Writing on Solopreneurship, Sabbaticals, and Life
Documenting my journey through life and entrepreneurship with
regular retrospectives and the occasional article.
Sales, Fears, and Taking a Break
retro
Dec 5, 2024
November 2024 Retrospective
Adding Bluesky-powered comments to any website in five minutes
musing
Nov 25, 2024
Long live the open web!
Enabling WiFi Calling on a Google Pixel on any network
musing
Nov 9, 2024
If you're trying to use WiFi calling on a Pixel in a foreign country, this is the post for you.
How I develop Django applications
musing
Oct 29, 2024
Documenting my Django dev set up in 2024.
Using monit for simple server monitoring
musing
Oct 16, 2024
Small steps to avoid big problems.
Deploying (Multiple) Django Apps to a Single Server with Kamal 2
musing
Oct 10, 2024
Shared servers for the win!
Lowering the bar to writing online
musing
Oct 9, 2024
Be more like Simon Willison and less like Paul Graham
Why having more free time can be better than becoming rich.
Observations on being a parent, now five years in.
Flailing around
retro
Apr 2, 2024
March 2024 Retrospective
The retro is dead, long live the retro!
retro
Mar 1, 2024
February 2024 Retrospective
On bad days
My big-picture plan for 2024.
My 2023 year in review.
Running your own businesses is a lot like competitive sports, only the score is money.
Why I've gotten more and more pessimistic about my relationship with Twitter.
I launched an AI product and got my first paying customers.
AI is Eating my Life
retro
Apr 21, 2023
What I've been up to so far this year, and the increasing role of AI in my work.
The thing you've been pouring yourself into isn't working. Now what?
Reflections on 2022, and towards a more ambitious year ahead.
The end of an era of radical transparency.
Rolling up the Sleeves
retro
Nov 1, 2022
October 2022 Retrospective
The Break
retro
Oct 3, 2022
September 2022 Retrospective
Tailwinds
retro
Aug 3, 2022
July 2022 Retrospective
The Rebound
retro
Jul 1, 2022
June 2022 Retrospective
Complacent
retro
Jun 1, 2022
May 2022 Retrospective
Shifting Perspectives
retro
May 3, 2022
April 2022 Retrospective
How we can have more productive disagreements, and why it's gotten so hard.
The Almost-Lost Month
retro
Apr 1, 2022
March 2022 Retrospective
Doing hard things
retro
Mar 1, 2022
February 2022 Retrospective
Back on the Horse
retro
Feb 1, 2022
January 2022 Retrospective
My 2021 year in review
Redirection
retro
Jan 14, 2022
December 2021 Retrospective
My experience of the pandemic in South Africa and the case for a more inclusive conversation about Covid and vaccines.
Holy Crap!
retro
Dec 2, 2021
November 2021 Retrospective
My New Secret Life
retro
Nov 1, 2021
October 2021 Retrospective
Momentum
retro
Oct 1, 2021
September 2021 Retrospective
The Quarantine
retro
Sep 6, 2021
August 2021 Retrospective
You left your job and have all the freedom in the world. Now what?
Diversification
retro
Aug 2, 2021
July 2021 Retrospective
I'm finally going solo*
retro
Jul 2, 2021
June 2021 Retrospective
It's time to build
retro
Jun 1, 2021
May 2021 Retrospective
My first $100k
retro
May 3, 2021
April 2021 Retrospective
The Lost Month
retro
Apr 1, 2021
March 2021 Retrospective
The Flop
retro
Mar 1, 2021
Feb 2021 Retrospective
Off to the Races
retro
Jan 31, 2021
January 2021 Retrospective
The Future is Wide Open
retro
Jan 11, 2021
December 2020 Retrospective
My 2020 year in review
Tips on running successful Black Friday sales for creators and Indie Hackers
Gratitude
retro
Dec 1, 2020
November 2020 Retrospective
Wading through the morass of do-gooding with the help of 80,000 hours
Reset
retro
Nov 1, 2020
October 2020 Retrospective
Thoughts and observations on being a new dad, the second time around
Sailing into the future
retro
Oct 2, 2020
September 2020 Retrospective
Finding my way using the Japanese concept of Ikigai
The Calm Before the Storm
retro
Sep 1, 2020
August 2020 Retrospective
I'm building a new product!
retro
Aug 2, 2020
July 2020 Retrospective
What goes up...
retro
Jul 1, 2020
June 2020 Retrospective
A Great Month (while the world burned)
retro
Jun 2, 2020
May 2020 Retrospective
Viruses and Lockdowns, Part 2
retro
May 1, 2020
April 2020 Retrospective
Viruses and Lockdowns
retro
Apr 1, 2020
March 2020 Retrospective
Place Cards, Profits, and my 15 Minutes of Internet Fame
retro
Mar 1, 2020
February 2020 Retrospective
The Place Card Pivot
retro
Feb 3, 2020
January 2020 Retrospective
With some luck and little help from my friends
Closing out 2019
retro
Jan 2, 2020
December 2019 Retrospective
My 2019 year in review
My Most Profitable Month Ever
retro
Dec 2, 2019
November 2019 Retrospective
Thoughts and observations on being a dad, one year in.
What do we do when we fall off the horse?
retro
Nov 6, 2019
October 2019 Retrospective
My Icarus Journey
retro
Oct 1, 2019
September 2019 Retrospective
Everything Kind of Clicking into Place 🤞
retro
Sep 1, 2019
August 2019 Retrospective
30 Days of Accountability
retro
Aug 1, 2019
July 2019 Retrospective
Spending a month trying to grow Pegasus by working in public.
The Horse Finally Learns to Fly
retro
Jul 1, 2019
June 2019 Retrospective
Done is better than perfect (unless you have imposter syndrome)
retro
Jun 3, 2019
May 2019 Retrospective
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
retro
May 10, 2019
April 2019 Retrospective
Lost in the woods of product development
retro
Apr 1, 2019
March 2019 Retrospective
Building a Saas Template is Hard
retro
Mar 4, 2019
February 2019 Retrospective
Recalibrating Expectations
retro
Feb 1, 2019
January 2019 Retrospective
New Year, New Retro
retro
Jan 9, 2019
December 2018 Retrospective
My 2018 year in review
The New Normal
retro
Dec 3, 2018
November, 2018 Retrospective
Thoughts and observations on being a new dad, two-weeks in
He's Here!
retro
Oct 29, 2018
Week 84 Retrospective
The Wait
retro
Oct 22, 2018
Week 83 Retrospective
Why I take shortcuts all the time and you probably should too
That strange feeling when everything sort of seems to be working
retro
Sep 30, 2018
Week 79 & 80 Retrospective
Climbing SaaS Mountain
retro
Sep 17, 2018
Week 77 & 78 Retrospective
Milestones, working for others, and committing to side projects
retro
Sep 3, 2018
Week 75 & 76 Retrospective
Weariness
retro
Aug 20, 2018
Week 71-74 Retrospective
"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" - Robert Burns
The retro is dead. Long live the retro!
retro
Jul 23, 2018
Week 68-70 Retrospective
A Tale of Two Months
retro
Jul 2, 2018
Week 67 Retrospective
GoGoGo!
retro
Jun 25, 2018
Week 66 Retrospective
This is Barely a Retrospective
retro
Jun 18, 2018
Week 65 Retrospective
The Grind
retro
Jun 11, 2018
Week 64 Retrospective
New month, new beginnings
retro
Jun 4, 2018
Week 63 Retrospective
Ebbs and flows
retro
May 28, 2018
Week 62 Retrospective
A framework for assessing and re-evaluating things when your work life is just a little too easy.
Attempting to Write Again
retro
May 21, 2018
Week 61 Retrospective
A Break
retro
May 14, 2018
Weeks 59 and 60 Retrospective
Heads down in India
retro
Apr 30, 2018
Week 58 Retrospective
Doing the bull dance, feeling the flow
retro
Apr 23, 2018
Week 57 Retrospective
Week 56 Retrospective
retro
Apr 16, 2018
Achievement Unlocked: 2nd Product
Week 55 Retrospective
retro
Apr 9, 2018
First world problems
Week 54 Retrospective
retro
Apr 2, 2018
Back to the basics
Week 53 Retrospective
retro
Mar 26, 2018
Comfort versus The Resistance
Week 52 Retrospective
retro
Mar 19, 2018
I guess I'm an employee/freelancer
Week 51 Retrospective
retro
Mar 12, 2018
Reset
Week 50 Retrospective
retro
Mar 5, 2018
Survival
Week 49 Retrospective
retro
Feb 26, 2018
Another disappointing week: is it expectations or execution?
Week 48 Retrospective
retro
Feb 19, 2018
When it's worth choosing life over your plans
Week 47 Retrospective
retro
Feb 12, 2018
When life gets in the way of your plans (continued)
Week 46 Retrospective
retro
Feb 5, 2018
When life gets in the way of your plans
Week 45 Retrospective
retro
Jan 29, 2018
Bit by Hofstadter's Law
Week 44 Retrospective
retro
Jan 22, 2018
Save Water
Week 43 Retrospective
retro
Jan 15, 2018
The Sickening
Week 42 Retrospective
retro
Jan 8, 2018
Mapping out my January
What happens now?
Week 41 Retrospective
retro
Jan 1, 2018
New Year, New Beginnings
A journey of slowing down, purpose, reflection, and looking for happiness
Week 40 Retrospective
retro
Dec 25, 2017
Merry Christmas!
Week 39 Retrospective
retro
Dec 18, 2017
Wondering whether I should strive for more fear and uncertainty
Week 38 Retrospective
retro
Dec 11, 2017
Turns out Raising Prices was a Good Idea
My latest updates and plans for taking my little SaaS app from $100/month to $1000/month.
Week 37 Retrospective
retro
Dec 4, 2017
That Back to School Feeling
Week 36 Retrospective
retro
Nov 27, 2017
I'm on vacation!
Week 35 Retrospective
retro
Nov 20, 2017
Grind, grind, grind
Week 34 Retrospective
retro
Nov 13, 2017
Rhythm Found?
How I've taken my SaaS app from $1 to $100/month in three months.
Week 33 Retrospective
retro
Nov 6, 2017
Still Finding my Rhythm
Week 32 Retrospective
retro
Oct 30, 2017
Struggling with Juggling
Week 31 Retrospective
retro
Oct 23, 2017
Re-Entry
Week 30 Retrospective
retro
Oct 16, 2017
The Sabbatical is Over!
How I got my SaaS app to the first page of Google in three months and why it was much easier than I thought.
Week 29 Retrospective
retro
Oct 9, 2017
Growing Pleasures and Growing Pains
Week 28 Retrospective
retro
Oct 2, 2017
The streak is over, but the Drakensberg is awesome.
Being just a little bit on sabbatical all the time.
Week 27 Retrospective
retro
Sep 25, 2017
Sharks, Whales, and Milestones
Week 26 Retrospective
retro
Sep 18, 2017
The Streak Continues!
The event that provided a 30x bump in readership, and no, it doesn't have anything to do with clickbait titles like this one.
Week 25 Retrospective
retro
Sep 11, 2017
It's almost like I had 60% of a job last week
Week 24 Retrospective
retro
Sep 4, 2017
200% growth!
Week 23 Retrospective
retro
Aug 28, 2017
Homecoming
I just made my first dollar on my SaaS app and it only took 200 Hours and $110
Week 22 Retrospective
retro
Aug 21, 2017
Time off in Vermont
Week 21 Retrospective
retro
Aug 14, 2017
Back in the game!
Slowly trudging my way through the trough of sorrow.
Week 20 Retrospective
retro
Aug 7, 2017
Not sure where my time went...
Week 19 Retrospective
retro
Jul 31, 2017
Guess who's back?
Week 18 Retrospective
retro
Jul 24, 2017
I'm in Boston!
Week 17 Retrospective
retro
Jul 17, 2017
Just diving in again this week!
Why I think everyone who can afford to do it should take some time to figure out their lives.
Week 16 Retrospective
retro
Jul 10, 2017
Sh*t's getting real.
Week 15 Retrospective
retro
Jul 3, 2017
Sometimes life gets in the way of productivity
Week 14 Retrospective
retro
Jun 26, 2017
Remembering that I'm pretty good at making things.
Week 13 Retrospective
retro
Jun 19, 2017
What the hell did I do last week?
When you're learning, you get to have the best experiences of your life every day.
Week 12 Retrospective
retro
Jun 12, 2017
Holy smokes it's the midpoint.
Testing pricing and willingness to pay in the easiest possible way.
Week 11 Retrospective
retro
Jun 5, 2017
The mythical sweet spot between things that are fun and good business ideas.
How I lost a week of time and delayed my main goal of testing pricing—and why I'm at peace with it.
When you're excited about an idea, feedback from strangers can be really misleading.
Week 10 Retrospective
retro
May 29, 2017
You can't win 'em all.
Week 9 Retrospective
retro
May 22, 2017
It’s possible I’m not built for 40-hour weeks: Full speed and feeling good
How I used $18 of advertising dollars to decide whether or not I should keep pursuing my project.
Week 8 Retrospective
retro
May 15, 2017
When you know nothing about marketing, getting your idea in front of people is harder than you might think.
Week 7 Retrospective
retro
May 8, 2017
Week 6 Retrospective
retro
May 1, 2017
You didn't tear apart my idea so I decided to do it myself.
I try to pitch you on the place card idea. Can you tear it apart?
Week 5 Retrospective
retro
Apr 24, 2017
A checkpoint one month in—reflecting on the past month and looking at the road ahead
Week 4 Retrospective
retro
Apr 17, 2017
How working on products is more like Tinder than Wedding Wire
How to easily rescue your pending MailChimp subscribers who have failed to double opt-in
Week 3 Retrospective
retro
Apr 10, 2017
Systems I'm using to keep myself directed and motivated in the face of unemployment
Planning weddings, building better software, and Pokémon: a first batch of ideas for products I'm considering making
Week 2 Retrospective
retro
Apr 3, 2017
From CTO to unemployed overnight - what now?
Week 1 Retrospective
retro
Mar 27, 2017