This past April, something monumental happened very quietly. Malcolm Gladwell's dreams came true. Seths.blog published post # 10,000. This marks 25 years of graceful daily posting, a massive project.
Usually, Seth tells stories about ideas or others. But on these rare milestone occasions, we glean a few insights into his meta:
Usually, Seth tells stories about ideas or others. But on these rare milestone occasions, we glean a few insights into his meta:
"My biggest surprise? That more people aren’t doing this."
Anyone who has spent sufficient time around me—or read even 2 of my blog posts and clicked on a few links—knows I'm verifiably obsessed with Seth Godin. Hell, at this point, he knows too! I love using his little search box as my own personal google chatGPT alternative.
When I graduated MIT in 2018 and found myself a bit lost, Seth became my "grad school" professor in life. After living and breathing his blogs, books, and podcasts for a couple years, I was finally ready in 2020 to funemploy myself and have been going strong with "no real job" ever since.
I started blogging on the original premise that I'd connect the dots backwards eventually. I'm pleased to say I've finally figured out what this blog thing is doing for me and for the world... Which means it's time for a change.
I shifted to my current platform, Hey World, 4 years ago because it simplified my publication pipeline from my old site, with markdown git pushes and handcrafted bcc gmails 165 times over. But really I was continuing what I've always done here, which is to noodle on my thoughts in public—essentially, I've been journaling out loud from the beginning, and I'm always shocked that anyone even reads this at all!
My blog posts have rarely been finished products. They are usually half-baked, aspirationally PG-esque, but often quite rambling to the point where loyal readers (from various parts of my adopted Kasle family) have gently requested changes in frequency, tone, etc.
I'm always honored by anyone willing to engage and reply. But it's never been quite clear in my mind or writing until now — Seth always asks: Who's it for? What's it for?
This blog is not for you!
I'm sorry, but it's been for me.
To sort through my thoughts.
To explore.
It was only incidental that my blogging had to be public in order for it to function properly, to ship. Now I'm done exploring, and I'm ready to exploit my learnings. My final public exploration isn't even this post, really it's the previous one—where I tried and probably failed to outline this huge new "Alignment" idea I've been wrestling with for the past couple months. But this post is also rambly and big, to be true to my old style...
I updated my Linkedin title to "teacher" because that's what Seth calls himself, and he lovingly links to this cute video in the same way I link to my chess stuff. I used to think he was a good role model because he talked about good ideas, and I could share those ideas with others, and they would get it.
But now I see I'm especially religious about Seth because of how he lives, not just what he says. He lives so generously. And I fucking love it to my bones, so I'm shifting how I live too.
Andys.blog is a new homage and a promise, to myself. Let's see if I can post daily for a few decades too. Maybe I'll eventually say something interesting or intentional.
It's not a huge shift, but it might be 25 years later. I recently made some jokes about a hypothetical yacht that loyal subscribers and close friends might or might not get access to someday. I'm giving up on the yacht thing because it is mostly a joke, and I probably will never own one myself or through any of my entities. (Spaceships though...)
This blog is now dead to me.
andytrattner.com will likely become more like andytrattner.org
I'm not sure if this post marks the end, but it may be my last one here for a long while.
I want to plant more seeds.
I want my new andys.blog to be for you.
Getting out of the psych ward a few weeks ago accelerated my move to SF and offboarding from Shuffle. Thanks Van for helping all 3 of our laid-off contractors quickly obtain new positions in your various companies <3. Thanks Austin for taking over everything so gracefully, in your own special style, and concluding things with me officially this past Friday Sept 5. Sad the acquisitions didn't pan out, but happy now that I'm fully freeeeeee (passively retaining a 30% stake), more funemployed than ever, and super excited to enjoy my egregious 2nd $7,500.00 ticket to this year's All-In summit, today!
Andys.blog is by no means ready yet, but within the next week or two I'll turn my focus to setting things up more fully. Check out the couple drafts already there on "Personal Compounding" and "Narrowing What You Want". Also the subscribe module and pricing tiers. I'd love to hear what you think, any feedback is good feedback. One of my favorites in the past few years, sincerely, was a short frank email saying "your post is stupid".
It's such a joy I get to start on my Seth arc before I turn 30! Andys.blog was only $500, not cheap but not too bad given a lifelong amortization. Later in October will come announcements for AndyGroup.org and JoinAndy.org.
Subscribe if you like!! To be clear, andys.blog will always be completely free. Payment is a gift, completely optional. And reading is optional too, but please forgive me if I point to my blog posts in conversation, like Ben Todd and I enjoy doing.
I understand the new blog may not be for you, dear reader, because many of you are already formed or busy enough to not want a daily inbox bother from me at this point in your lives. No worries, I'll be reaching out personally soon, possibly begging for money on your doorstep, now that starving blogging artist = my new profession:
"Hi, I'm Andy. I blog and mentor founders. I'd love to learn about your art. Super curious, if you're willing to share, how are you self-actualizing?"
I'm excited to have this conversation with the world.
For real now. One by one, if necessary.
Maybe I'll see Cleo in LA and check that I'm onto a HUGE *if true.
Elon has had x.com for a while, Bezos famously owns relentless.com, and Seth secretly has TrustYourself.com my favorite. Originally, I wanted to title this post "Announcing" but in the end decided lowercase better reflects the art of merely shipping:
"One of the most pernicious traps is becoming outcome-obsessed... to saying all that matters is the applause, is the revenue, is making this list or that list, all that matters is the likes... but they aren't the point.
The point is to see the world the way you see it, to do the best work you can, and then to learn from what happens next. That's what makes it a practice."