Start Here

You can browse the primary topics using the top navigation bar, or use the search in the top-right corner to find specific content.

Or, you follow this path to get started:

• Step 1: Build your platform.
• Step 2: Create public projects.
• Step 3: Start to monetize your knowledge.
• Step 4: Use modern resources to be more productive.
• Step 5: (Optional) Launch your own SaaS.

flowchart LR
    A(("<i class='fa fa-play'></i><br>Start Here")) --> Platform("<a href='/platform/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fa fa-person-digging'></i> Build Your Platform</a>")

    Platform --> Marketing("<a href='/platform/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fa fa-bullhorn'></i> Marketing</a>")
    Platform --> Social("<a href='/platform/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fa fa-users'></i> Social Media</a>")
    Platform --> Work("<a href='/projects/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fa fa-keyboard'></i> Work</a>")

    Marketing --> Brand("<a href='/platform/creating-a-brand/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fa fa-sign-hanging'></i> Create Your Brand</a>")

    Social --> LinkedIn("<a href='/platform/linkedin/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fab fa-linkedin'></i> LinkedIn Profile</a>")
    Social --> YouTube("<a href='/platform/youtube-and-video-content/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fab fa-youtube'></i> YouTube Channel</a>")

    Work --> Blog("<a href='/platform/your-brand-website/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fa fa-globe'></i> Blog Website</a>")
    Work --> Projects("<a href='/platform/publish-your-work/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fa fa-sign-hanging'></i> Create Public Projects</a>")
    Work --> GitHub("<a href='/platform/your-github-profile/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fab fa-github'></i> GitHub Organization</a>")
    Work --> SaaS("<a href='/saas/' style='text-decoration:none !important;'><i class='fa fa-cloud'></i> Launch Your Own SaaS</a>")

    style Platform text-decoration:none;

Becoming Brand-First

Investing your professional development and building a personal brand, a platform, has limited downside and unbounded upside. In present day, it’s basically free - aside from the cost of domain name (~$10/year) and your time.

I challenge you to think of this differently: instead of you having your dayjob, and if you have time, you can build out your brand - instead, you should think of your brand as your primary job, and your dayjob as a side project to fund it.

Why? Because your brand will likely out-live your current job. Yes, even if you’ve been at your company for 25 years. Especially if you’ve been at the same company for 25 years. Your personal brand can:

• Help you land your next job
• Get you into consulting and freelance work which can pay well
• Be a pathway to you to monetize your knowledge

6-Month Plan

Here’s what I’m proposing for you to do in the coming months, as a potential way forward:

• Build your platform. That means your brand, and standing up your brand website.
• Post at least once/week with what you are working on, what you are learning, and what you are building.
• Build in public - if you are doing something interesting, share it! This is how you build an audience.
• Start to monetize your knowledge. This can be through: affiliate links, YouTube ads, paid downloads, consulting & freelance, or even donations like Buy Me a Coffee.
• Network with other builders

Don’t worry about the specifics, that’s the whole point of this site. There are pages here to help with each of these steps.

Time Investment

How much can you invest in this? I recommend starting with 1-2 hours per week, and then increasing it as you see results. If you can invest more, great! But even a small amount of time can yield significant results over months.