1. To get intial people to your website, post and comment on subreddits and hackernews discussions when it is relevant. (Learned at 1 follower)
2. Many mods will see your website link as spammy even if the users like it. Images/Youtube are seen as more acceptable. (Learned at 8 followers)
3. Don’t waste time putting a payment link if nobody is even using the website. Even better, get a payment before making the site. This is less fun however. (Learned at 36 followers)
4. Only the most interested fans will sign up for your email list. Social media gives people with slight interest a noncommittal way to follow you. Also social proof. (Learned at 91 followers)
5. You can get large amounts of new people to see your website/Tiktok one time, but they will repeatedly check out your work on Twitter/Youtube. Convert everyone to those. (Learned at 175 followers)
6. A quick crutch is to build on top of the effort of others. Ideally something interesting/viral that doesn’t have enough attention. Or something from 10+ years ago that everyone forgot.
   Many top creators played games, interviewed someone, or reacted to other content when they started. As a bonus, you learn what truly creative & good content looks like. Beware of doing this too much. (Learned at 333 followers)
7. The Tiktok audience typically wants to be entertained. The Twitter audience typically wants to be part of a conversation. Carefully think when you link to either one. (Learned at 385 followers)
8. Find people with the type of followers you want. The more followers these people have than you, the better. Be early to comment on their posts with something relevant and interesting. Their early followers will check out your profile. (Learned at 425 followers)
9. Summarize breaking news. Everyone is too lazy to read. The earlier you do it, the better. You can post your summary several different times with different angles (funny, informative, etc) to see what sticks. (Learned at 520 followers)
10. Get bigger accounts to repost, like, and comment on your posts. The easy way is by positively talking about something they are working on (ideally in a unique way) or being on their side in some controversy. The better way is by writing things they find relevant and interesting. You can even link to it in their threads. (Learned at 520 followers)
11. Current Hypothesis: For Twitter/Tiktok post several times a day to get into the algorthim that suggests your content to others without them directly following you. This may take up to 6 weeks. Also buy Twitter Blue.

Latest. OpenShelf

A Low cost, open-source inventory robot for optometrists and pharmacists.

5. Dare to Fail Gloriously

Live metrics of everything I am building.

Total Views: 2105 (+1866 today)

4. LazyReminder

Reminders by email & text that keep following up.

Total Views: 472 (+88 today)

Total Users: 19 (+6 today)

3. Elonman

Make webcomics with sound and movement. Also an original comic I made about a completely true story.

Total Views: 7994 (+167 today)

Total Subscribers: 15 (+1 today)

Total Users: 77 (+0 today)

2. Smarketman

Paste react code (or any other code) into any other website. Good for changing multiple websites at the same time like I have.

Total Views: 764 (+44 today)

Total Users: 5 (+0 today)

1. Personal Blog

Posts about startups and creativity that I write every 2 weeks since 2018.

Total Views: 21786 (+95 today)

Total Subscribers: 15 (+1 today)

18. Phone Scan Tool – TO BE DETERMINED

See if you can be doxxed just from your phone number.

Reason Ended: Not Ended

17. Style Stealer – FAIL

Reason Ended: No Users

Total Users: 0

16. Ready Return – FAIL

Drop off your packages at local stores instead of the post office.

Reason Ended: Never Launched

15. XueDianNow – FAIL

Remote tech support for Chinese Parents.

Reason Ended: No Users

Total Users: 0

14. ZipX – SUCCESS

Import whatever you want into 18 different South East Asian countries. Once covid started, sold plane loads of masks and hand sanitizer to large customers like the French postal service, Hong Kong government, Hong Kong University, US Customs, and DHL. I was promoted to CEO of the company that acquired mine within a year.

Reason Ended: 2 year Golden Handcuffs Ended.

Total Revenue: $50,000,000

13. Trusu – SUCCESS

Import whatever you want into Hong Kong

Reason Ended: Acquired

Total Users: 2,000

Total Revenue: Don’t recall the total but $30,000 / month

Money Raised: $185,000

Fundraising Fails:

12. Sharesheet – FAIL

A simpler version of Google sheets for your phone. Google sheets isn’t THAT bad on your phone.

Reason Ended: Never Launched

11. Hypothesize – FAIL

Run complicated statistical methods on data you have without knowing any statistics. I had to stop when my cofounder and roommate started to believe he was Jesus and I was Judas. He got committed to an insane asylum for a bit and is better now.

Reason Ended: Cofounder Dispute

10. Minty Hand – FAIL

Drag and Drop to create Websites/Mobile Apps from inside a mobile phone app. Recently I found Onuniverse.com launched something similar to what I was thinking.

Reason Ended: Never Launched

9. Video Producer – FAIL

Make videos and commericals for hire.

Reason Ended: No Users (first one churned)

Total Users: 1 (and then 0)

Total Revenue: $300

8. Pedal – SUCCESS

Mobile app for buying gym day passes. The technology, 300+ gym contracts, and contact at Airbnb was interesting enough for us to get acquired for a little.

Total Users: 0

Fundraising Fails:

7. Shotput – FAIL

API for warehouse fullfilment and shipping. Customers were the top ~10 Kickstarters / Indiegogo campaigns at the time. All went bankrupt except 2 smaller campaigns. Walmart.com, Tuft & Needle, and Soylent expressed interest but profit would have been too low for any of them.
We ended up charging 10 cents a shipment to a bunch of startups with a until my cofounder’s personality and behavior became too erratic for me to stay.

Reason Ended: Cofounder Dispute

Total Users: 15

Total Revenue: $8,000

Money Raised: $1,700,000

Fundraising Fails: