How to Have Interesting Ideas (The Ben Thompson Playbook)

What if writing a newsletter could pay your rent? Well, it can. And today, you’re going to learn how.

Ben Thompson makes millions of dollars a year with his writing. He’s the OG of subscription-based newsletter writers. Maybe that’s your dream, too, but you’re plagued by questions like: “What should I write about?” “What’s my business model?” “How do I make my first dollar online?” We’re so glad you asked; because Ben has the answers. In this episode, you’ll learn his exact playbook for how to monetize your writing — not just for right now, but also for the future.

Ben’s blog, Stratechery, is the OG of subscription-based newsletters and actually inspired the creation of Substack. If you’ve ever wondered what a day-in-the-life of someone who makes millions of dollars writing looks like, now’s your chance.

SPEAKER LINKS:
Website & Newsletter: https://stratechery.com/
Twitter:   / benthompson  

WRITE OF PASSAGE:
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:20 Day in the life of Ben Thompson
00:03:00 The Importance of Storytelling in Writing
00:04:30 The Role of Flow State
00:05:30 Balancing Work and Family Life
00:06:40 Finding hooks, audiences, and common threads
00:09:45 Daily Deadlines and Productivity Hacks
00:13:55 Developing a Framework for Writing
00:16:30 The Impact of Regular Writing Everyday
00:24:55 Editing and Finalizing Articles
00:32:25 The Impact of Reading on Writing
00:39:45 "What Clay Christensen Got Wrong"
00:47:30 The Importance of Knowing Your Stuff
00:49:30 The Value of Regular Content Production
01:00:45 Business Models and Media Companies
01:10:00 How the Internet Works (Google, Facebook)
01:24:30 The Challenges and Rewards of Niche Content
01:28:27 Writing Example (Winston Churchill)

PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSbo...

ABOUT THE HOST:
I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.