DeepSummary
In this episode, Ali Abdaal interviews Nathan Barry, the founder and CEO of Convertkit, a software company valued at over $100 million. Nathan shares his journey of starting as a web designer, teaching himself to code, and building apps for the iPhone App Store while working a day job. He discovered the potential of self-publishing ebooks and started writing and launching his own, generating significant revenue from the sales.
Nathan emphasizes the importance of writing consistently, sharing his experience of writing 1,000 words a day for 600 days in a row, which helped him build his career. He discusses the concept of 'making money as a skill' and the ladders of wealth creation, presenting a roadmap for building wealth through different stages, from trading time for money to creating products and potentially building billion-dollar businesses.
The conversation also delves into the concept of 'flywheels' - processes that get easier and produce more with each iteration, and how creators can leverage flywheels to grow their businesses. Nathan shares his obsession with identifying and optimizing flywheels in various aspects of his business, from content creation to audience growth.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Writing consistently and making it a daily habit is crucial for building a successful career as a creator.
- Viewing 'making money' as a skill that can be learned and improved over time is essential for building wealth.
- The 'ladders of wealth creation' provide a roadmap for progressing from trading time for money to creating products and potentially building billion-dollar businesses.
- Identifying and optimizing 'flywheels' - processes that get easier and produce more with each iteration - can be a powerful strategy for growing a business.
- Being transparent and 'working in public' can help creators build an audience and gain valuable feedback and support.
- Setting clear goals, prioritizing tasks, and structuring one's day around the most important activities are crucial for achieving ambitious objectives.
- Building a team and delegating tasks can help creators scale their businesses and leverage their time more effectively.
- Continuously learning and improving skills, even in areas that may seem unrelated, can provide valuable insights and opportunities for growth.
Top Episodes Quotes
- โI'm never someone that's content to go at the same pace as everyone else. You set the pace right. Do you want this to take multiple years? Sometimes it should, and sometimes it's best for you. Or do you want to get it done very quickly? That's been probably a defining factor in my life.โ by Nathan Barry
- โI guess the way to put it is it is simple, but not easy. And so if you get clear with yourself that, like, okay, I am setting out to do something that is, in fact, very difficult, and I have to design my day around making sure that this can happen. This has to become my number one priority in my business. Then at that point, you can actually make it happen.โ by Nathan Barry
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Episode Information
Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal
Ali Abdaal
12/14/23
There are loads of people out there who want to be become online creators, but theyโre not sure how to get going, or if their business will be a success. It can be a super confusing world to navigate - but once you unlock it you can find financial freedom and a fulfilling career. Todayโs guest is Nathan Barry, an online writer and software developer who created Convertkit, a product that helps people with online newsletters reach new audiences. Weโre going to be talking all about how to build an online creator business, how to make writing a habit, and youโll see exactly how Nathan built his ebook empire.
Sponsored by Huel - go to https://www.huel.com/deepdive and with your first order youโll get a free t-shirt and shaker.
Sponsored by Trading 212 - download the Trading 212 app https://trading212.com/promocodes/ALI and use the promo code "ALI" after signing up and depositing to receive a random free share worth up to ยฃ100. This is not financial advice. Investments can fall and rise. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Other fees may apply*. Capital is at risk.
Sponsored by Kajabi - go to https://www.kajabi.com/ali to get FREE access to the keynote.
๐Check out my New York Times Bestselling book Feel-Good Productivity!
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Season 7 Episode 11
00:00 Intro
02:05 Making money is a skill
10:20 Having a job vs. having a business
17:58 You set the pace
25:39 Do you need to level up your skills?
32:57 Setting big goals
41:55 Nathan's first apps
46:43 Getting into ebooks
58:30 Writing 1000 words a day
1:07:18 Working in public
1:15:56 How to make writing a habit
1:26:17 Publishing and managing your projects
1:31:06 Running a personal blog
1:44:15 Being honest about yourself online
1:58:19 The ladders of wealth
2:11:16 The billion-dollar creator
2:22:54 The three laws of flywheels
2:36:28 Final words of advice
๐ CONNECT WITH NATHANย
๐ป Website
๐ฅ Linkedin
๐ฆ Twitter
๐ CONNECT WITH ALI
๐ฒ Join My Telegram Community
๐ฅ YouTube Channel
๐ฆ Twitter
๐ธ Instagram
๐ป Website
๐ฅ Linkedin
๐ RESOURCES MENTIONED
Nathan Fried
David Heinemeier Hansson
Authority by Nathan Barry
The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau
A Brief Guide To World Domination by Chris Guillebeau
279 Days to Overnight Success by Chris Guillebeau
Designing Web Applications by Nathan Barry
Nick Huber
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
Jocko Podcast 394: Lessons from the Stoics. Discipline, Leadership, Life. With Ryan Holiday.
Sasha Grief blog post
Jarrod Drysdale blog post
The Ladders of Wealth Creation by Nathan Barry
Billion Dollar Creator
ConvertKit
๐SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT
Visit the website for the transcript and highlights from the conversation - https://aliabdaal.com/podcast/
๐ ABOUT THE PODCAST
Deep Dive is the podcast that delves into the minds of entrepreneurs, creators and other inspiring people to uncover the philosophies, strategies and tools that help us live happier, healthier and more productive lives.
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