Day 83 - AI writing https://golifelog.com/posts/ai-writing-1616568965689
I finally got to try out GPT-3 via Headlime.com to see what the fuss was about.
Outsource grunt work? Sure. But outsource creativity? Not really.
This experience again reaffirms the narrative I had come to adopt for AI (for now) – that it augments humans to be more human, to do work that only humans are uniquely able can do, like creativity, storytelling.
Outsource grunt work? Sure. But outsource creativity? Not really.
This experience again reaffirms the narrative I had come to adopt for AI (for now) – that it augments humans to be more human, to do work that only humans are uniquely able can do, like creativity, storytelling.
Experimenting with Headlime.com for copywriting and blog post ideas!
Day 82 - On marketing: More questions than answers https://golifelog.com/posts/on-marketing-more-questions-than-answers-1616464629957
I’m diving into marketing and growth for Lifelog this week, and boy do I have questions. More questions than answers. Questions that will guide my learning. I guess that’s a good thing?
Day 81 - Everyone's building a media company https://golifelog.com/posts/everyones-building-a-media-company-1616395325253
Everyone’s building a modern media company for their business, whether they realise it or not.
This really helps set the overall mindset, the paradigm within which to operate. That for Lifelog, it’s not just a SaaS or an indie project. It’s also a media company. The sooner I realise that, the faster I can get over any hang-ups about marketing, and the better I will get at it.
This really helps set the overall mindset, the paradigm within which to operate. That for Lifelog, it’s not just a SaaS or an indie project. It’s also a media company. The sooner I realise that, the faster I can get over any hang-ups about marketing, and the better I will get at it.
Day 80 - Console logging as a way of work & life https://golifelog.com/posts/console-logging-as-a-way-of-work-and-life-1616286738929
Without a way to see how my inputs would lead to an expected output, it’s hard to do it well. No wonder my marketing efforts fell flat most of the time. So how can I console log this for marketing?
Analyze current data and find the right marketing problem to solve. Who’s my audience?
What’s working now w.r.t. marketing, no matter how tiny? Find them and repeat.
What’s not working? Find them and stop doing them.
What’s worth experimenting with? Research and test.
Break things down to solvable chunks. Start with a $100 MRR plan first.
What are the patterns and/or ordered steps to get to $100 MRR?
What inputs do I need each step along the way towards $100 MRR plan
What outputs should I expect at each step before moving on to the next?
Anything else I missed or could/should do?
Analyze current data and find the right marketing problem to solve. Who’s my audience?
What’s working now w.r.t. marketing, no matter how tiny? Find them and repeat.
What’s not working? Find them and stop doing them.
What’s worth experimenting with? Research and test.
Break things down to solvable chunks. Start with a $100 MRR plan first.
What are the patterns and/or ordered steps to get to $100 MRR?
What inputs do I need each step along the way towards $100 MRR plan
What outputs should I expect at each step before moving on to the next?
Anything else I missed or could/should do?
Day 79 - On not recognising yourself, and switching pace on Lifelog https://golifelog.com/posts/on-not-recognising-yourself-and-switching-up-pace-on-lifelog-1616231090096
Looking back, it’s sooo fucking amazing how far I gotten from so little that I knew back then. I knew almost zero Javascript, and only a splattering of Vue.js. But now, I feel like I can legitimately say I enjoy coding. Bugs and issues that used to make me want to rage quit are now pretty manageable, even palatable (because it helps me learn more). How far things have turned from the days I constantly clashed with coding, going through the motions of the work only because I wanted the outcome. That dissonance would have been unhealthy and simply unsustainable.
It’s almost like I stepped out of this phase a different person, unrecognisable to my past self. Isn’t that what they say about growth?
I can go with that.
It’s almost like I stepped out of this phase a different person, unrecognisable to my past self. Isn’t that what they say about growth?
I can go with that.
Jason Leow
Author
Thanks @jasontxf ! Wow those days on 200wad openly struggling with coding… feels like so long ago now!
Day 78 - Launching my social impact patronage https://golifelog.com/posts/launching-my-social-impact-patronage-1616137024350
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jasonleowsg
🤝 HELP ME HELP OTHERS
If you like my content and products like Keto List Singapore, Grant Hunt, VisualAid, Public Design Vault or the other social good indie products I made, please consider supporting me:
— every month by becoming a patron member (click on 🔒Membership tab on the right), or
— buying me some one-off coffee (click on 🧡Support tab on the right).
I deeply enjoy making social good products, and I’ll get to do it frequently because of your kind support. Will be super grateful if you can help me help others!
The resources you provide will go towards building new social impact digital products, as well as maintaining the current ones w.r.t. domain names, web hosting, subscriptions for tools, etc.
🤝 HELP ME HELP OTHERS
If you like my content and products like Keto List Singapore, Grant Hunt, VisualAid, Public Design Vault or the other social good indie products I made, please consider supporting me:
— every month by becoming a patron member (click on 🔒Membership tab on the right), or
— buying me some one-off coffee (click on 🧡Support tab on the right).
I deeply enjoy making social good products, and I’ll get to do it frequently because of your kind support. Will be super grateful if you can help me help others!
The resources you provide will go towards building new social impact digital products, as well as maintaining the current ones w.r.t. domain names, web hosting, subscriptions for tools, etc.
Day 77 - Be boring to find your niche https://golifelog.com/posts/be-boring-to-find-your-niche-1616059411923
This one was hard to reconcile:
"Everyone wants to “find their niche” – barely anyone wants to repeat themselves every day." ~ @jackbutcher
Hard to reconcile because I know it’s true, yet I’m not willing to face the reality, that it can get really boring really fast to always repeat myself. And I don’t enjoy being naggy.
The reality is that even if I do know it, it’s difficult to exercise that level of self-awareness on a daily basis to see that my message might be new to some people, and that great ideas need constant reinforcement.
Easy to think, hard to act on. The simplest things tends to be the hardest to do, yet the most rewarding.
"Everyone wants to “find their niche” – barely anyone wants to repeat themselves every day." ~ @jackbutcher
Hard to reconcile because I know it’s true, yet I’m not willing to face the reality, that it can get really boring really fast to always repeat myself. And I don’t enjoy being naggy.
The reality is that even if I do know it, it’s difficult to exercise that level of self-awareness on a daily basis to see that my message might be new to some people, and that great ideas need constant reinforcement.
Easy to think, hard to act on. The simplest things tends to be the hardest to do, yet the most rewarding.
Day 76 - 50% code, 50% marketing https://golifelog.com/posts/50percent-code-50percent-marketing-1615973795579
From a perspective of maintaining cognitive slack for exploration and learning (or just sanity!), it really does make more sense to go with at least one-week blocks of 50/50 coding and marketing. I like to live and work in cycles and seasons, in a pulse and pause manner, so this idea resonates. Perhaps I can experiment with 2-3 week cycles too, to see which one best fits.
Can’t wait to get on this 50/50 schedule!
Can’t wait to get on this 50/50 schedule!
Day 75 - Slack is good https://golifelog.com/posts/slack-is-good-1615880544602
Systems with slack are more resilient… The mistake happens when we over-index on the easily measured short-term wins and forget to account for the costs of system failure. ~ Seth Godin
LifeBlog - Abstainers vs moderators https://golifelog.com/posts/abstainers-vs-moderators-1615791591619
When it comes to habits, are you an abstainer, or a moderator?
You’re an abstainer when you find it easier to follow a rule 100% of the time...You’re a moderator when you need to release the pressure a bit from time to time, in order to sustain the longer habit forming journey.
Makes me wonder, how can Lifelog be just as helpful for moderators as with abstainers? Introducing the Most Streaks leaderboard is one way. Moderators can feel free to break their streak, then bounce back again and again, accumulating a series of streaks which will count up in a number called Most Streaks. That way they don’t have to feel bad about breaking their current streak, and have their own way to track progress.
What else can we do to integrate moderators and abstainers here on Lifelog?
You’re an abstainer when you find it easier to follow a rule 100% of the time...You’re a moderator when you need to release the pressure a bit from time to time, in order to sustain the longer habit forming journey.
Makes me wonder, how can Lifelog be just as helpful for moderators as with abstainers? Introducing the Most Streaks leaderboard is one way. Moderators can feel free to break their streak, then bounce back again and again, accumulating a series of streaks which will count up in a number called Most Streaks. That way they don’t have to feel bad about breaking their current streak, and have their own way to track progress.
What else can we do to integrate moderators and abstainers here on Lifelog?
Jason Leow
Author
@okitsjoe thanks for the ideas! Yeah users can see the no. of posts they wrote now, and soon can see the number of streaks they have (number of times they broke their streak and came back)
I think a simple solution would be counting the total amount of entries, it's a number that will always go up when you are active. I've also seen in the app "Loop Habit Tracker" that you are presented with your own history of previous streaks, so it can be encouraging to try to beat your previous best streak.
Day 74 - Permissionless entrepreneurship...and life https://golifelog.com/posts/permissionless-entrepreneurshipand-life-1615791163351
"indie hacking = permissionless entrepreneurship"
Expanding on it, it’s not just permissionless entrepreneurship I’m after, but permissionless work, career, lifestyle. Everything.
Expanding on it, it’s not just permissionless entrepreneurship I’m after, but permissionless work, career, lifestyle. Everything.
Day 73 - Create the gold rush to sell shovels https://golifelog.com/posts/create-the-gold-rush-to-sell-shovels-1615703171745
I’m always amazed that Michelin—a tire (or tyre) company—runs one of the most prestigious food review/ratings guide in the world, the Michelin Guide.. Food reviews might seem like a tangential offering to their main business – tires. But it makes sense complete sense if you think about it. To get more people driving and using cars, you attract them with travel and great food. And when they drive more, they need tire changes.
So basically, the principle seems to be this:
Make a product for your product. Make a side hustle for your main hustle. Create the fun fair and the popcorn for your main circus show. Create the gold rush and sell shovels......
So basically, the principle seems to be this:
Make a product for your product. Make a side hustle for your main hustle. Create the fun fair and the popcorn for your main circus show. Create the gold rush and sell shovels......
Day 72 - Learning how to market on Twitter https://golifelog.com/posts/learning-how-to-market-on-twitter-1615624646928
I’d been doing a bit of organic marketing and sharing on Twitter for Lifelog. Some things I’m learning the hard way:
👨🏻🎤 Personal vs brand accounts
🤝 Brands lack the human touch, but it’s still possible
📡 Broadcasting content vs engaging
☃️ Cold selling vs warm help
🗓 Consistency vs intensity
What else can I do or should do in terms of marketing for Lifelog? Would love to hear your insights!
👨🏻🎤 Personal vs brand accounts
🤝 Brands lack the human touch, but it’s still possible
📡 Broadcasting content vs engaging
☃️ Cold selling vs warm help
🗓 Consistency vs intensity
What else can I do or should do in terms of marketing for Lifelog? Would love to hear your insights!
Organic sharing/marketing on Twitter
Role model for brand account synergy with personal account on Twitter - how @harrydry does it with @GoodMarketingHQ
Day 71 - More sleep biohacks https://golifelog.com/posts/more-sleep-biohacks-1615536107529
Some new sleep biohacks that I’m looking forward to experimenting with:
Antioxidant supplements
Better daylight alarm
Resuming night meditation
Antioxidant supplements
Better daylight alarm
Resuming night meditation
Day 70 - Random review of $5k MRR goal https://golifelog.com/posts/random-review-of-dollar5k-mrr-goal-1615444540902
It’s not a special day or a milestone for anything, but I just felt like doing a quick review of my $5k MRR goal:
"I’ll learn my way towards $5k MRR by end 2021. In return, I’ll have fun growing my indie products, and adhere to a healthy, happy habit system. And I’ll surrender."
"I’ll learn my way towards $5k MRR by end 2021. In return, I’ll have fun growing my indie products, and adhere to a healthy, happy habit system. And I’ll surrender."
Day 69 - Cohort-based courses https://golifelog.com/posts/cohort-based-courses-1615360102165
An interesting trend emerging on Twitter – cohort-based courses. Everyone seems to be launching a course these days, and what’s special this time round is how the course creators organise each course by cohort, instead of an evergreen, join-anytime course on a platform like say Udemy.... Pros and cons I observe so far:
Organic sharing/marketing on Twitter
Losing steam. Not sure if I'm doing it wrong, or it just takes time. Not seeing much effect from organic engagement and just chatting...
I would do more with your personal account too. People like to be able to put a face to the product, especially helps with building in public. I pretty much only use my personal Twitter and make sure to make the content useful for people while being able to talk about my own projects.
Jason Leow
Author
@AdamMarsdenUK thanks for the tip! Yeah, i was a bit torn tbh. I do loads of varied stuff, so my personal account can look pretty scattered. Thought I might try using a brand acc to engage instead, with a focus on niche content for writing habits. But not sure if it comes across as authentic…
Day 68 - Eliminate choices to be more productive https://golifelog.com/posts/eliminate-choices-to-be-more-productive-1615267100599
"Choice is overrated. If you value your productivity, performance and success, eliminate choice as much as meaningfully possible."
Day 67 - Tune your car to used tires https://golifelog.com/posts/tune-your-car-to-used-tires-1615197302032
"Many teams…try to set up the car setup in response to how the car is performing in ideal conditions. But race cars perform differently at different times in the race. At the beginning, tires are new and fresh. At the end, they are worn and overheated. To maximize the car setup, the setup should be done on excessively worn tires. This way, the car is being set up to perform its best when the race is at its worst… the alignment settings will start to work better and the car will come alive later in the race." - @pkonsta23 on Twitter
Fixed streak for @brianball
Editing my backend database tables directly always stresses the hell out of me! So irrational, yet raw. Anyone else feels that way? How did you overcome it?
Just started using Tweetdeck to manage all the different accounts I have - what have I been missing?!
Organic sharing/marketing on Twitter/Indie Hackers
Day 66 - 1 year 'streak' as an indie hacker parent https://golifelog.com/posts/1-year-streak-as-an-indie-hacker-parent-1615102541411
Just yesterday we celebrated my son’s first birthday. With that, my wife and I had been parents for a full year now. A one year ‘streak’, in the familiar lingo here. Not that I was tracking, and I can’t break the streak even if I wanted to, LOL.
This is not a post about my son – I’m usually reserved about talking about my family. What I would love to talk about is how the whole experience had shaped me in other areas of life, especially my work as an indie hacker:
⏳ The power of constraints
🏥 Trailblazing a deviant path far away from the mainstream
This is not a post about my son – I’m usually reserved about talking about my family. What I would love to talk about is how the whole experience had shaped me in other areas of life, especially my work as an indie hacker:
⏳ The power of constraints
🏥 Trailblazing a deviant path far away from the mainstream