Listened to a wonderful conversation between @jackbutcher @david_perell @anafabrega11 @will_mannon @rebecca_olason on becoming a creator and building a personal monopoly.
Here are 30+ takeaways 👇
Here are 30+ takeaways 👇
The three parts to build a personal monopoly:
• Curiosity: what do you care about?
• Competence: what are you good at?
• Character: who are you?
• Curiosity: what do you care about?
• Competence: what are you good at?
• Character: who are you?
Often curiosity manifests in combining multiple interests or fields (and competence in those fields).
Monopoly is gained through a dominant product.
Build Once, Sell Twice, for example.
Or Write of Passage.
Build Once, Sell Twice, for example.
Or Write of Passage.
Packaging is about combining things, using media, writing and design, into something tangible.
A product.
A product.
If you're the only one in the world who can do X, you control the supply.
Trust your curiosity and intuition in creating unique products.
The dots connecting them will only be obvious in hindsight.
The dots connecting them will only be obvious in hindsight.
The DiCE framework:
Step 1: Diverge (aka "collect dots")
Find things you're interested in and dive into them.
Step 1: Diverge (aka "collect dots")
Find things you're interested in and dive into them.
Step 2: Converge
Combine the dots into useful pieces. Layer and connect the things you've learned over time.
Combine the dots into useful pieces. Layer and connect the things you've learned over time.
Step 3: Emerge
Package these learnings into products and share them.
Package these learnings into products and share them.
"Make a single decision to eliminate 1000 decisions."— @tferriss
How @jackbutcher thought about building his personal brand.
Simplifying eliminates decisions and forces you to be creative within your constraints.
How @jackbutcher thought about building his personal brand.
Simplifying eliminates decisions and forces you to be creative within your constraints.
Personal branding 101:
Find your tone, design, and communication style.
Stick to it.
Show up everyday.
@stoolpresidente does this well. You know his style no matter the medium.
Find your tone, design, and communication style.
Stick to it.
Show up everyday.
@stoolpresidente does this well. You know his style no matter the medium.
Make noise and listen for signal.
Keep talking about the things you're interested in, and listen for when people respond.
Build on that stuff.
Keep talking about the things you're interested in, and listen for when people respond.
Build on that stuff.
"The greatest source of wealth will be the ideas you have in your head."
- from The Sovereign Individual
- from The Sovereign Individual
Globalization, internet connectivity and computers have changed the world we live in.
It should be changing the work we do too.
It should be changing the work we do too.
The benefit: global customers.
The downside: global competition.
The downside: global competition.
The new world rewards system builders over systems implementers.
An army of robots is freely available.
They can work for us every time we write, Tweet, create content.
Use them.
They can work for us every time we write, Tweet, create content.
Use them.
Everybody is a media company.
Writing online is like having someone constantly seeking opportunities for you.
To figure out how to build a personal monopoly: start at the end.
Personal Monopoly CUES:
• Complementary: skills that reinforce each other
• Specific: the more narrow the niche, the better
• Unusual: skills or knowledge not often found together
• Experiential: things you've gained through experience. Time is impossible to speed up
• Complementary: skills that reinforce each other
• Specific: the more narrow the niche, the better
• Unusual: skills or knowledge not often found together
• Experiential: things you've gained through experience. Time is impossible to speed up
It will take years to build a personal monopoly.
So start now.
So start now.
You have to be irrationally passionate and patient.
It takes 10 years to build a career in anything.
h/t @naval
It takes 10 years to build a career in anything.
h/t @naval
Long-term: build a personal monopoly.
Short-term: get on the path to building a personal monopoly.
Short-term: get on the path to building a personal monopoly.
The act of creating will help you find your personal monopoly.
You'll find what resonates most with others, but also what resonates most with you.
You'll find what resonates most with others, but also what resonates most with you.
Get started with a broad idea of what you'd like to do.
As you explore more, you'll gradually get more specific.
As you explore more, you'll gradually get more specific.
The Creator Path: discovery, income, equity.
When you build a Personal Monopoly, you are creating demand for an idea people didn't know they were interested in.
Zooming deep into an idea helps develop a personal monopoly.
Example: @jackbutcher
Design -> Communicating ideas with design -> Using the Internet to communicate ideas with simple design
Example: @jackbutcher
Design -> Communicating ideas with design -> Using the Internet to communicate ideas with simple design
@jackbutcher: "Get going. Then get good."
The process is often the product.
How you do what you do can be part of your personal monopoly.
Not just what you produce.
How you do what you do can be part of your personal monopoly.
Not just what you produce.
You're either building things to consume, or consuming.
The longer you resist specificity, the longer it will take to develop your Personal Monopoly.
You need the specific focus to resonate with your audience.
You need the specific focus to resonate with your audience.
For income, there are two opportunities: employment and entrepreneurship.
Build and communicate skills with content.
Monetize them with a product.
Monetize them with a product.
Examples of great personal monopoly builders:
• @packyM
• @nathanbarry
• @anthilemoon
• @anafabrega11
• @jackbutcher
• @david_perell
• @APompliano
• @AliAbdaal
• @packyM
• @nathanbarry
• @anthilemoon
• @anafabrega11
• @jackbutcher
• @david_perell
• @APompliano
• @AliAbdaal
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