Gladwell and Tarasov, delegation, a new camera operator in the studio and the first run of our SMM course. Book, films, skill, hypothesis, habit and the insight of the month.
1) Best book
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I assumed it would be hard to read anything fundamentally new on this topic, but I was wrong. The book makes you look at our familiar idea of success in a completely different way.
I also reread Principles of Life by Vladimir Tarasov. Very useful reading for anyone with a philosophical turn of mind. If you’re in business, you’ll find plenty of interesting ideas in it too.
2) Films and series
Nastya and I discovered Grey’s Anatomy. At first glance it’s an ordinary soap opera, but we grew very fond of several characters. As always, after watching we discuss the situations from the show, map the characters’ experience onto our own life, ask each other questions and get to know each other better.
3) Most useful video
This month I tried listening to a few Andrew Tate podcasts. A very scandalous, polarising figure. But since I took the “Semantic Wars” course at the Apeiron school, I can calmly listen to someone and take what’s useful from their speech even when I disagree with 50% — or even 80% — of their point of view.
4) Skill I worked on
Delegation. I’m handing more and more of the processes in my life over to the people around me. In the moment it can be hard, but once a process is set up you can’t imagine how it was ever done differently.
5) Hypothesis I got to test
This month we brought a new camera operator into the studio. At first you have to explain a lot and bring them up to speed, but then every day it gets simpler, faster, more effective. I should have done it long ago.
6) Habit I was building
No eating after 10 p.m. Late-night snacking in front of the TV is still my Achilles heel now and then. I feel pretty stupid doing exercises at home every day, going to the gym three times a week, sometimes going for a run — and still ending up chubby-cheeked with a belly.
I already manage to skip evening food 90% of the time. I’ll gradually move that line from 10 p.m. back to 7 p.m.
7) Main insight of the month
This month we launched the first run of our course “SMM from Scratch”. This is a full, proper acquisition of the skills you need to earn money online.
A little under 50 people signed up right away — for a new format and a new speaker, Paula. On that course I only teach a small block on monetisation and earning.
It confirmed once again that courses built around learning a new profession are in especially high demand. Soon our school will be adding new authors and new programmes. We’ll move into a lot of different niches and try to create products that genuinely change people’s lives.
The right author in the right conditions unpacks their experience and becomes useful to a great many people. Win-win. And my job is to create the best possible conditions for people with solid knowledge and experience.