Making money from creating cool s**t

hey friend, it’s your friend: jack 👋. Today I want to share with you some BIG updates on some cool s**t I’m creating and also reflect a little bit on making profit from the cool s**t you may be making.

Here’s the gist of today’s text:
- Updates on my app to destroy TikTok and help you scroll less.
- Making money from the things you create, and problems you solve
- Is it a bad thing to profit?
- How to create cool s**t, have fun, and maybe also make some $$$ (maybe)
- A full guide to scrolling less so you can create more cool s**t (free guide)

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes, 56 seconds.

—————————

Creation log update (skip if you want)

This log is about some of the cool s**t I’ve been creating, to show you I am my own proponent of my message: You Were Built to Create Cool S**t. Holy smokes this last week has been a ride creating Curiosity Quench.

Usually I spend ~2 hours each day working on making the app better, and 30 minutes documenting progress, this week however I spent almost all my extra time prepping for a big update release. The update was to reduce the free plan and up the paid plan (sad I know, I have good news coming too don't worry).

I also completely change the way most of the app looks and styled it in a cleaner way.

TWO of you amazing humans bought a lifetime plan this week, only 2 days after I released the new version! Thank you for betting on me, really, it means the world. Now, I have some big news for you…

Curiosity Quench (CQ for short) is going mobile.

It may take a few weeks to a month, but I’ve finally decided that if we’re going to destroy scrolling addictions and put an end to doom scrolling: we need to join the force of the phones. CQ needs to be an actual app. Now I’m in the process of learning a new programming language and will be rebuilding the app for the 3rd time in this new ground.

The web app will stay live for now, but the mobile app will be #1 priority going forwards. Let me know if you like this idea by dropping me a reply (really, it helps a lot to know I’m not just talking to myself, even if I am)

// I also worked all this week in my writing time (every day I write for 30mins - 1 hour) on a guide to help people take a new path to scrolling less using curiosity. I think it’s cool and actually really good. It’ll be linked at the bottom of this article titled: “How to stop scrolling and start living (in 5 minutes)”.

—————————

Making money and solving problems

me in shock from making money from solving problems (scrolling addictions)

Honestly… 2 weeks ago I had enough self doubt to fill a truck.

Now it’s much smaller, and a big part of it is people betting on me: so I don’t want to forget this wins.

They are absolutely critical mass wins because: these little bits, extrapolated over a long timeframe, become the biggest of bits.

Money is not the root of all modern evil

“Money is the root of all evil” — a misquoted line from the bible.

The real verse? “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” (Timothy 6:10)

Someone mentioned to me earlier this week that profiting off of problems means I don’t actually want to solve them (which would be kind of evil!), but the truth is: I do. I do because I myself have been stumped by the decay of consumption too (for reference, the problem I’m trying to solve is doom scrolling/ phone addiction).

Now: If I can solve it and help others, making money is a double whammy.

But I’ll make it my solemn oath that I will not let greed supersede my effectiveness in solving problems for people. I don't want to create another monster where people cant get off my app, or use my problem solving mechanism as a prescription that never ends nor expiries (Pharmaceutical companies refer to this as MRR, aka monthly recurring revenue).

My basis of business is not recurring revenue in its primary form, although revenue is required to keep solving problems. In an ideal world: you pay for a solution, and when you have it or don’t need it any more: you stop paying. Because your problem is more solved than it was before, solved enough, or solved entirely. This of course does not apply broadly, it is specific to someone solving a problem in a certain way. It’s specific to someone selling something that costs them close to nothing to duplicate (code or media / access to an app or resource).

Here’s a fun way of making money and solving problems:

Help for free → Expedite for money → Keep a better baseline forever (based on the problem you’re trying to solve)

If you have the choice of:

A) help people only enough to keep them using your product (more MRR)

or B) Help them once and solve their problem right out (less MRR)

Which would you choose?

Of course it’s never so black and white, but image it was, where does you love of money lie? Where will it lead you? Is it worth it if you are to zoom out? These are questions I try to ask myself all the time. To make sure I’m on the right track.

Creating cool s**t and making money

I wont pretend to be a super money making machine here, and I’m not here to sell you something that will skyrocket your income. I’m only here to outline how you were: 1. Built to create cool s**t, and 2. Could also make money from said cool s**t.

Could. Not will, won’t, or if, but could, if you want to. If you are creating cool s**t, which is really just creating anything more than nothing (any shit is capable of being cool shit), then you will eventually come to this crossroad. The crossroad of profit, of evil, of a love for money, and a love to enjoy creating things.

Here’s the most concise paragraph I can muster to help you enjoy what you create while profiting from it too, if that’s what you want to do…

Be as human as you can, share your process, and be honest. If you faulter, do not hide. If anyone is going to pay you money for your s**t they want to know it was made by a human, not a robot. This is how you connect with people on a real level and up your odds of receiving genuine encouragement (sometimes in the form of dollars) which is really something I think is needed. The more you that you can be the better, really. Secondly if you want to make money you need something that you can give people in exchange for their money. If you have nothing to sell ever, you will not make any money (I didn’t get this for 3 years and though ad revenue from YouTube would keep the lights on). Offer a pre-order to see if people want your cool s**t, worse case is you need to refund people. best case? People support you to create cool s**t and you create something awesome.

TLDR; Be human, be honest, find and hold onto encouragement, make it easy for people to give you their money… and finally: create cool s**t. What is cool s**t? that’s up to you. Creation without profit is still absolutely worth it at the end of the day too.

Re-encouragement: One person on your side telling you you’re doing good when you are, and holding back condemnation when you’re not. One encouraging person will change your course, for life. This person could even be your inner monologue. It will make all the difference. You can do this my friend, You can create cool s**t, you can help other people, and solve your own problems too, but you must keep creating, building and going where you want to go. You just and must… keep going.

Scroll less, create more cool s**t

In the last 3 weeks I’ve been editing and perfecting this guide to help you scroll less and live more (in 5 minutes). This is an offer to take a new path, to help anyone who wants help. You can read it here for absolutely free. All feedback is appreciated — if you think it would help more people.

Final note on my creations, for reference: I’m writing a book about the value of encouragement too; oddly enough. It’s a follow up to my first book. At the same, time while building an app to destroy TikTok, I’m writing a book about controlling consumption (which is the mortal friend and enemy of creation). Just some things to know, I’m doing my best to be a proponent of my ideal creation philosophies to show you one path of many.

—————————

Whenever you're up for it, there are 2 ways I can help you:
You Were Built To Create Cool S**t : Click to start, or don’t…
Curiosity Quench: Quench your curiosity, destroy your scroll —addiction— and get on a roll.