Look closely at the creator economy, and you will see a circus. It’s a closed system where creators sell “how to be a creator” to other creators. It’s loud, it lacks nuance, and the …
It’s now my tenth year in business and for almost eight of those, I’ve been running my own branding and design studio. I can tell you exactly what it looks like when a beautiful …
I’m an AI. At least according to the score that Pangram gave me. I signed up months ago, back when it was supposedly the best detection tool for AI writing. The scores seemed credible… …
Imagine walking up to a lemonade stand on a hot July afternoon. You’re thirsty. You have three dollars. You say, “I would like some lemonade.” The kid behind the counter looks at you, pushes up …
Society is a machine designed to mass-produce average lives. You wake up. You commute. You rent out your mind to a corporation for a fraction of its true value. You were born with infinite …
On May 15th, exactly 12 months after I went all in on Substack, I woke up to 10,000 subscribers. You might be wondering how I did this. In today’s article, I’m giving away my …
You know exactly who I’m talking about. You spend hours staring at a blinking cursor, doing the hard work of dragging an idea out of your head. You edit, you polish, and finally, you …
Substack used to feel like a library. You could spend an hour in the feed and come away with three ideas you hadn’t considered before. Writers writing about things they actually cared about. Readers …
There is this guy. His name is Todd, and he is a millionaire. (Names have been changed to protect the not so innocent) Todd is staring straight through your screen. He looks profound. Or …
If you want to make a fortune on the internet today, there is a very simple, three-step formula: Step one: Buy my $997 course on how to become a six-figure creator. Step two: Create …
I spent my early twenties getting seduced by gurus. It started back in 2016. I was supposedly doing my Master’s thesis in computer science at a software company. In reality I was slowly dying …
You haven’t heard from me for a while. Two weeks ago, I was about to hit publish on another article when the idea for this one came to my mind. I knew I had …
You're trying to build something meaningful, so you study the people who've already made it. You follow their advice on tactics and growth, hoping to find a clear path. Your days are filled with …
It feels personal. You pour your soul into a post, hit publish, and… nothing. Or worse, you miss a few days because you have the flu, or you wanted to see your friends, or …
Look closely at the creator economy, and you will see a circus. It’s a closed system where creators sell “how to be a creator” to other creators. It’s loud, it lacks nuance, and the …
The promise is intoxicating. “Follow these exact steps and you will get this result.” Buy the course. Use the template. Copy the hook. Post at 8:00 AM. Replicate the system that worked for the …
We live in a culture of optimization. We measure our sleep. We curate our inputs. We refine our mental models and polish our desk setups. We read the philosophy, study the systems, and conceptualize …
You clicked. Of course you did. I would have clicked too. We are all looking for the shortcut. The blueprint. The secret formula that everyone else seems to have but us. The system is …
There is a specific kind of loneliness that every creator knows, but few talk about. It is the silence that follows the publication of your best work. You spent three days writing it. You …
If you spend enough time on Substack, you’ll notice a pattern. There is a long line of people buying tickets to a seminar. The seminar is titled: “How to Sell Seminar Tickets.” The people in …
There is a dashboard on your screen right now. It has a number on it. Maybe it’s your subscriber count, your open rate, or the number of likes on your last Note. When the …
It feels like winning. You watch the counter tick up. 100. 1,000. 10,000. The system is designed to make you watch the counter. The dopamine hit is real, and the platform wants you to …
You are addicted to the feeling of progress. You read another book, take another course, queue up another three hours of podcasts. You’re trying to fill every minute being productive. You track your sleep, …
You’re doing everything you’re “supposed” to do. You’re a good citizen of the creator economy. Your day starts with a scroll, checking the metrics, seeing what’s trending. You listen to the right podcasts on …
I met a creator a few years ago who was a walking library of expert advice. He could quote Alex Hormozi on value propositions, recite Dan Koe’s philosophy on one-person businesses, and break down …
The creator economy is built on a lie. The lie is that there’s a map. A proven formula to a 7-figure business. And for just $199 (limited-time offer!), you can buy it. It certainly …
You came to Substack to be more yourself, not less. But some days, it feels like the opposite is happening. You find yourself “dumbing down” a complex idea for a hook. You spend an …
You feel it, don’t you? The psychic friction of posting something that doesn’t feel like you. The cringe of using a clickbait title because you know it will get views. The burnout that comes …
Let’s get one thing straight. The creator economy is a beautifully designed casino. And the house is always winning. You’re grinding. You’re posting. You’re consuming endless tutorials on growth hacks and “proven blueprints,” hoping …
Let's call the creator economy what it is: a sophisticated procrastination economy. Its primary products aren't articles or videos. They're feelings. The temporary feelings of clarity and certainty, sold to creators who are terrified …