[THREAD]: Here are 10 (painful) lessons I've learned writing 3,000+ articles on the internet over the past 7 years.

On writing advice, growth hacks, going viral, and feeling fulfilled in the process 👇

🚢 Atomic Essays Republishing Framework 🚢

1. Write Atomic Essay
2. Post image on Twitter
3. (Bonus) Copy/paste text as thread
4. Find relevant Question on Quora. Copy/paste Atomic Essay + image.
5. Copy/paste again on Medium.
6. Again on LinkedIn
7. Win

Guide below ✍️🚢👇

Step 1: Write Atomic Essay

I really enjoy writing right inside the Figma template. It helps give me a good sense of exactly how much "real estate" I have/have left before my time us up and I'm out of space.

Once finished, I export the image and send to my phone on Slack.

Step 2: Post image on Twitter

Before I publish my Atomic Essay on Twitter, I use the Edit/Photo Markup function on the iPhone to highlight standout sentences.

These are usually power-phrases: things the reader skims and thinks, "That's interesting," prompting them to read more.

Step 3: For the Ship 30 for 30 challenge, I only turn Atomic Essays into threads if...

1. The piece is SUPER actionable and lends itself well to the thread format (lots of bullets, quick points, lists, etc.)

or...

2. I'm referencing research and want to link to the pieces.

Step 4: Find relevant Question on Quora. Copy/paste Atomic Essay + image.

Search on Quora around the topic you wrote about. Find a related Question. Copy/paste the whole Atomic Essay as your "answer" (& fix formatting). Then include image so it appears in the thumbnail.

[THREAD] How To Find A Mentor (No Matter What Industry You're In)

I have attracted dozens of mentors since I was a teenager. As I've gotten older, I've realized these relationships were the secret to my growth.

Here's how to find mentors of your own 👇👇👇

1/ Don't obsess over finding The Expert.

This is the BIG mistake anyone looking for someone to "mentor them" makes.

All you need is to find someone who knows the very-next-thing you want to learn. Technically, anyone "a little bit further along" can be your mentor.

2/ Start to see everyone around you as A Mentor

- Your co-worker with 1-2 yrs more experience is a mentor
- Your family friend who is always telling "war stories" is a mentor
- Your neighbor, cousin, aunt, uncle who has done what you're trying to do, can all be mentors

3/ Start with 1 question

Mentorship isn't a formal agreement. You don't ask, "Will you be my mentor for life?"

The key is to ask 1 question. See if the person gives you guidance.

Take that guidance. Apply it. Go back and ask a 2nd question. See if they reciprocate.

Repeat.

4/ True mentorships are mutually beneficial

Mentors want to share what they know with people who listen carefully & apply their wisdom.

Why?

It allows the mentor a "2nd chance" at walking their path, imagining what might have happened if they'd known what they know now, sooner

Over the past 10 years, I have read over 500 business books.

99% were 1 idea stretched across 300 pages.

They should have been blog posts.

Save yourself the time and just read these 10 👇

1/ Marketing

The vast majority of tactical marketing books become outdated after 1-2 years.

Some, after 6 months.

Positioning by Al Ries & Jack Trout is some of the most mind-bending and timeless strategic marketing thinking out

2/ Growth

Did you know the top 10% of consumers in your category can drive 30-70% of the revenue growth?

Superconsumers by @eddiewouldgrow will completely change the way you think about growing your biz.

You don't need "all consumers."

Just

3/ Motivation

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, founder of Nike, is one of the most inspiring business stories you'll ever read.

And it all started by selling high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan.

(A style nobody thought was "cool" at the

4/ Leverage

The Self-Made Billionaire Effect by John Sviokla & Mitch Cohen is all about how Producers can combine conflicting, opposite ideas at the same time to create massive value.

This is the playbook for thinking like a

The first-time founder playbook 🧵:

1/ Build in public

Too many founders want to build "in stealth"—so they can do a grand reveal to the world.

Unfortunately, stealth =

• Slower
• Very expensive
• Harder to iterate
• More pressure to make it "perfect"

Building in public = speed & easier to iterate.

2/ Always be "in beta"

Don't ever think your startup will reach an end.

Don't strive for "done."

Even at 600,000 employees and $1.5 trillion in market cap, Amazon still operates as "it's always Day 1."

Greatness should be a forever journey, not a destination.

3/ Name & Claim your category

Before a customer can care about what you do, or what you've made, or what you sell...

THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHAT IT IS.

You should be able to name & claim your category in 2-3 words.

And those 2-3 words should be the nucleus of everything you do.

4/ Hire slow, fire fast

Your first hire is the most important one you'll ever make.

Because that hire is what unlocks:

a) More of your time
b) The future culture of the team

Hire this first person slowly. Make sure it's right.

If it's not, get rid of them ASAP & try again.

Writing scales, talking doesn’t.

If you're not writing, you're not making use of the simplest forms of leverage.

Why is writing important within companies, and how to do it well?

(thread) 👇🏽

A few words on the passing of William Goldman: In addition to being a legendary screenwriter, he was a friend and mentor to so many other writers, offering guidance and support, directly influencing hundreds of films beyond his own work...

In 2009 a few of us organized an outdoor screening to commentate the 40th anniversary of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” at the Tribeca Film Festival. Writers such as Tony Gilroy, Aaron Sorkin, David Koepp & Scott Frank each spoke to praise Bill...

As each discussed how Bill had been instrumental in inspiring, teaching and supporting them, it really sank in as to what an extraordinary impact this man has had on the landscape of cinema...

Also at that screening we’re 5,000 people who had come to watch one of their favorite movies on a chilly April night by the Hudson River. Bill touched millions that never got the chance to know him personally, but got to know his films like close, enduring friends...

There are few screenwriter who have made the impact William Goldman has - on the form, on the culture, and on fellow writers. He is a world treasure. And though he is no longer with us, his films will be with us as long as people still have a love for cinema...

As we’re heading into the #PitchWars showcase and since the conversation seems abuzz...here’s a thread of questions I would recommend you ask not only potential agents during The Call, but references, and clients you reach out to personally:

1) What happens if we don’t sell this project? Are you willing to look at a pitch in the same genre?

I heard a panel recently where half the writers were dropped by their first agent after they pitched their second project. Be sure to ask around outside of the agent on this one.

2) Are you an editorial agent? Why or why not?

Meaning, will they revise the manuscript with you beforehand or just do small edits and send it off to editors. Both have their pros and cons, and one might matter to you more.

3) How many clients do you have and how do you juggle your workload with your clients?

In other words, how much time do they have to devote to you and your career. You can also ask, on average how long does it take to get a project on sub?

4) How would you describe yourself as an agent? What are some ways that others have described you as an agent?

This one I think is rarely in questions lists, but I think it’s a fun one to see how passionate an agent gets about their career.

Gonna talk "pitching story" for a moment, because that's how I get most of my screenwriting work and it's hard to find practical information about the art of it online and in books. This is just my experience and approach, but in the age of zoom, some of this may be helpful...

My primary goal when I pitch is TO ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE EMOTIONALLY. Yes, I'm telling the story, but for me storytelling is a vehicle that delivers emotion to an audience. I structure my pitch around emotion.

I learned this from my TV boss, Greg Walker.

How do I do it?

Two things I make sure I have in my pitch.

1. An early moment, usually in the first 30-60 seconds of speaking that creates a VIVID, EMOTIONALLY PROVOCATIVE IMAGE in the mind of the listener. We're pitching movies and TV. Those are VISUAL MEDIUMS. I drop that image early.

Sometimes, even though I can't draw, I'll sketch it out just to make *sure* it works. It'll usually revolve around a plot point, but the main goal is to get the audience to stop listening and start SEEING what I'm saying.

Then it's like storytelling at a campfire.

Having that image EARLY in your pitch can let the audience know that THIS IS INDEED A MOVIE. Once they can see the movie, then they're a little more with you. It still may not be the movie they want, but it's a movie. That's a win. The second thing I do is --

I never thought of myself as a writer.

So why do I now write one million words per year?

Because I discovered writing is a superpower.

Here are 67 benefits of writing.

👇🏼

1) 🧠 Clear your mind.

Stop using your brain as storage.

Start using your brain as processing power.

2) 💬 Communicate better.

Clear writers are clear thinkers.

Clear thinkers are clear communicators.

3) 👥 Build community.

Attract likeminded people.

Help connect people with similar interests who would have otherwise never met.

To go fast, go alone. To go far, go together.

4) 👩🏻‍🏫 Teach what you know.

You don’t have to be an expert to teach.

Leaders are seen as experts BECAUSE they teach.

Teach the person one step behind you.