Three-minute read. Or less.

Welcome to another edition of Three Wins, where I walk you through my process of launching an online course in 2024.

Even if you are not launching an online course, this will help you think about whatever you will launch.

This week, I launched a crazy dumb idea I had for over two years.

-      It was a quest to bring together a small gathering to learn all about counterintuitive thinking.

-      Not learning from reading but thinking and sharing together.

-      It was, on many levels, hard to join.

As it is now in ‘quiet mode’ and to respect the community, I can’t mention its name, but it sold out fast.

My learning is your dumbest ideas contain important gold.

I can’t tell you how excited I am for this experiment to unfold.

1.          Why am I changing how I do online courses?

I hit a low point this week where I had to ask myself this question. (1)

There is nothing like this sinking feeling. Nothing. And I mean nothing. (3)

As I was typing, I hit the wrong key, and I deleted the entire book I had been writing. (1)

(That is the 1/3/1 format, which is a proven writing framework used by top bloggers, which I will be unpacking in the Micro-Blog System.)

Nothing I tried would get it back.

But I have had that happen to me before, and I learned that hard lesson. So, I always have a ‘Just in Case’ saved copy. And yes, it is called that.

Even so, I lost a day of writing.

That is still painful, and that was when I started asking myself why on earth, am I writing a book before I conduct 3 Beta tests? Why am I even doing 3 Beta tests? Why am I making it so hard?

Because I want to go to the next level.

 -      Improve the online course BEFORE it gets made.

-      Improve the book BEFORE it is written.

-      BEFORE is when the race is won.

But BEFORE is more work. More revisions. More back to the drawing board.

When the Micro Blog System launches, I will have done more work on it than anything else I have ever done.

This is what I want you to think about. Good V’s Your Best Work. Hmmm.

2.          Build the community BEFORE.

You see this a lot.

People get very active on a platform when they are launching. They are relentless. But it is too late.

You must build your community BEFORE you launch. You must serve BEFORE you ask. You must build it BEFORE you need it.

Hollywood smells need.

I have no clue when the Micro Blog System will be ready to launch. I don’t know how many Beta tests it will need. When I feel it is there, I will launch it.

In the meantime, I Micro Blog every day. I try to help my small community every day. I write this for you every week.

Most people do it the wrong way.

They ask BEFORE they give. They sell BEFORE they earn trust. They try to build community WHILST launching.

BEFORE is what I want you to think about, too.

3.          Seek criticism. Not praise.

 This week, I had a Zoom call with a professor at one of the world’s best business schools.

 He told me the truth. He told me where I sucked. It was where I used to be good.

 I loved our conversation.

 He cared enough about me to tell me the truth. If you can find people in your life like that, you will be fine. You need more people like that, not less.

 Who can you go to for the truth?

 No progress will start without it.

 That is what I want you to think about, too.

I hope this was useful.

Talk next week.

Have a good switch-off this weekend. 

David

If you are interested in joining the Beta Micro Blog System, find out more here.