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.
College student. Billionaire. Same phone.
|
Hey Reader, It’s crazy to me that a college student and a billionaire own basically the same phone and laptop. For all the inequality in the world, access to technology in the developed world is a remarkably level playing field. No matter how much money you have, you can't buy a better phone than the latest iPhone. Even these insanely powerful AI tools are available at democratized prices of roughly $20/month. Think about what this means for you as a creator: The tools that were once gatekeepers to entire industries are now accessible to almost everyone. The software that powers multi-million dollar businesses is available at a price point almost anyone can afford. James Clear, with his millions of newsletter subscribers, uses the same tool to reach his audience as the brand-new author just getting started: they both use Kit. The playing field, at least in terms of tools, has been leveled. But here’s where it gets interesting. If everyone has access to the same tools, why aren’t more people succeeding? Because tools are just tools. They don’t create success on their own. I’ve watched thousands of creators build their businesses over the years. The ones who succeed aren’t necessarily the ones with the best equipment or the most expensive software. They’re the ones asking the right questions:
OLD world:You learned specific skills, then approached clients or employers saying: “Here’s what I can do. How would you like to use my skills?” You sold your ability to execute. NEW world:Execution is becoming commoditized. AI can write decent copy, generate images, and even code basic applications. The value now comes from knowing what to build in the first place. This shift represents an incredible opportunity for creators. Because while everyone might have access to the same tools, not everyone is asking the right questions or solving meaningful problems.
The real advantage today isn’t in having exclusive access to tools—it’s in your unique ability to identify problems worth solving and your specific approach to solving them.
I see this play out at Kit every day. Some creators struggle despite having every tool they need, while others build thriving businesses with simple setups because they’re focused on delivering real value to a specific audience. With today’s AI and coding tools, you can build practically anything you can imagine. The technical barriers have never been lower. Anyone with an idea can bring it to life without knowing how to code or design. This abundance of tools means the strategic questions become even more important. When you can build virtually anything, deciding what’s worth building becomes your most crucial decision. The limitation is no longer technical capability—it’s clarity of vision. So instead of asking “What new tool do I need?” try asking “What problem am I solving?” and “Who am I solving it for?” Because in a world where everyone has access to the same tools, your competitive advantage is in how you use them. PODCASTThe 7-Step Framework To Build a $30K/Month Coaching BusinessToday’s conversation with John Meese, creator of SOLD OUT Coach Club, is a masterclass in building a profitable coaching business with simplicity. It’s a deep-dive into his 7-step framework for building a $30k/mo group-coaching business—with zero paid ads and zero social media. Watch or listen to episode » X POSTPrepare for Litigation Before It HappensTyler Tringas shares a sobering story about how he personally wasted years of energy and money on litigation. His thread on X encourages entrepreneurs to think through potential legal challenges before they happen. He recommends uploading your insurance policy to an AI tool to identify likely litigation scenarios for your business, then checking if you’re actually covered. Most founders only discover coverage gaps when they’re already in trouble. Take a few minutes now to save yourself the headache later. BOOKThe Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk MoreMy friend Jefferson has over 6 million followers who watch him share communication tips while sitting in his car (if you don’t follow him on Instagram, you need to). His book takes all the advice he shares in his videos and puts it together in a way that’s easy to follow and use in your everyday conversations. The way he explains things makes communication feel simple. Whether it’s a tough work conversation or connecting with someone you care about, his ideas help you navigate any situation with confidence. I recently had Jefferson on my podcast (the episode drops next month), and he shows up the same way in real life as he does on camera—cool, calm, and in control. I highly recommend picking up The Next Conversation. It’s full of memorable tips that will help you level up your communication skills. 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.
Hey Reader, If I could solve only one thing in my business, that would have the biggest impact, what would that be? This is the question every great entrepreneur obsesses over. Rather than trying to do everything at once, you look for the bottleneck and focus on solving that. There’s a book called The Goal by an Israeli physicist named Eliyahu Goldratt. It’s a 1984 business novel that business systems nerds love. However if you’re not a business systems nerd you probably… won’t love it. It’s...
Hey Reader, Have you ever spent money on something and immediately felt guilty afterward? Will Guidara spends his money foolishly on purpose. And he thinks you should too. He once bought an entire barrel of whiskey and put it in his basement. He also put a skee-ball machine in the office. Is he going to get a monetary return on either of these things? No. But that’s kind of the point. He calls it the 95/5 rule: Manage your money and time like a maniac 95% of the time (no expense is too...
Hey Reader, Have you ever spent a whole day on something almost nobody saw? It's painful when the whole reason you worked hard was because you wanted to reach people. If you teach a workshop in person, you reach the 20 people in that room. But if you record that same workshop once, you can keep teaching for years on autopilot. This is the concept of leverage, and it's something I talk about in my upcoming book, The Ladders of Wealth (you can pre-order it now). A lot of people will look back...