This is the first Substack article I read after disappearing from the Internet for months and I cannot explain how much I need to see this. Thank you so much for sharing your journey publicly, Anna! ❤️
I love the spirit in which you are approaching this! Good luck!
I don't know if you want any suggestions--if you don't, please let me know and ignore this one:
I wouldn't spend much time on going to market strategy (aside from getting your first customer) just keep experiment until you've figured out what that first customer needs, and you've been able to make them an offer they would accept if you built it. Kind of like playing "extreme Santa".
Thanks Paul! Well, the reason I don’t just want to jump on whichever customer wants to pay me is that I’ve tried that and realized those aren’t the customers I want to serve long-term. I am still gonna work with them for now but in the meantime, I want to figure out who I want to ideally attract and start learning about them and creating content for them. I agree though that I basically just need to find a first customer that kind of matches my ideal client (once I’ve figured out who that is) to get started rather than doing a bunch of strategy about how to approach the market. Appreciate your input and subscription :)
I agree, founder-customer fit is essential! Wasn’t suggesting to just do something because there’s demand for it. My point was more about putting marketing on the backburner until you get that first customer that you want to work with.
Something here piqued my curiosity. Your accountability partner. How did you find this person? What were your selection criteria? How’s it work in practice? Just curious.
I have a few different accountability partners. One started out as a YouTube accountability partner 2.5 years ago who I found through a YouTube course we were both taking ("Master YouTube" by Matt D'Avella) and we have a call every 14 days to discuss our challenges, any decisions we need to take, give each other feedback or whatever else we need at the time – but we talk about almost anything that's on our minds at this point, not just YouTube. I also have a mastermind group with two other entrepreneurs that we recently started. We met through different online communities/courses ("The Lab" and "Write of Passage") and we now have a weekly call to check in with how our goals are going, discuss challenges, and give each other advice.
And then I have some infrequent calls (monthly or bi-monthly) with people who I met mostly through different online communities as well which is great for getting fresh perspectives.
I find that I generally don't need "accountability" so much as just someone in the same boat to talk through my plans and decisions and get new ideas for how to approach things as well as validation that I'm doing the right thing. My implicit selection criteria are that I get along with them well, could listen to them talk for hours, and that we have similar goals and a similar level of ambition and self-motivation.
A belated thank you for your detailed response. You seem to be so organized and focused in your approach to your work and life. I enjoy reading your updates. Cheers. Adam
If you have not already done so, I would like to suggest a book I recently read called “Tiny Experiments.” It’s about doing small things and learning from them to help, perhaps, to organize some of the randomness - but certainly not all of it. I think the randomness is valuable.
I just watched your kickoff video — and wow, thank you for being so open and real. Your honesty, your courage to share the ups and downs, and the way you spoke from the heart really touched me.
For the first time, I saw someone who felt like me. Most podcasts and videos I come across feel far away, like they’re made for people who already have everything figured out. But your video was different. It felt human.
Following your journey might give me the courage to try something new and meaningful for my own career. Thank you for showing up as you are — it truly matters.
I love this!! I want to learn / work in public too!! But I'm afraid to add another "commitment" to my plate 🙈 I do think it's valuable and could be worth it. I LOVE reflecting and then writing and sharing it...
Yeah this basically replaced all of my content marketing commitments I had in place because I realized I need to figure out the right direction before it makes sense to continue. Would not have wanted to add it on top of everything else!
Makes sense! I think I want to incorporate building & learning in public into my LinkedIn posting... I'm kind of doing it already though, just need to do it with more courage haha
This is the first Substack article I read after disappearing from the Internet for months and I cannot explain how much I need to see this. Thank you so much for sharing your journey publicly, Anna! ❤️
Wow, what a comment, Ching! Thank you :) Can't wait to chat tomorrow!
I love the spirit in which you are approaching this! Good luck!
I don't know if you want any suggestions--if you don't, please let me know and ignore this one:
I wouldn't spend much time on going to market strategy (aside from getting your first customer) just keep experiment until you've figured out what that first customer needs, and you've been able to make them an offer they would accept if you built it. Kind of like playing "extreme Santa".
Thanks Paul! Well, the reason I don’t just want to jump on whichever customer wants to pay me is that I’ve tried that and realized those aren’t the customers I want to serve long-term. I am still gonna work with them for now but in the meantime, I want to figure out who I want to ideally attract and start learning about them and creating content for them. I agree though that I basically just need to find a first customer that kind of matches my ideal client (once I’ve figured out who that is) to get started rather than doing a bunch of strategy about how to approach the market. Appreciate your input and subscription :)
I agree, founder-customer fit is essential! Wasn’t suggesting to just do something because there’s demand for it. My point was more about putting marketing on the backburner until you get that first customer that you want to work with.
That’s such a good point (and one I probably need to hear since I LOVE marketing 😅), thanks for clarifying!
Something here piqued my curiosity. Your accountability partner. How did you find this person? What were your selection criteria? How’s it work in practice? Just curious.
I have a few different accountability partners. One started out as a YouTube accountability partner 2.5 years ago who I found through a YouTube course we were both taking ("Master YouTube" by Matt D'Avella) and we have a call every 14 days to discuss our challenges, any decisions we need to take, give each other feedback or whatever else we need at the time – but we talk about almost anything that's on our minds at this point, not just YouTube. I also have a mastermind group with two other entrepreneurs that we recently started. We met through different online communities/courses ("The Lab" and "Write of Passage") and we now have a weekly call to check in with how our goals are going, discuss challenges, and give each other advice.
And then I have some infrequent calls (monthly or bi-monthly) with people who I met mostly through different online communities as well which is great for getting fresh perspectives.
I find that I generally don't need "accountability" so much as just someone in the same boat to talk through my plans and decisions and get new ideas for how to approach things as well as validation that I'm doing the right thing. My implicit selection criteria are that I get along with them well, could listen to them talk for hours, and that we have similar goals and a similar level of ambition and self-motivation.
A belated thank you for your detailed response. You seem to be so organized and focused in your approach to your work and life. I enjoy reading your updates. Cheers. Adam
Wow thank you, appreciate that! I can assure you that there’s plenty of randomness and just hoping it works in what I do as well 😄
If you have not already done so, I would like to suggest a book I recently read called “Tiny Experiments.” It’s about doing small things and learning from them to help, perhaps, to organize some of the randomness - but certainly not all of it. I think the randomness is valuable.
Thank you, I haven't read it but it's top of my list right now! :)
Hi Anna,
I just watched your kickoff video — and wow, thank you for being so open and real. Your honesty, your courage to share the ups and downs, and the way you spoke from the heart really touched me.
For the first time, I saw someone who felt like me. Most podcasts and videos I come across feel far away, like they’re made for people who already have everything figured out. But your video was different. It felt human.
Following your journey might give me the courage to try something new and meaningful for my own career. Thank you for showing up as you are — it truly matters.
Hi Manju,
Wow, that makes me really happy to read! :)
Thank you and keep going!
I love this!! I want to learn / work in public too!! But I'm afraid to add another "commitment" to my plate 🙈 I do think it's valuable and could be worth it. I LOVE reflecting and then writing and sharing it...
Yeah this basically replaced all of my content marketing commitments I had in place because I realized I need to figure out the right direction before it makes sense to continue. Would not have wanted to add it on top of everything else!
Clever. I’m also trying a pivot but went dark as I figured things out. This is a much better idea!
It would be so cool to see how you go about your pivot!
Makes sense! I think I want to incorporate building & learning in public into my LinkedIn posting... I'm kind of doing it already though, just need to do it with more courage haha
This isn't in this thread, but have you read Howard Rheingolds' article: https://www.wired.com/1999/01/amish/