capturing genius ideas

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In the writing of this issue, I fleshed out my ideas using my writing templates and frameworks that I talk about in this issue. I then proceeded to feed my ideas to ChatGPT to inspect holes in my thinking and identify parts that the reader might not be able to follow. Most people never realize the sheer depth of what AI is already capable of because they never research it. Don’t make the same mistake, subscribe to The Rundown AI below

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I began writing publicly 8 months ago.

While I excelled at growing an audience and monetizing, I still longed to write with the authority that people whom I looked up to on the Internet (Dan Koe, Matt Gray, Justin Welsh) had.

I wanted to create my own frameworks that you would always remember and simultaneously link back to me whenever you used it.

I wanted to make people aware of problems in their life that they didn’t even know existed.

Now that’s a challenge.

The skillset required to overcome it? Persuasive writing.

And so I continued to hone in my writing skills, a tedious but rewarding process. My initial success on LinkedIn came from sharing my achievements.

While this grew my audience, it didn’t stem from persuasive writing. People appreciated my achievements, not my writing ability.

Note: there’s nothing wrong with leveraging social status and achievements to garner an audience but unless you can master the skill of persuasive writing, you will find it hard to sell them products to earn your freedom.

It wasn’t until I embraced the second brain approach that I saw a shift. By systematically capturing and linking my insights, my writing began to resonate more deeply, and my audience engagement improved significantly.

My first product turned profitable, and nothing was ever the same again.

The Big Block: Content Creation for Solo Entrepreneurs

Starting a one-person business is daunting, and the biggest hurdle often is content creation.

Every solo entrepreneur (or one-person company, OPC) today is essentially a media company. Your content is your voice, your brand, and your most powerful tool to build authority and influence.

Creating an audience allows you to attract your dream customers, charge your dream prices and create your dream life.

The Audience Building Inequality (ABI)

There’s going to be a lot to unpack in this letter and before you get overwhelmed by the perceived complexities or effort required to improve your writing and build an audience, I want to tell you about the Audience Building Inequality.

The ABI states that the payoff from building an audience will always supersede the effort required to build it (if you have a good offer)

This is the part where I need you to have faith. I can show you how to build an audience. I can show you how to monetize it. I can explain how leverage and compound interest act once you get the ball rolling. What I can’t do, is put my belief for you IN you.

In the beginning when you only see mild to little progression, you’re going to need to have almost blind faith that you are getting your reps in, building your skillset and preparing yourself to become a figurehead in the creator economy.

I genuinely believe that building an audience online is the safest career path available to ANYONE today, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get into the brass tacks.

The Foundation: Writing as the Bedrock of Content

At the heart of all content lies writing. To create authority, your writing must educate.

To write educational content effectively, you need to flesh out your ideas. Now I’m all for colouring outside the lines but to consistently write with impact, you need a robust content creation framework.

The Problem: Inadequate Consumption and Capture

Most people struggle to write well because they don’t consume properly. Consuming content effectively means engaging deeply, understanding the nuances, and then capturing those insights systematically.

The Solution: Leveraging a Second Brain

Using a second brain—software that captures and links your ideas—is crucial. I recommend Obsidian for this purpose. It helps you:

• Capture: Record insights from everything you consume.

• Link: Connect different ideas to create a network of knowledge.

• Reflect: Review and refine these ideas regularly.

The Intersection of Ideas: Birthplace of Innovation

Novel ideas often emerge at the intersection of two different concepts. By systematically capturing and linking your insights, you create fertile ground for innovation.

Note: Obsidian is great for doing this, I will be doing an in-depth dive on how to consistently generate genius ideas using Obsidian in the premium issue this Thursday!

Add Depth and Credibility to your writing

To write authoritatively and educate your audience, it’s crucial to add depth and credibility to your ideas. This is where quotes, statistics, and examples come in. They not only enrich your content but also support your points with evidence and relatable context.

Creating a Memorable Framework

Notice how the word ‘habit’ is now extremely linked to James Clear? How about the term ‘one-person-business’? If you’re anything like me, you instantly think of Dan Koe. These associations in your mind are no accident. These writers have managed to achieve this feat through deliberate action.

To do the same, once you’ve fleshed out your new ideas, distill them into a holistic framework. Label it something memorable. This allows your audience to link your ideas to you.

For instance, my 4 C’s Framework:

1. Consume: Books, podcasts, newsletters.

2. Capture: Ideas, frameworks, guidelines.

3. Complement: Quotes, examples, statistics.

4. Contribute: Posts, projects, products.

Why This Matters: Writing to Create Authority

Writing with authority builds your audience. It’s the foundation upon which you can monetize in various ways. Without developing persuasive writing skills, even a large audience is less impactful because you can’t effectively convert that audience into customers.

You need to be able to educate your audience on problems they might not have even identified in their own lives, flesh it out so well that they can FEEL the impact of not having it solved, guide them towards the solution and offer a product to help expedite that process.

Overcoming Objections: Writing Is Not a Talent

Many believe writing is an innate talent, something dependent on creative bouts or lightning strikes of inspiration. This is a myth. Writing is a skill that can be developed with the right approach and tools.

Don’t let your limiting beliefs stop you, make sure you have a project that you apply these lessons to as soon as you are done reading this issue.

Ideally, that means building an audience on a text-based platform where you can control your growth like X or LinkedIn

Framework in Action: The 4 C’s

Let’s break down the 4 C’s framework in more detail:

1. Consume: Be selective about what you consume. Focus on high-quality books, insightful podcasts, and valuable newsletters. The goal is to immerse yourself in content that broadens your understanding and sparks new ideas. Ditch the entertainment, pick up the education.

2. Capture: Use Obsidian or another second brain tool to record these ideas. Don’t just note the interesting parts—capture your reflections and connections to other ideas.

3. Complement: Enhance your writing with quotes, examples, and statistics. These elements add credibility and depth, making your content more compelling.

4. Contribute: Use the insights and connections you’ve made to create posts, projects, or products. Share your unique perspective and add value to your audience. Ideally this entire process should make you confident in your ideas and provide value to your expertise, do not undersell yourself.

Final Thoughts

Writing with authority is not reserved for the few; it’s a skill that anyone can develop with the right approach. By using a second brain to consume, capture, complement, and contribute, you can transform your writing and, by extension, your business. Don’t let the myth of innate talent hold you back. Start building your second brain today and unlock your potential to write with authority, build an audience, and monetize your expertise.

Start today. Capture your insights. Connect your ideas. Contribute your unique voice. Build your authority. The world is waiting to hear from you.

PS - if you want to learn more about the creator of the ‘second brain’ concept, check out this thread I did on Tiago Forte