option to customers if they prefer Gumroad/Paypal. An experiment to see if having an additional payment option will increase sales...

Will still route them to Flurly link as I prefer them to pay me using Stripe, but if they see the Gumroad link on the Flurly page, they can choose to redirect to Gumroad to purchase.

Update: Also just learned that Gumroad now offers direct deposit to bank accounts in Singapore! No more worry about Paypal then??!!

Gumroad links:
• https://jasonleow.gumroad.com/l/meganavbar-single
• https://jasonleow.gumroad.com/l/meganavbar-unlimited

With my purchase of a second mechanical keyboard, I’m officially a mechanical keyboard hobbyist now. Yes, you need at least two keyboards to count as an enthusiast. Because who needs more than one keyboard? Nobody. Only enthusiasts and hobbyists want more than one keyboard because it’s…well, a hobby.

The best part this hobby? It’s fun but also productive. Totally mixing business with pleasure here.

Right up my geeky, workaholic alley.

It’s important to have strong goals, but hold them loosely so that you’re not blind to trade-offs, opportunities, creative detours, course-correction.

Strong goals, loosely held.