📰 A thread of helpful newsletters outside of tech you might not know about it
With #DevRel living at the nexus of marketing, product, & engineering, I find it helpful to learn from a variety of sources. Here are some of my fave indie newsletters, would love to hear yours!
I've talked about Trends.vc by @DruRly before, but it's exceptionally valuable. Each week Dru sends out a thorough report on a new topic like DeFi, digital products, paid communities. The paid version includes access to a wonderful community, too.
Maker Mind by @anthilemoon is all about mindful productivity, which is one of my all-time favorite topics. Anne-Laure's articles are always fascinating and research-backed. nesslabs.com/newsletter
Modern Museum by @DalosOrtiz saves me a lot of time hunting for useful articles about marketing, business, knowledge management, etc. His summaries are super helpful and he really combs the internet for quality stuff. modernmuseum.crd.co
The Curious Bunch by @learnwithvidya just keeps getting better. She curates resources about productivity & creativity & provides summaries w/ estimated reading times. You can really tell she puts a lot of time & attention into each issue. thecuriousbunch.xyz
I've not been shy about what a @JanelSGM fan I am, but @BrainPint is another great curation read. I particularly find the tools & resources section useful because it's outside of my JS bubble. brainpint.com
Okay, technically this one isn't outside tech, but @tldrdan's news summary is really useful and helps me see things from a broader perspective than the small universe I inhabit. tldr.tech
.@KickAssLetters by @YartyKim is a different kind of newsletter — one that’s focused on pushing people out of their comfort zone but within the context of a community. A really cool concept: kickassletters.com
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Crossed a big milestone recently: 1000 subscribers to Developer Microskills 🎉
A few people have asked me about my process for writing & marketing the newsletter & how I repurpose issues into blog articles. Here's a thread full of images and resources to help!
I rely on Newsletter OS in @NotionHQ by @JanelSGM to track everything. First I create a new issue in the Newsletter Issues db. I use properties to keep track of issue status (more on this later). I don't put notes or outlines here but do add links I may want to use.
I draft every issue in MD using @draftsapp -- it's fast and I can export it anywhere. I tried to do this in Notion but it's just too slow because of the processing it runs on the text.
⌨️ A thread of useful keyboard shortcuts I've learned lately out of necessity - feel free to add yours!
Slack, Gmail, and Twitter have been the biggest game-changers.
(Mac listed but there are Windows equivalents)
😺 Slack
cmd + t = jump somewhere (most useful)
cmd + . = toggle right pane
cmd + shift + d = toggle sidebar
cmd + [ = back in history
cmd + ] = forward in history
cmd + shift + y = set status
Moving from dev to #DevRel is tough - there's no doubt about it! 😬
Even though it's a very fun job, the day-to-day is totally different than the usual sprints & tickets you're used to.
Here is a thread 🧵 on some strategies I've learned to ease the transition:
1️⃣ Embrace the fact that #DevRel is a new set of skills you can learn.
The big shock moving to dev rel is the dizzying # of required skills: content, marketing, speaking, community-building, & more.
Don't resist it: you're a newbie again & it will take time. That's okay!
2️⃣ Focus on shipping and improving instead of waiting for perfection.
At any given time, you could be doing a zillion different things. Instead of haphazardly bouncing between projects, try to focus on finishing things, no matter how small. More:
😫 If you're feeling discouraged or like you're not making any progress, it might mean you're not scoping your projects correctly.
Whether it's #DevRel, side projects, or learning a new coding skill, knowing how to properly scope a project can feel like a superpower. 🧵
1️⃣ Ask yourself: "What's the smallest deliverable I can make that pushes me further towards my goal or dream?"
This could be a short blog post, a 30 second screencast, a small command line app, or part of a new app feature. It needs to be easy to know if it's finished or not.
2️⃣ Adjust the size of that deliverable according to what you can get done in roughly a few days of work.
This isn't a hard & fast rule, but the goal is to keep it under a week so you can build momentum.
1. Get amazing idea 2. Buy sweet new domain 3. Tweet about awesome new project 4. `git init` 5. Um...uh...do some planning? 6. You know what, I'm really busy right now. 8. (Secretly abandons dreams)
Here's a framework to help you finish what you start 🧵
💡 First, sort your ideas:
1. Drop it: Seemed like a good idea at the time, but isn't. 2. Defer it: Maybe a good idea, but no time/resources right now. Archive for now. 3. Do it: Good idea that has the potential for $$/impact/career growth.
Not all ideas need to be executed!
🎯 JPS
Can't decide between equally good ideas? Try the JPS method: Just Pick Something. Also known as "Pin the Tail on the Idea" 🐴.
You'll either:
1. Hate it and move on. 2. Learn from it (whether or not you stick with it). 3. Love it and go deeper.