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.
You can’t predict when opportunity will come
Hi Reader,
It’s been a busy week.
Mailchimp raised their prices by 18%, and Gumroad raised their prices by as much as several hundred percent.
We’re in a good position to make the most of this, because we have two alternative products:
- Our email marketing product (similar to Mailchimp)
- Our Commerce product (similar to Gumroad)
You can use either one, but it’s most powerful if you use them both together.
I’ve been building ConvertKit for almost a decade now, so it’s long been an alternative to MailChimp.
But we only in the past couple years built ConvertKit Commerce.
At the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020, there was a huge spike in entrepreneurship and digital product sales. We hadn’t built ConvertKit Commerce yet, so we weren’t in a position to capitalize on the opportunity.
But we just kept building, so when Gumroad announced last week they were increasing their prices, we already had a great solution for creators to sell their digital products.
Our fees are quite low compared to the competition (just 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction). You don't need monthly subscription to use ConvertKit Commerce. You only pay when you get paid.
(On a related note, I shared a Twitter thread yesterday with 6 things you’ll love about ConvertKit Commerce.)
You may not always be in the right place at the right time to seize an opportunity when it comes, but there will be more opportunities in the future.
The important thing is to keep going. Do the work consistently, and get those steady gains. Doing so will put you in a position to capitalize on opportunities when they come along.
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Visit OtherboardCURRENTLY READING
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
It’s been fascinating to learn of the many things Benjamin Franklin invented and to see all the risks he took. Another thing I was inspired by is the community he formed for skilled craftsmen. The club regularly got together to meet and discuss business, philosophy, and give members an opportunity to network with each other.
FROM TWITTER
To think differently, read differently
Tiago Forte posted a thought-provoking thread about how reading books that were relatively unknown, and had never appeared on any bestseller list, prompted many turning points in his life.
If you disagree with someone, would you read their book? Most people would probably say no. But it’s a good idea to challenge your worldview.
Too often, we seek out information (whether on Twitter or other places) that we already agree with. The problem is, our feeds are designed to show us more of what we already like and agree with. To avoid getting stuck in a bubble, you need a deliberate practice of pursuing things that come from a different perspective.
When was the last time you picked up a book knowing you’d probably disagree with a lot of what’s in it?
A good exercise when it comes to things you disagree with is to ask yourself, “What if this was true?”
Merry Christmas!
—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.
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