I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
Be a creator, not a critic
Hey Reader,
In today's culture, we often reward the critic with just as much attention and fame as the creator. Far more than they deserve.
As more creators dare to create, they often don’t meet the standards we think they should. Whether it’s a beginner whose skill doesn’t yet match their taste or the professional who makes a misstep. There’s someone waiting to criticize.
That criticism gets attention. It’s usually witty, accurate, cutting, and possibly even deserved. But most of all, it’s unnecessary.
Years ago, when a friend of ours was being attacked by Twitter mobs for a misinterpreted tweet, Ryan Delk said to me, “I decided years ago that I would always be on the side of the creator.”
That one line has stuck with me.
That means not mocking your product idea. Not publicly complaining about bugs, typos, or poor design. But instead understanding that you dared to create and that should be encouraged. Especially if it isn’t yet to a high standard or your full potential.
Constructive criticism is important for growth. As creators, we need to get better at opening that door for those who truly want to push us to be better, not just mock those who misstep.
Don’t be a critic with an opinion on every new thing. Instead, choose to be a creator, building the future.
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PODCAST
Your Billion Dollar Offer
What does a Billion Dollar Creator do that a six or seven-figure creator doesn’t? Most creators are operating in the attention economy, building personal brands. But making billions means doing something different, leveraging your attention to expand beyond your personal brand, and in this episode, we’re diving into how to make that a reality.
We're live from FinCon with the incredible creator Paula Pant. We’re profiling creators who are competing for big money, dissecting what they’re doing right, and showing you three rules for thinking bigger and creating a billion-dollar offer.
Also, we’re doing live shows in Austin and Los Angeles next week. In case you missed it, we’re on tour and hosting a live recording of the podcast, inviting a special guest, and hosting a creator meetup in each city. There are still tickets available to both events, and we'd love to see you there!
Grab your tickets here:
BLOG POST
“The Final Chapter of My First Startup”
Rand Fishkin shares a deeply personal story of when he left the company he spent 17 years of his life building.
I appreciate Rand’s candid take on what actually happened behind the scenes.
PHOTO
First solo flight!
Learning to fly has been my big goal this year. This weekend I just hit a big milestone of my first solo flight.
Even after over 40 flights with an instructor, it was odd to look over and see an empty seat next to me. I bought a Cirrus SR22T in September and I’ve been finishing out my training in it. It’s such a fun plane.
Have a great week!
—Nathan
Nathan Barry
I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.