The Book in Three Sentences
- Sharing your work doesn't require you to be a genius, just consistent and generous, open and not secretive.
- You will attract the people synonymous to the kind of work you put out.
- The more you share the more criticisms you will have - you need to ignore what you have to and learn to power through.
Impressions
With around 150 pages and an extremely easy-to-read writing style, this book was a straightforward and effortless read. I was able to finish it in a day (during a normal day at uni) and would highly recommend everyone to pick it up without hesitation.
While hyping it up to my best friend, I remember describing it as if a baby was giving me advice - but it was the kind of advice that I wished someone would give me after I post literally anything.
"Stock and flow: Flow is the feed. It's the posts and the tweets. It's the stream of daily updates that remind people you exist. Stock is the durable stuff. It's the content you produce that's as interesting in two months (or two years) as it is today. The magic formula is to maintain your flow while working on your stock in the background."
- Robin Sloan
Who Should Read It?
People who are planning or keen on sharing their work but feel hesitant, shy, or insecure.
I used to be someone who checked who viewed my story and based my mood on the amount of responses and interaction it got. This book completely changed my perspective on why, how, and when we should post - and what to expect (or rather, not expect).
How I Discovered the Book
Considering Ali Abdaal has been one of my favourite YouTubers/influencers, I decided to read his recommendations of "life-changing" books. This is one of the three he recommends.
How the Book Changed Me
Previously, I believed in "becoming successful in secret," which meant never sharing what I was doing because others might copy it - and even do it better than me.
The most useful advice I gained from this book was understanding that sharing your journey is part of the journey itself. It allows you to bring others along and helps you find like-minded people - even if you've never met before.
"If you take photos, you're not an 'aspiring' photographer, and you're not an 'amazing' photographer, either. You're a photographer. Don't get cute. Don't brag. Just state the facts."
I removed all the adjectives from my LinkedIn bio and suddenly felt much more professional.
Before: An avid debater and a passionate artist
Top 5 Quotes
- You can move from mediocrity to good in increments. The real gap is between doing nothing and doing something.
- You can't find your voice if you don't use it.
- Amateurs, because they have little to lose, are willing to try anything and share the results. They take chances, experiment, and follow their whims.
- "Carving out a space for yourself online… is still one of the best possible investments you can make with your time." - Andy Baio
- "The impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive… Anything you do not give freely becomes lost to you." - Annie Dillard