Pilot, Twitter, NoCode, Surf
Happy Wednesday Dear Beta-Testers!
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1. Pilot
Welcome to the pilot issue of SpringUp Stories. With most of us around the world in Coronavirus lockdown, we live in strange times which few could have imagined while eating our Christmas goose. And the uncertainty of how long this will continue and how the world and our lives will change surely crosses our thoughts at regular intervals.
You can learn more about me and this newsletter here, but in short, I hope to provide current and wannabe solopreneurs with daily links, news, and resources from the maker community (solo and self-funded entrepreneurs) that will help inspire you to get off your butt and take action to craft, launch and monetise the great product you’ve already got or are thinking of.
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I have been planning to launch this newsletter in one form or another since last October, but I have always had reasons to push the project to one side. Either it was work, the belief I had to build a complex tech setup to succeed or the simmering fear of failure, criticism, and rejection. The last being a common brick wall for many of us. As my main work has slowed down and extra time on my hands, I thought now is THE time to follow up on those neglected projects. When this crisis ends, I hope to look back and make sure I used the spare time valuably, not just on Netflix & Co. ;-) Although I can highly recommend Picard if you are a Trekkie.
Now, using the brilliant tech provided by Substack (gratitude to the whole team for developing such a great product), I am go for launch and here comes the pilot issue! So bear with me, as I find my rhythm in the coming days and weeks and please comment with any criticisms you may have!
2. Twitter Value
David Perell is a writer, the host of the North Star Podcast and the creator of the online writing course Write of Passage. His blog perell.com is definitely worth checking out as are his two newsletters Monday Musings and Friday Finds - lots to read and learn on how to write and build a following.
His following tweets from 27th March are a great summary on the value of Twitter and what to look out for. Read the full tweetstorm here.
3. NoCode
The term NoCode will reappear often throughout future newsletters. In simple terms, it means you can create websites and eCommerce stores without having to learn how to code (Node.js, PHP, html, css, etc…). Many of you will be familiar with website builders such as Squarespace, Shopify, Wix, Godaddy which offer this functionality. The tech goes much further though and there are platforms and services such as webflow, bubble and Zapier that will allow you to create websites with dynamic content and a broad range of applications. For MVPs and smaller projects these are great and inexpensive - and if a project takes off you can always develop a more sophisticated website using professional developers.
I recommend the following video by Brent Summers which gives you a first insight into the differences between static and dynamic websites using databases.
4. Surf, Surf, Surf
I read the following inspiring article back in June 2018 while traveling to Morocco. Laird Hamilton is probably the most famous surfer out there and has “ridden many of the tallest, heaviest, fastest and longest waves ever conquered by a human being”, but never for competition. Maybe you didn’t know, but he also invented stand-up paddleboarding. The article gives a good snapshot of his inspiring life journey as well as his perspective on physical health and mindfulness. He also lead me to Wim Hof, the Iceman, but I’ll leave that for another day. Read the full Guardian article here or if you want to learn more about him, you can read his autobiography Force of Nature.
OK, that’s it for the first newsletter. It’s a pilot, more of an introduction and as with any project, I will refine, iterate and maybe even pivot ;-) So be kind, let me know what you think (you can leave comments at the bottom of the newsletter) and see you next time!
keep it up - could become an interesting adjunct to my other daily morning reads - good luck!