Should you build in public?
Should you build in public?
Hey there, happy Sunday!
I see a lot of people talking about #buildinpublic on twitter. There seems to be a meta trend of creators and makers building audiences through talking about building in public - but never actually building anything.
That’s not to say building in public is bad. I actually think sharing your work openly is the best thing you can do as a creator [and something I wish I’d started earlier].
Sharing your work has the potential to shorten feedback loops, build friendships and improve your skills.
But like most things that are hyped on Twitter you need to judge them for what they are; something for people to talk about.
The idea of building everything in the open is a great way to never do any meaningful work.
Because to do great work you need focus. Something you can’t achieve with Twitter and Youtube open in other tabs.
Social media is a 24/7 conversation, we’re all competing for our little corner of attention.
But standing out online isn’t about beating algorithms or competing with others, it’s about making great work and sharing it openly.
Build in solitude and share publicly.
**This is mostly a reminder to myself 😅**
For aspiring creators & entrepreneurs
(Video)
This week I made a video for aspiring creators and entrepreneurs. I talk about what I'd focus on if I was starting out today and what I learnt from an embarrassing first attempt at business.
This Weeks Finds
I.
Thinking in Bets
(Book)
I've been reading a lot about decision making recently and found this book by poker champion Annie Duke.
One interesting point she made is how we typically tie decisions to results but in reality you can make a good decision and the outcome still be bad because life is down to two things:
1) Our decisions
2) Luck
II.
The Writing Well Handbook
(Guide)
Julian Shapiro is one of the few creators whos work is always great. Every guide and blog post on Julian.com has incredible clarity and it becomes clear how much time and effort goes into everything he does.
This handbook on writing is a go-to resource that I've read multiple times.
III.
The Psychology of Human Misjudgment
(Speech Transcript)
Following on from the theme of decision making this transcript of Charlie Mungers speech on human misjudgement is a great read. Charlie talks about how humans trick themselves into making terrible errors of judgment and how to avoid them.
If you're more of a visual person here's a great animation of the speach: https://vimeo.com/382219966
This Weeks Idea
I don't know about you but I'm scared of wasting my life. Of spending too much time staring at a screen and not enough time actually living. This quote from Seneca is a good reminder to be more intentional and to live more.
“It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully.” - Seneca
End Note
If you’re enjoying the Sunday Filter then I’d really appreciate if you could share it with a few friends. You can send them over here to sign up.
Have a great week!
- Stephen