Hey friends 👋

Hope you had a good start into the year, and that January felt a little more aligned than chaotic. Maybe you're already ticking off a few tasks, projects or milestones. Maybe you're still finding your rhythm again. Either way: welcome back!

There's no fresh post or video to link this month, but I've been heads-down working on a few pieces that are coming up soon. One is about why we don't achieve some of our goals even when we really want them. Another tackles a strangely common problem: procrastinating on "easy" tasks—the tiny things that should take five minutes, but somehow keep hovering in the background for days. And on the blog side, I'm exploring why the rise of AI might actually bring back the value of being a generalist.

Reflections & Insights

Ads in Products

OpenAI recently announced it'll start testing ads in ChatGPT's free and lower-cost tiers, at least in the US. This immediately triggered a thought I've been having on and off for a while: At some point, do I add ads somewhere too? Maybe sponsorships once my channel gets bigger?

Coincidentally, around the same time I re-read a page from Derek Sivers' "Anything You Want" that hit like a small slap: when you ask your customers what would improve your service, has anyone ever said, "Please fill your website with more advertising"?
Nope. So don't do it.

I love that framing because it cuts through all the rationalizations. Ads are rarely for the customer. They're for the business model. And we've normalized being constantly interrupted by them—in apps, on streets, in podcasts, even in movies through product placements—despite the fact they almost never make the experience better. So my current stance is simple: if I ever monetize more aggressively, it still has to feel like it's for you, not at you.

Monthly Challenges

My wife and I have a small ritual that's become one of the easiest ways to improve our lives without making it a "big thing": once a month, we sit down, do a quick review of the previous month and then we each give the other one simple challenge for the next month.

For January, she challenged me to meditate daily for at least five minutes. I challenged her to hang freely (dead hang) for at least two minutes a day.
The magic isn't the habit itself (it's almost laughably small). The magic is accountability: we drew a little month calendar on our whiteboard, with tiny checkboxes for each of us, and somehow that turns "ugh, I should do this" into "done".

And honestly, it's already been a noticeable mental health boost for me. Most days I start with five minutes and then naturally extend it to ten or fifteen because I'm already there. Tiny habit, big return—especially when it's shared.
So maybe find someone to hold each other accountable and start embracing small monthly challenges or experiments. It's worth it!

Monthly Favourites

🎶 Song: If Stayin' Alive Had Been Written in 16th Century
A nerdy renaissance-style adaptation of Bee Gee's popular "Stayin' Alive".
I have a real soft spot for choir/classical vibes like this and it's really well made.

📚 Book: Derek Sivers – Anything You Want
Short, opinionated and super practical book on building a company: build for the customer, keep it simple and do what you actually mean.

📽️ Video: How Did The World Get So Ugly?
A well-produced take on why so much modern design feels purely functional and cheap, with a surprisingly specific example: air conditioning units on buildings.

Book Club

Interested in joining our book club?
Then hop into my Discord and check out the #book-club channel.
We're currently reading The Money Trap by Alok Sama and will have a discussion about it very soon!

Monthly Journaling Prompt

What is my "minimum viable year"?

January is loud with big goals and high expectations, and this question is a reset: instead of designing your year for "perfect you", you define a version of success that still counts even when life gets messy. The smallest version of success you're still genuinely proud of, if you will. It's powerful because it forces clarity (what truly matters?) and compassion (what's actually sustainable?).

If you don't mind sharing, I'd love to hear yours!
Just hit 'reply' and I'll get back to you as fast as possible.

Thanks for checking in—see you next month!

Best,
Robin