Creator Science with Jay Clouse

Afleveringen

• #307: Richard van der Blom — The state of LinkedIn in 2026 (based on data from 1.3 million posts) 02.06.2026 50min

  Richard van der Blom published his first LinkedIn algorithm report years ago as a curiosity project. This year, he and his team analyzed 1.3 million posts from 50,000 creators — and the headline number is hard to ignore: reach is down 60% for active creators over the last two years. Even harder to stomach: 80% of the comments Richard receives in the first five minutes of any post are written by AI. Richard is the author of the annual LinkedIn Algorithm Insights report — the most data-backed independent study of the platform I've found. He's also been targeted by LinkedIn's legal team, banned from the platform, and watched the third-party tools he relied on get shut down one by one. He keeps publishing anyway. In this episode, we talk about: Why reach is down 60% for active creators — and why LinkedIn says that's intentional What "topic fingerprinting" is and how to use it to re-teach the algorithm who you are How your comments now shape your interest graph, not just your human visibility Why LinkedIn newsletters are outperforming regular posts on reach, engagement, and conversion By the end of this episode, you will understand exactly what changed in the LinkedIn algorithm, why the old playbook is working against you, and the specific moves to make in 2026. 2026 LinkedIn Algorithm Insights Report Richard van der Blom on LinkedIn Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (02:36) Richard's one-word description of LinkedIn in 2026: "turbulent" (07:38) The shift from relationship graph to interest-based graph — the biggest change in 10 years (11:36) Topic fingerprinting: how to re-teach the algorithm who you are (14:47) Why commenting on the wrong posts actively hurts your reach (16:41) Richard's 25-30 minute daily commenting system, broken down (25:17) The free bookmark search trick for building curated feeds (31:41) Newsletters vs. standalone articles — the numbers are not close (35:16) LinkedIn newsletter analytics: click-by-link tracking is now live (39:37) Optimal posting frequency: down from 5-6x to 2-4x per week (41:18) Why text-only posts require exceptional copywriting to work (43:20) What the top LinkedIn creators know that everyone else misses (45:29) Richard's prediction: LinkedIn is at a crossroads *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #188: Richard van der Blom – How the man behind the LinkedIn Algorithm Report uses LinkedIn. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY Creator Science Newsletter Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) Join The Lab (private membership community) Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT Connect on Twitter Connect on Instagram Connect on LinkedIn Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #306: What 16 Years Behind YouTube's Biggest Channels Taught Josh Mattingly About Hiring And The Current State of YouTube 26.05.2026 1u 10min

  Josh is the founder of Upright Media, an operating partner for content creators handling operations, consulting, recruiting, and post-production. His clients include some of YouTube's biggest channels — Erak, Smosh, Emma Chamberlain, Dude Perfect, Matthew Beam, and Chris Williamson. He runs 11 full-time staff and about 40 contractors worldwide. He describes himself as a creator without a channel. This conversation also took a turn into what YouTube actually rewards right now, why "companionship content" is quietly eating the internet, and the concept of the "shitty flow state" — that experience where you put down your phone 35 minutes after opening Instagram and can't name a single thing you saw. Upright Media Brad Stulberg — The Way of Excellence Monday.com (project management tool Josh uses) Topper Guild (YouTube channel) Speeed (James Pumphrey + Jesse Wood) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Josh's opening: don't lose sight of the big goals that motivate your team (00:26) Who Josh Mattingly is and what Upright Media does (08:16) Excitement vs. panic — how much of working 80 hours a week is actually anxiety (12:49) Why most creators hire from panic — and how Josh reframes it around a goal (22:35) Build the team around what you're doing well, not where you think you're going (24:36) The positioning exercise: what is your channel, actually — and why it drives every hire (20:36) Speeed channel case study: lean team, clear mission, "GQ for this generation" (27:02) What YouTube is biased toward right now: real connection over spectacle (30:02) The content spectrum: entertainment → education → companionship content (40:01) The "shitty flow state" — why most of what we consume doesn't satisfy (55:52) Hiring mistake: moving too fast — interview 10 more after you find "the one" (56:56) Building a hiring committee as a solopreneur using peers and friends *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #175: Angus Parker – Ali Abdaal’s right-hand man shares a YouTuber’s guide to hiring. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ 🧪 Join The Lab 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #305: Big 3: Three Wins, Three Concerns, and Three Experiments for May 19.05.2026 35min

  Every month inside the Lab, I do a full retrospective: wins, concerns, experiments, with all the numbers on the table. I've never felt comfortable putting the whole thing out publicly, but I do think the practice itself is worth sharing. So this episode is my lightweight version: three big wins from April, three things I'm genuinely worried about heading into May, and three experiments I'm kicking off. I'm also testing a new name for this format: the Big Three. April was, by most measures, a really good month. A baby boy on the way, the biggest partnership deal I've ever signed, and a speaking slot at Press Publish LA. But sitting alongside all of that is a real anxiety: I'm watching my audience pull back, sales slowing, people tightening up. And I'm rebuilding a lot of the business simultaneously, too. This episode is me thinking out loud about all of it. The Lab — Creator Science membership community Circle — community platform powering the Lab Press Publish LA — Colin & Samir's creator event, late May Build a Beloved Membership — Jay's membership course (cohort coming July) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:14) Introducing the lightweight retro format ("the Big Three") (01:38) Win #1: Baby boy on the way — and what it means for the next six months (04:28) Win #2: Biggest partnership deal ever — Circle for the rest of the year (06:03) Win #3: Speaking at Press Publish LA (07:24) Concern #1: The oxygen mask moment — slowing sales and audience withdrawal (09:47) "Give where it hurts" — the counter-intuitive move in uncertain times (13:41) Concern #2: Rebuilding the business from the ground up (18:56) Concern #3: Are we trying to do too much? (19:25) Experiment #1: Building out the team (Ana, Ritzy, and Tubey in Slack) (27:46) Experiment #2: The Membership Summit (June 23–26) + cohort in July (30:41) Experiment #3: A new AI-forward product model, piloting inside the Lab first *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #291: 48 Hours With Clawdbot: How I’m Using It and Initial Reactions *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞 Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #277: The best and worst income streams for creators (ranked) [Greatest Hits] 12.05.2026 20min

  I’ve been a full-time creator for 8 years now and have earned $2,192,000 since 2022. I’ve spent a LOT of time and money experimenting with different ways to make money on the internet, so I’m going to rank them. The best and the worst. I show you 15 different revenue streams and rate them from S to F based on their potential versus the effort required. By the very end of the video, you’ll know which ones are right for you. And at any point, if you agree or disagree, let me know in the comments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:32) AdSense (01:36) Sponsorship & Brand Deals (03:30) Content Memberships (04:30) Done-For-You Services (05:27) Royalties (06:28) 1-to-1 Coaching & Consulting (07:38) Affiliates (09:36) User Generated Content (UGC) (10:17) Group Programs (11:25) Digital Products (12:56) Speaking (14:27) Live Events (15:53) Community Memberships *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#267: When to use low-ticket offers, refund policies, how much I earned in the last 12 months, and my 5-year vision [Ask CS Pt. 1]⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #304: Sam Vander Wielen’s Beautifully Elegant Business: $8M+ From One Product. No Pivots. No New Offers. No Down Years. 05.05.2026 52min

  Sam Vander Wielen is an attorney turned entrepreneur who built the go-to legal template shop for online businesses. Her flagship product, the Ultimate Bundle, a package of fill-in-the-blank contracts and video trainings, has generated over $8 million in lifetime revenue and now earns close to $2 million per year with essentially one full-time employee. She published her first book with Hachette in April 2025, and she runs everything through a single evergreen webinar funnel that quietly generates six figures a month between launches. I met Sam at Craft and Commerce last year, and when I saw her post about 10,000+ webinar registrants and a $500,000 launch, I knew I had to talk to her. What blew me away wasn't the numbers; it was the simplicity. One product. One funnel. Two launches a year. Relentless customer research. She's the clearest example I've seen of someone who found the main thing and refused to let anything pull her off it. Sam Vander Wielen Sam's Sidebar Newsletter The Ultimate Bundle Book: When I Start My Business, I'll Be Happy (Hachette, 2025) On Your Terms Podcast Sam on Barrett Brooks' podcast (referenced in intro) VideoAsk Growth in Reverse (Chenell Basilio) — referenced interview Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Jay introduces Sam and her $8M+ legal template business (02:27) What the Ultimate Bundle actually is — and why it hasn't changed much since 2017 (03:47) The Olive Garden effect: how Sam thinks about community and lifetime customer support (10:00) The $500K launch breakdown — what went right and why it wasn't an accident (13:28) Sam's full launch strategy: the teaser period, invite period, and treating registration like concert tickets (18:03) The on-webinar bonus that drove 128 purchases live — and why a book beat a $100 discount (22:56) How Sam uses VideoAsk to boost show-up rates and make 11,000 registrants feel personally seen (28:39) Voice of customer research: quarterly customer calls, AI transcript synthesis, and why Sam still reads the raw transcripts herself (33:14) Why working less keeps making the business better — and what the 'entrepreneurial gap year' actually means (36:04) What motivates Sam (honest answer: fear) — and what Jay relates to in that (42:00) Why AI isn't a threat to Sam's business — and how she reframed the 'doubt language' from Google to Claude *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #292: Chenell Basilio — The state of email in 2026, growing your list without social media, and new predictions. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ 🧪 Join The Lab 🧞 Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #303: Riley Brown — The AI Content Creator Who Doesn’t Write With AI 28.04.2026 55min

  Riley Brown posted the first TikTok video about ChatGPT the day it launched. It got 20 million views and took him from zero to 200K followers in less than two weeks. Since then, he's built an audience of 1.5 million across platforms, raised $9 million to co-found a vibe-coding startup in San Francisco, and developed a content system so systematic that a single viral video gets reposted across seven accounts every week for the rest of the year. In this episode, Riley shares his philosophy for staying on the edge of any niche, why playing beats structure when it comes to content, how he runs a content operation with two overseas editing agencies and a separate thumbnail designer, and the Twitter strategy — posting viral videos across seven accounts — that tripled his company's revenue in two months. He also makes a strong case for educational screen-share YouTube videos as the single biggest content opportunity right now, and explains why using AI to write your scripts is, in his words, "suicide." Riley Brown on X/Twitter Vibecoding Tella — screen recording tool Riley recommends Typefully — Twitter scheduling tool Riley uses Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) How Riley's first ChatGPT TikTok got 20 million views (04:56) First mover advantage: (07:50) How Riley films his videos (11:24) Why structure made his content worse (13:06) Jay's honest moment (21:33) The case for educational screen-share YouTube videos (26:45) His content strategy (30:43) The seven-account Twitter strategy that tripled revenue (37:37) Gimmicks that actually boost retention (41:00) Why AI writing your scripts is suicide in the long run (42:37) The content farm future and how to survive it (50:14) Platform rankings: where to start today *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE #183: Thomas Frank – How to build a successful tutorial channel. #288: He gained 190K Instagram followers in 508 days…but wouldn’t do it again | Yoni Smolyar *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #302: Coaching Session: Overcoming My Delegation Problems with Michael Bungay Stanier 21.04.2026 1u 7min

  This episode is a little different. Michael Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit, with over a million copies sold, reached out and offered to do something I didn't expect: a live coaching session, recorded, here on the podcast. The topic: my delegation issue. Not the tactics (I know the tactics). Something deeper has its foot on the brake. What unfolded was one of the most honest, vulnerable conversations I've had on this show. Michael walked me through the Immunity to Change framework, where we uncovered that I'm getting more out of the status quo than I realize. There are commitments I have to the way things are right now that I haven't even named. We named them. And then we ran small experiments to test whether the things I'm most afraid of would actually come true. The Coaching Habit (10th Anniversary Edition) MBS Works (Michael Bungay Stanier) Box of Crayons Immunity to Change (Kegan & Lahey) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The inner monologue: lack of courage (00:22) Introducing Michael Bungay Stanier — and why this episode is different (01:46) Michael's outreach: 'Your delegation issue is probably hard change, not easy change' (03:24) The setup: Jay's wife is the only other 'full time employee' (08:58) Easy change vs. hard change — and why more tactics won't solve hard change (14:24) Defining the real challenge: more time on the business, not in it (17:26) The embarrassing list: all the things Jay is doing (and not doing) contrary to his goal (22:48) Flipping the script: what would you be worried about if you actually delegated? (26:30) Competing commitments — the foot on the brake even while pumping the accelerator (28:42) 'I'm committed to not let anybody else work in the business' (34:15) The apocalypse: what if it all goes wrong? The deepest fear, named (39:09) Reframe: it's not a lack of courage, it's a protective system (40:15) Small experiments to test the fears, not just grit through them (42:28) Experiment #1: Give Izzy more autonomy and outcome ownership (45:10) Experiment #2: Lead sponsorship conversations, test revenue potential (47:01) Experiment #3: Protect morning time for on-the-business thinking (55:44) 'How fascinating' — shifting physical state to get out of anxiety (59:35) The insight: running toward something vs. running away from something *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #82: Michael Bungay Stanier – How to Begin Setting a Worthy Goal *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 → Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 → Get CreatorHQ 🧪 → Join The Lab 🧞‍♂️ → Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 → Connect on Twitter 📸 → Connect on Instagram 💼 → Connect on LinkedIn 📹 → Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 → View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #301: How To Stop Limiting Yourself (Backed By Science) with Nir Eyal 14.04.2026 1u

  Nir Eyal has spent his career studying why people don't do what they know they should. After writing Hooked and Indistractable, he kept getting a strange kind of call: readers who'd read the book, knew the steps, and still didn't do them. That puzzle led him down a six-year research path into the one variable missing from every motivation model: belief. In this conversation, Nir shares the science behind his new NYT bestseller Beyond Belief, and the framework that explains why knowing what to do is never enough. We go deep on the Motivation Triangle (behavior + benefit + belief), the difference between limiting and liberating beliefs, and why positive thinking and visualization can actually make your goals harder to reach. Nir walks through the turnaround process live—we use my own imposter syndrome as the test case—and you'll hear him demonstrate, in real time, how quickly a belief that feels like a fact can dissolve when you examine it. If belief is the hidden ceiling on your performance as a creator, this episode is the blueprint for raising it. Beyond Belief by Nir Eyal Nir's website — nirandfar.com Full transcript *** TIMESTAMPS (05:36) The Motivation Triangle (07:22) Why information is a solved problem (10:26) Beliefs vs. facts vs. faith (15:48) Limiting beliefs vs. liberating beliefs (21:46) The #1 reason people don't achieve goals (22:59) Why the brain hates changing its mind (31:31) Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (34:27) The turnaround: collecting a portfolio of perspectives (42:24) Talking to Yourself In the Third Person (47:24) The Circle of False Promise (50:00) What athletes actually visualize (53:51) 'Imposter syndrome' is not a real diagnosis (56:10) Your labels become your limits *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #300: I Spent Three Days With A Dozen New York Times Bestselling Authors → #171: Nir Eyal – Writing books, persuasion vs. coercion, and how to be indistractable *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY Creator Science Newsletter Get CreatorHQ Join The Lab Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT Twitter Instagram LinkedIn YouTube *** SPONSORS View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #300: I Spent Three Days With A Dozen New York Times Bestselling Authors 07.04.2026 48min

  I recorded this just a few days removed from an author's mastermind in Franklin, Tennessee. I got a call from Haley at Kit a few weeks ago—she was putting together a small group mastermind with James Clear, and I was on the list. What I didn't expect was that the rest of the list was a dozen New York Times bestselling authors, including Jefferson Fisher, Vanessa Van Edwards, Amy Porterfield, Nir Eyal, Sahil Bloom, Tori Dunlap, and more. Over three days, I took pages of notes. This episode breaks down tactical takeaways (newsletter tours, AI consciousness filters, tiny offers), memorable quotes from the authors, insights on event structure that could inform our Boise event, and my honest reflection on authorship and team building. There was zero gatekeeping—everyone was incredibly generous with what they knew. James Clear's Atomic Habits Will Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality Tori Dunlap episode (Creator Science) Rob Fitzpatrick's helpthisbook.com EOS (Entrepreneur Operating System) Culture Index Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro (00:45) How I got invited (01:39) The Attenddee List (02:40) Psyching myself up (03:14) Notes on the vibes (03:53) What I'll cover Today (04:32) Event structure (09:09) Gifts from James (12:07) Review of Tactics Shared (31:21) Misc. Reflections (37:59) Authors Equity Model (39:44) Quotes I’m Remembering (44:30) Closing *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → Next Episode *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ 🧪 Join The Lab *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram *** SPONSORS → View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #299: What Nobody Tells You About Publishing a Book—with Award-Winning Podcaster Eric Zimmer 31.03.2026 1u 1min

  Eric Zimmer launched The One You Feed podcast in 2014 with no audience, no name recognition, and a podcast name that took explaining. Twelve years, 850+ episodes, and 500 million downloads later, he released his first book — How a Little Becomes a Lot — a title that is, in every way, the story of his life. In this conversation, we talk about how incremental progress actually works, why you can't see it happening in real time, and why that's actually fine. We also go deep on the business reality of podcasting in 2026 — the early mover advantage is gone, ad CPMs are harder to sustain, and Eric is actively pivoting from reaching many people loosely to serving fewer people more deeply. Then we spend a lot of time in the weeds of the book publishing process: the six-month proposal, the 18 months of writing in half-day increments, the uncomfortable dance between your vision and what an agent and publisher think will sell, and the emotional work of promotion — watching who shows up and who doesn't, and applying his own frameworks to keep from spiraling. This one got personal. I'm in month 11 of my own book proposal, and Eric helped me see the other side of a process that has genuinely been shaking my confidence. The One You Feed podcast How a Little Becomes a Lot by Eric Zimmer Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (02:54) The One You Feed parable: two wolves, and which one wins (05:18) How to remember to make the right choice daily (Still Point method) (07:37) Building a podcast to 850 episodes: the only way is one at a time (10:14) The hair growth metaphor for creator progress (11:36) How Eric renews his commitment to the show after 12 years (13:47) What it means to enter your "happy place" as a podcast host (17:23) State of podcasting in 2026: early mover advantage is gone (19:11) Pivoting from ad revenue to deeper relationships with fewer people (22:38) Why Eric is (mostly) skipping video — and why that's okay (24:58) The three-person team behind 500 million downloads (27:45) How Eric knew it was finally time to write a book (30:24) The writing process: three half-days a week across 18 months (31:09) The proposal took six months — and ended up looking nothing like Eric's vision (34:21) Jay opens up: 11 months into his own book proposal (39:12) Non-negotiables: how to protect the heart of your book (40:35) Expectations vs. reality of book launch week (43:01) The emotional work of asking everyone you know for support (44:47) Why the marketing marathon is harder than the writing (50:55) How to ask for blurbs — and who says yes (Susan Cain, Charles Duhigg, Young Pueblo) (55:51) What Eric would do differently for book two *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#163: David Moldawer — Diving deep into book publishing with an industry insider *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ 🧪 Join The Lab 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #298: 9 Things I'm Doing Differently in My Business 26.03.2026 50min

  Nearing the end of Q1, I've been doing a lot of reflection on where the creator economy is heading, and where I want to take Creator Science. There's something interesting happening on the ground: the same energy that used to funnel beginners into content creation has largely shifted to AI and vibe coding. And honestly? I think that's a good thing. The people still showing up for this work seem to have their heads and hearts in the right place. In this episode, I walk you through 9 priorities on my mind right now — some tactical, some strategic, some still just ideas. From returning to the 1,000 True Fans model and posting more educational content about trust, to building internal AI tools for Creator Science, redesigning member onboarding, and taking November and December completely off. If you're a creator thinking about where to focus your energy in the back half of 2026, I think there's something here for you. Join The Lab 1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly Subscribe to the Creator Science Newsletter → Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The shifting energy in the creator space (05:01) Overview of 9 priorities for 2026 (05:38) Priority 1: Return to 1,000 True Fans (12:44) Priority 2: Being more outspoken (14:53) Priority 3: Increasing the rate of experiments in business and The Lab (17:45) Priority 4: Updating member and subscriber onboarding (23:52) Priority 5: In-person events and experiences for the broader audience (27:57) Priority 6: Getting more time back — taking November and December off (31:58) Priority 7: Building internal tools for Creator Science (42:59) Priority 8: Fewer, longer-term sponsorship partnerships (44:33) Priority 9: Making contact without expectation (46:52) Full recap of all 9 priorities *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → 48 Hours with Clawdbot (Episode 291) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #297: Joy Sullivan — How She Built A Living As A Writer On Instagram and Substack 17.03.2026 52min

  Joy Sullivan is a Portland-based poet who quit her corporate job mid-pandemic and built a thriving creative business through writing carousels on Instagram (115K followers), her Substack "Necessary Salt" (23K subscribers), and a 250-member paid writing community called Sustenance on Circle. She's a former Lab member, and in 2024, she published her first book, Instructions for Traveling West, with Dial Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. What makes her path genuinely unusual: she grew her Instagram predominantly through writing, not video, and she's proof that you can build a real creative business around poetry, which almost nobody does. In this conversation, we get into the tension between craft and platform—her two mantras ("be a poet, not a preacher" and "my vulnerability is not social currency"), her exact Instagram carousel workflow using Canva and ManyChat, why she deliberately walked away from $60K/year in Substack revenue to protect her second book, her controversial take on growing slowly, and what she'd do differently with her first published collection. Plus my own honest reflection on the creative reset I've been living through since my daughter was born. Joy Sullivan Poet Necessary Salt on Substack Sustenance Writing Community Instructions for Traveling West Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Opening quote: “There is no amount of followers worth the sacrifice” (02:08) How Jay describes Joy’s unique approach to building a creative business (02:49) The landscape for writers today — platform pressure meets craft demands (05:19) Why Instagram, not X or LinkedIn, is actually the friendliest platform for writers (08:21) Joy’s two mantras: “Be a poet, not a preacher” + “My vulnerability is not social currency” (11:38) Memorable vs. marketable — and why slow growth protects your art (12:25) Is creating art divorced from performance a privilege or a strategy for newcomers? (14:06) Jay’s biological hard reset after having a daughter — and cosplaying an old self (17:10) The Medusa metaphor: artists weren’t built to withstand this level of visibility (20:30) Reconciling “be a poet” with running a teaching business (22:53) Why certainty is a red flag in 2026 (24:52) Defining “poet” — a container to hold the unsayable (26:00) Instagram vs. Substack: which one she’d keep if forced to choose (27:22) The $60K Substack year — and why she deliberately walked away from it (29:34) How full-time writers actually pay their bills (hint: not book sales) (32:00) Why you should NOT turn on paid Substack subscriptions immediately (34:56) The Instagram carousel workflow: Substack → test → pull excerpts → Canva → ManyChat (39:48) The cat synchronicity moment — and the “scars not scabs” philosophy (44:50) What she’d do differently about her first book (47:31) What she’d change about Substack if she could (48:32) Final advice: fall in love with your craft before chasing an audience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #296: Meet The Man Who Solved YouTube (With Data)—Richard from 1of10 10.03.2026 51min

  Richard is the co-founder of 1of10, a research platform built by YouTube strategists, and his team has quietly been behind the scenes for some of the biggest channels on the platform—helping creators accumulate over 2 billion views through a repeatable, data-backed system. In this episode, Richard walks through his complete four-phase ideation system—audience identification, outlier research (using five distinct methods), idea remixing, and validation—and backs every step with real examples. We talk about what happens when the wrong audience floods your channel, why creators should double and triple down on formats that work, and how a single title change took one creator's video from 10,000 views to 150,000. He also shares data from 300,000+ YouTube outliers on the ideal title length (hint: shorter than you think) and where the sweet spots are for video duration across different niches. Save 20% on 1of10 using code JAY20 Schedule a 1of10 Strategy Call Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (01:12) Where 80-85% of YouTube success comes from (01:50) Phase 1: Audience (03:19) When should you start a fresh channel instead of pivoting? (04:09) The danger of going viral with the wrong audience (05:40) Phase 2: Research (07:37) Format vs. Interest Topic (08:00) Method 1: Inside your own channel (10:52) Tripling and quadrupling down (12:33) Method 2: Inside your niche (13:45) Method 3: Adjacent niches (16:00) Method 4: Outside your niche (17:37) The "Japanese Rule" format (20:56) Method 5: External inspiration (22:07) Phase 3: Remixing (23:00) Escalation, inversion, and interest topic replacement (24:10) Viral vectors: concepts that work across all niches (25:28) Phase 4: Validation (27:00) Optimal video duration by niche (30:45) Why long videos are making a comeback (31:39) Total Addressable Viewership (34:36) Titles: Fear, Curiosity, and Desire as the three core drivers (37:17) Data: Title Length (37:51) Three methods for generating title angles (42:11) Thumbnails: Composition and Elements (45:11) It's never too late: title/thumbnail changes (46:10) Live demo: 1of10 thumbnail generator (48:10) The full 1of10 workflow *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #282: David Altizer — How to Make Great Thumbnails (For Non-Designers) *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #295: Community Building Trends for 2026 with Becky Pierson Davidson 03.03.2026 56min

  I brought back Becky Pierson Davidson to compare notes on where community is headed — and we found a few areas of disagreement. Becky works with 6, 7, and 8-figure businesses helping them build memberships and courses through design thinking and customer research, and she's seeing a major shift right now: course businesses are slowing down, and the smart ones are pivoting to membership models. The difference? Shared learning experiences are replacing self-paced education. Community is what people stay for. We dig into the real mechanics: how to set expectations that don't feel like a bait-and-switch, why meaningful engagement isn't what most people think it is, the mastermind paradox (increases retention, decreases forum activity), and why in-person events might be the most important retention lever you're not using. Becky's hot take for 2026: content drops are dying. People don't need more stuff — they need connection and programming that moves them forward. Affinity Collective Build with Becky podcast Episode 197: Building Raving Fans (with Becky & Chanel) Circle (community platform) TightKnit (Slack archive plugin) Dreamers and Doers Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (02:35) Defining community as a product, not a growth engine (04:09) Why community is rising as a business model in 2026 (06:02) The reality of transitioning from courses to memberships (08:01) Finding the right community design for your appetite (10:02) How to avoid the bait-and-switch with member expectations (13:06) Value perception vs. value experience (13:57) The smallest viable promise for your sales page (16:44) Where we disagree: transformation vs. community of practice (21:14) Forum design: why fewer spaces wins (23:17) Solving the engagement problem (what meaningful engagement actually is) (25:50) How the best members actually use your community (29:46) The mastermind paradox: retention up, forum participation down (32:09) In-person experiences and the graduation weekend model (36:39) The economics of offline events (39:35) 2026 Hot Take: Content drops are dying (43:07) Retention rethink: Did I get my money's worth vs. Will I next year? (46:04) Why connection drives retention more than results (48:23) Tool stack: Circle 9 times out of 10 (51:14) The future: personalization in community software *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → Episode 197: Building Raving Fans *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #294: Rob Walling — SaaS godfather turned creator talks team building and vibe coding 24.02.2026 48min

  Rob Walling is a godfather of the bootstrapped SaaS movement — he's started 6 companies (5 bootstrapped), built and sold Drip for 8 figures, and created the infrastructure behind MicroConf, TinySeed (which has raised nearly $60 million and invested in over 210 SaaS companies), and Startups for the Rest of Us (820+ episodes over 15 years). But here's what surprised me: Rob told me he's more of a creator these days than a software founder. The guy who built and sold an email marketing platform now gets his dopamine from podcasting, writing books, and making YouTube videos. And his experience on both sides gives him a perspective on the vibe coding trend that I think every creator needs to hear. In this episode, we get into the actual mechanics of how Rob runs his business — the team of 11 people, the $100,000-$120,000 monthly payroll, the four brands he wishes were two. We talk about how he eliminated stress from his life through therapy, hiring owner-level thinkers, and handing the project management to someone else entirely. And we have a real conversation about why vibe coding a SaaS product is probably not the opportunity you think it is — even if you have a big audience. This is part 1 of a 2-part episode; part 2 lives on Rob's podcast, Startups for the Rest of Us. → Listen to Part 2 on Startups for the Rest Of Us → Rob Walling on Twitter/X → Rob Walling's YouTube Channel → MicroConf → TinySeed → Drip (Rob's 8-figure exit) → SavvyCal (co-founded by Derek Reimer) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:24) Introduction — why Rob Walling is a unicorn in the bootstrapped SaaS world (02:40) Mapping the full Rob Walling business ecosystem: podcast, MicroConf, TinySeed, books, YouTube (05:15) How Producer Ron keeps the trains running on time across four brands (06:44) Inside the team of 11: roles, full-time commitment, and why Rob stopped hiring part-time (07:53) The psychology of making your first full-time hire (and Rob's 8-year wait for MicroConf) (09:33) Moving from task-level to project-level to owner-level thinkers (10:27) Four brands, two LLCs — the insurance story behind the split and why Rob wants to consolidate (12:18) Why Rob doesn't want his name on everything (and the legacy question) (14:41) Identity shifts: from SaaS founder to serial entrepreneur to content creator (16:31) The vibe coding reality check: why building SaaS is 10x harder than creating content (19:09) Why SaaS churn makes recurring revenue harder than it looks for creators (21:04) The construction analogy: tool sheds vs. skyscrapers and where vibe coding breaks down (24:53) Data from 234 investments: only 10-15% of successful SaaS companies lack a technical founder (27:00) The bigger opportunity for creators: equity partnerships instead of vibe coding (29:00) 'Build your network, not your audience' — why audiences plateau for SaaS growth (31:53) A week in Rob's life: deep work Mondays, advising Wednesdays, and the 329 TinySeed founders (34:00) How Rob eliminated stress: therapy, delegation, and giving up project management (38:46) Hiring for high-functioning: screening for 'Producer Ron'-level operators (41:21) The positive tension of deadline stress and why containers make you ship (43:09) Post-exit motivation: 6 months of comic books, guitar, and getting bored into purpose *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#291: 48 Hours With Clawdbot: How I’m Using It and Initial Reactions *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #236: Mike Michalowicz – How the author of Profit First stays lean by licensing his ideas [Greatest Hits] 17.02.2026 54min

  Mike Michalowicz is the author of ⁠Profit First⁠, which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe to drive profit – Creator Science is one of those companies. Profit First has helped me develop sound financials for my business. He’s also the author of Clockwork, a powerful method to make any business run on automatic, and seven other books as well. With more than 500,000 book sales, all of Mike’s books have the same goal – to help small business owners and eliminate what he calls “entrepreneurial poverty.” Simon Sinek has called Mike “…the top contender for the patron saint of entrepreneurs.” This conversation is divided into halves: The first half explores Mike’s unique model as an author. For each book Mike writes, he partners with a third party to license the frameworks from his books and serve as the done-for-you service provider. This is super uncommon and part of why he’s been so prolific while running a very lean team. So we dig into how that works (and what he’d do differently if he were starting over today). The second half of the conversation is all about writing books. Mike has published nine books since 2008 – including 7 in the last 8 years. So we dig into how he determines what ideas to turn into books and how to write them so quickly. ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠ Mike's ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn⁠ *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠#176: April Dunford – How self-publishing a book exploded her client service business.⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠Submit your question here⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠ 🚀 ⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠Join The Lab⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠Connect on Twitter⁠ 📸 ⁠Connect on Instagram⁠ 💼 ⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠ 📹 ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠View all sponsors and offers⁠ *** SAY THANKS 💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠ 🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #293: 12 Ways To Stand Out In 2026 10.02.2026 36min

  The world is changing faster than ever, and sometimes it feels like the old playbooks just aren't working anymore. In this solo episode, I share 12 opportunities I see for creators in 2026—ideas that range from the practical to the philosophical, from the obvious to the genuinely weird. These aren't predictions. They're possibilities. And you don't need to pursue all of them. But keeping a running list of where opportunity exists can help you find the direction that feels most right for you. Some of these ideas might surprise you. Long-form writing making a comeback? In 2026? But I think there's real evidence for it. Others might feel more intuitive—like the continued importance of community, or the value of live learning as self-paced courses lose their luster. And then there are the weirder ones: effortful art, doing the unscalable, being a "good hang." The through-line? In a world racing toward automation and optimization, the most human things are becoming the most valuable. X's Long-Form Writing Competition Substack jay.blog (Jay's Substack) Jay's Writing on Instagram Good Hang Podcast (Amy Poehler) The Lab Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction: Where the opportunities lie in 2026 (01:03) Idea #1: Long-form writing is making a comeback (04:46) Idea #2: Demonstrations and "show don't tell" content (06:37) Idea #3: Verifiable human experiences (why we still watch sports) (08:44) Idea #4: Online community is more important than ever (12:33) Idea #5: Live learning over self-paced courses (15:29) Idea #6: Local media and community building (17:47) Idea #7: AI for normies (niche-specific AI content) (19:41) Idea #8: Effortful art in an AI world (21:54) Idea #9: Being unapologetically yourself (be weirder) (24:29) Idea #10: Doing the unscalable (27:00) Idea #11: Fewer moves, bolder strokes (29:07) Idea #12: Being a good hang (32:03) Recap of all 12 ideas *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #292: Chenell Basilio — The state of email in 2026, growing your list without social media, and new predictions. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → Submit your question here *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #292: Chenell Basilio — The state of email in 2026, growing your list without social media, and new predictions. 03.02.2026 53min

  This week I'm joined by my good friend Chenell Basilio, creator of Growth in Reverse and one of the most thorough newsletter analysts in the space. We spent over an hour diving deep into what's really working in email right now — from the death of newsletter hype to the opportunity hiding in recommendation networks. Chenell shared her framework of "insanely valuable content" (the one thing that matters more than any growth hack), and we got surprisingly honest about using AI to create short-form content from our long-form work. We also tackled the big question: how do you grow an email list if you refuse to use social media? Turns out there are more options than you think — from public homework challenges to old-school guest posting making a comeback. Plus, I introduced a new segment called "Unhinged Questions" where we played kiss, marry, kill with email platforms. Growth in Reverse (Chenell's newsletter) The Dink (pickleball newsletter with great referral program) Lenny's Newsletter (guest posting example) Ship 30 for 30 (public homework example) Tweet 100 (my old challenge that drove email growth) ⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (02:21) Email maturity and the end of newsletter hype (05:16) Why CPC advertising doesn't work for small creators (06:08) Chenell's focus: turning recommendation subscribers into fans (09:01) James Clear had 250K subscribers in 2012 (email inflation is real) (11:20) "It's never been easier to reach someone, harder to sustain a relationship" (12:33) "Insanely valuable content" — the one metric that matters (15:28) The struggle with AI-generated content that performs well (20:11) Short-form repurposing: employee vs. AI debate (24:18) What's no longer working: recommendations (before the reframe) (24:53) YouTube to email is massively underrated (29:25) How to grow without social media (5 strategies) (34:50) Public homework challenges (75 Hard, Tweet 100, Ship 30) (43:31) Unhinged Questions: Kiss, Marry, Kill email platforms (44:44) Operating on hunches without data (45:31) "I hate that I'm not doing deep dives every week" *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #147: Chenell Basilio – How the best newsletter operators grow to 50K+ subscribers *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #291: 48 Hours With Clawdbot: How I’m Using It and Initial Reactions 27.01.2026 47min

  Over the last 48-72 hours, I completely fell down the rabbit hole with a new AI tool called Clawdbot (rebranded TODAY to Moltbot). Instead of my planned episode about what's on my mind in January 2026, I decided to share my raw, unfiltered experience setting up this AI assistant that runs 24/7 and integrates with all my tools. This isn't your typical AI chat interface—it's an always-on assistant I can text through Telegram that proactively handles research, automates workflows, and maintains institutional memory of all my content. I'll walk you through exactly how I discovered it, my security-first setup approach using a virtual private server, the learning curve (spoiler: it took me until 1:30 AM), and the specific ways I'm using it now. From automated guest research and fitness tracking to content ideation from my 300+ podcast transcripts, this tool is changing how I think about AI assistance. But I'm also wrestling with bigger questions about what this means for content creation, human creativity, and where we draw the line on AI-generated work. → Alex Finn video → Learn about Clawdbot → Setup video from Neil Stephenson → Setup video from VelvetShark Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Discovery Through Alex Finn's Video (02:50) What Actually Is Clawdbot? (05:46) Security-First Setup on Virtual Private Server (09:48) Current Integrations: Notion, Oura, Fathom, and More (14:15) Guest Research and Automated Workflows (16:48) Writing Style Analysis Exercise (19:13) Privacy Controls and Fathom Integration (22:54) Security Threats and Ongoing Protection (25:05) Future Plans: Show Notes and Automation (28:38) Should You Use Clawdbot? Technical Requirements (33:16) Costs, Setup Time, and What Can Go Wrong (35:24) The Content Creation Philosophy Question (40:02) Five Types of Content I Still Consume (42:36) How Creators Need to Adapt to AI Reality *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• #290: Behind The Scenes: My End of Year Retro 20.01.2026 36min

  Every month inside The Lab, I do what I call a monthly retro. It's short for retrospective. The idea is that, on a regular basis, you look back at what you have just done to learn from it, course-correct, and move forward. So in my monthly retros, I look at the good things that happened, how I performed against my goals, the concerns I currently have, the changes I'm going to make moving forward, and my goals for next month. → Join The Lab → Subscribe to the newsletter → Read my 2025 Year In Review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Reflecting on Growth and Challenges (05:27) Strong Year-End Revenue Insights (07:37) Signature Product Lab Launch (13:35) Life-Changing Chair Experience (16:23) Christmas Joy and New Nanny (19:32) Video Podcasts Drive Higher Engagement (20:53) Podcast Reflections and Hosting Challenges (26:13) Social Detox and Podcast Focus (29:04) Refining Strategy and Delegation (30:51) Prioritizing Quality Over Schedule (34:02) Exciting Updates and Reflections *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices