Tiago Forte's Blog, page 26

Wayne Lacson Forte: On My Way To Me [Documentary Film]

I am unbelievably excited to share with you my first ever documentary film!

For more than a year, I’ve been working on a documentary short about my dad, Wayne Forte. He is a lifelong painter who has been one of the main influences on my ideas about productivity, creativity, and using art for personal growth.

It all started in March of 2019, when he had an exhibition of 30 years of his religious artwork at an art gallery in Hollywood. I was living in Mexico City at the time, but knew that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I decided to fly home knowing that it was unlikely to happen again anytime soon.

From there, it slowly became a project.

If I’m traveling all that way, I thought, I might as well make a short video of the opening night with my smartphone to share with those who couldn’t make it.

And if I’m taking the trouble to film one event, I might as well film a few other interviews while I’m in town and make it into a longer video about my dad’s career as an artist.

I usually advise people to “scale down” their projects – to make them smaller and shorter so that they have a better chance of finishing. But once in a while, an opportunity comes along that is so great you just have to scale UP the project to something bigger and bolder.

I realized that by making this into a video project, I could fulfill a few different goals at once. There’s nothing I love more than killing two or three birds with one stone.

Goal #1: I had long wanted to learn more about making high-quality videos for my business. I’ve watched for years as YouTube has become a cultural phenomenon, smartphone cameras have become professional quality, and video editing software has gotten more and more user-friendly, and have wanted to be a part of the video revolution.

Goal #2: At the same time, I had a personal motivation. My dad had had a cancer scare a couple of years before, and although he is fully recovered, it shocked me with the realization that he wouldn’t be around forever. I had a desire to document his stories and memories for the benefit of my kids who might not have the chance to know him like I did.

Goal #3: I even had a creative motivation! I knew that much of my thinking about the nature of work had its roots in his approach to art, creativity, and life in general. I wanted to better understand how he managed to live a life of creative inspiration while also raising four kids.

With all these motivations at play, and with quite a bit of nervousness, I decided to take on making a short documentary film.

At first glance, this was an absolutely ridiculous project for a novice to commit to.

I had made a few short, casual videos for YouTube, but never anything of this scale and complexity. I didn’t have any special equipment, didn’t know how to use professional editing software, and didn’t understand the first thing about lighting or sound.

But I did have a few tricks up my sleeve: my Second Brain, a system of digital note-taking that I teach in my course Building a Second Brain. As well as all the other productivity techniques and project management tools I had developed over the years. I was curious to see if I could execute this project with quick, light touches alongside my usual work.

It took me 16 months, more than 100 hours of work, and 30 hours of total footage from 4 countries, all compressed down to just 46 minutes…but I did it.

On June 7, my dad’s 70th birthday, I screened the first cut virtually for my family. We met at a coordinated time, watched it together, and then had a wonderful conversation on Zoom about our shared memories, how we experienced them differently, and how much we had experienced together.

It was truly one of the most special and meaningful moments with my family I can remember.

On July 11, 2020, I hosted a virtual film premiere for my audience using YouTube’s Premiere feature, which allowed me to organize a coordinated viewing that anyone could watch on any device from any location, while maintaining some of the shared experience of watching it together.

I’ll soon be sharing a lot about what I learned from the experience. From the gear and software I ended up using, to what I learned about interviewing, to how I planned and managed every aspect of the process using digital notes, to my philosophical insights into the rapidly evolving nature of filmmaking (hint: smartphone cameras as social revolution, reality distortion fields for all, and the world-building potential of multi-media).

But for now, I just want to share the film with you! And of course, get your feedback so I can make it better. This film isn’t just about my dad’s personal memories. It contains some powerful insights into:

What it concretely means to live a life driven by creativity, while upholding your responsibilities and paying the billsHow to maintain numerous interests and hobbies while also going deep into one of themHow a life-long artist thinks about the stages of his artistic career (which all of us now have to do as creatives)What painting has to teach us about other forms of modern creativityHow to work in a way that produces tangible, sellable artifacts as a byproductHow art can be used to explore deep themes of identity, agency, truth, and personal growth

My dad has been an artist since he was 5 years old. Although he often says he uses only 16th century technology in his paintings, in many ways I think he has been living in the future.

Being an “artist” was once an extremely rare kind of lifestyle. But today, all of us are creatives in one sense or another. All of us need to dig deep into sources of creative inspiration on a regular basis. We have a lot to learn from the artistic fields that have been doing that for centuries.

This is also an experiment in how to create a sense of community in the midst of all the crises and change we are facing in the world. I was curious to see whether we could recreate the same anticipation and excitement normally found at a red carpet event, in a virtual screening with people from around the world.

I hope you’ll watch the film, and feel free to share it with anyone who you think might be interested.

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Wayne Lacson Forte: On My Way To Me [Documentary Film] appeared first on Forte Labs.

Virtual Film Premiere – Wayne Lacson Forte: On My Way To Me

I’m unbelievably excited to unveil my first ever virtual film premiere!

For more than a year I’ve been working on a documentary short film about my dad, Wayne Forte. He is a lifelong painter who has been one of the main influences on my ideas about productivity, creativity, and using art for personal growth.

It all started in March of last year, when he had an exhibition of 30 years of his work at an art gallery in Hollywood. I was living in Mexico City at the time, but knew that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I decided to fly home knowing that it was unlikely to happen again anytime soon.

From there, it slowly became a project.

If I’m going to travel all that way, I thought, I might as well make a short video with my smartphone to share with those who couldn’t make it.

If I’m going to film it, I thought, might as well put some effort into it and do it right.

And finally, if I’m going to film this one event, might as well film some other interviews while I’m in town and make it into a longer video about my dad’s career as an artist.

I usually advise people to “scale down” their projects – to make them smaller and shorter so that they have a better chance of finishing. But once in awhile, an opportunity comes along that is so great you just have to scale UP the project to something bigger and bolder.

I realized that by making this into a video project, I could fulfill a few different goals at once. There’s nothing I love more than killing two or three birds with one stone.

Goal #1: I had long wanted to learn more about making high-quality videos for my business. I’ve watched for years as YouTube has become a cultural phenomenon, smartphone cameras have become professional quality, and video editing software has gotten more and more user-friendly, and have wanted to be a part of the video revolution.

Goal #2: At the same time, I had a personal motivation. My dad had had a cancer scare a couple years before, and although he was fully recovered, it had shocked me with the realization that he wouldn’t be around forever. I had a desire to document his stories and memories for the benefit of my kids who might not have the chance to know him like I did.

Goal #3: I even had a creative motivation! I knew that much of my thinking about the nature of work had its roots in his approach to art, creativity, and life in general. I wanted to better understand how he managed to live a life of creative inspiration while also raising four kids.

With all these motivations at play, and with quite a bit of nervousness, I decided to take on making a short documentary film.

At first glance, this was an absolutely ridiculous project for a novice to commit to.

I had made a few short, casual videos for YouTube, but never anything of this scale and complexity. I didn’t have any special equipment, didn’t know how to use professional editing software, and didn’t understand the first thing about lighting or sound.

But I did have a few tricks up my sleeve: my Second Brain, a system of digital note-taking that I teach in my course Building a Second Brain. As well as all the other productivity techniques and project management tools I had developed over the years. I was curious to see if I could execute this project with quick, light touches alongside my usual work.

After compressing 16 months, more than 100 hours of work, and 30 hours of total footage from 4 countries down to just 46 minutes…I did it.

On June 7, my dad’s 70th birthday, I screened the first cut virtually for my family. We met at a coordinated time, watched it together, and then had a wonderful conversation on Zoom about our shared memories, how we experienced them differently, and how much we had experienced together.

It was truly one of the most special and meaningful moments with my family I can remember.

I have A LOT to share about what I learned from the experience. From the gear and software I ended up using, to what I learned about interviewing, to how I planned and managed every aspect of the process using digital notes, to my philosophical insights into the rapidly evolving nature of filmmaking (hint: smartphone cameras as social revolution, reality distortion fields for all, and the world-building potential of multi-media).

But first, I want to share the film itself with you! And of course, get your feedback so I can make it better. Sign up below to get an invite for the virtual premiere, taking place on Saturday, July 11 at 1pm PT.

If you’re thinking, “Is Tiago inviting us to watch a glorified home video?” the answer is…yes.

But there’s more to it than that. I’m inviting all of you because this film isn’t just about my dad’s personal memories. It contains some powerful insights into:

What it concretely means to live a life driven by creativity, while upholding your responsibilities and paying the bills
How to maintain numerous interests and hobbies while also going deep into one of them
How a life-long artist thinks about the stages of his artistic career (which all of us now have to do as creatives)
What painting has to teach us about other forms of modern creativity
How to work in a way that produces tangible, sellable artifacts as a byproduct
How art can be used to explore deep themes of identity, agency, truth, and personal growth

My dad has been an artist since he was 5 years old. Although he often says he uses only 16th century technology in his paintings, in many ways I think he has been living in the future.

Being an “artist” was once an extremely rare kind of lifestyle. But today, all of us are creatives in one sense or another. All of us need to dig deep into sources of creative inspiration on a regular basis. We have a lot to learn from the artistic fields that have been doing that for centuries.

This is also an experiment in how to create a sense of community in the midst of all the crises and change we are facing. I’m curious whether we can recreate the same anticipation and excitement normally found at a red carpet event, in a virtual screening with people from around the world.

The film is scheduled using YouTube’s Premieres feature, and will start playing automatically on Saturday, July 11 at 1:15pm Pacific time. I’ve scheduled it 15 minutes after the hour so you have time to get your video setup ready. You’ll be able to watch it on any YouTube player, such as a desktop browser, mobile app, or Apple TV.

After the film finishes playing at 2pm PT, I’ll host a 60-minute Zoom call with me and Wayne, where you can ask any questions you have about the subject of the film or the process of making it. The invite I’ll send you will contain the registration link for that as well. 

Here’s the schedule:

Film screening: 1:15-2pm PT
Live Q&A with me and Wayne Forte: 2-3pm PT

Enter your email address above and I’ll send you an invite and instructions for how to watch the video. All you need to do is click the link I’ll send you and have the page open, and the video will begin playing at the scheduled time. 

If you can’t make it at that time, don’t worry! After the premiere, the link will automatically turn into a normal YouTube video you can watch anytime.

I hope you’ll join me for this event, and feel free to invite anyone who you think might be interested.

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Virtual Film Premiere – Wayne Lacson Forte: On My Way To Me appeared first on Forte Labs.

Tiago’s Mid-Year Review 2020

This is the first year I decided to do a thorough mid-year review.

It’s usually enough for me to review my goals once a year, at the beginning of the year, and then spend the next 12 months powering through them. But the first 6 months of this year brought tremendous, unexpected changes for us.

We got pregnant with our first child at the beginning of January, moved back home to Southern California from Mexico City abruptly due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March, and at the end of May bought our first home.

Like a line of dominoes, each change seemed to usher in the next in quick succession, and I’ve felt a need to process a large backlog of changes. This was also the first year I shared my goals for the year publicly, and wanted to close the loop and check in on those. Having them out in the open has helped me tremendously to stay on track, so I think I’ll continue that tradition.

Goals Review

1. WRITE AND PUBLISH BUILDING A SECOND BRAIN BOOK BY JUNE 1, 2020, WITH 100,000 COPIES SOLD BY END OF 2020

After more than a year of work, I got the book deal, which was a huge victory and relief. It’s happening, sooner or later. Finalizing the contract has taken longer than expected, and now I see that the whole process is going to take MUCH longer than expected.

The book won’t be published and on store shelves for another 2 years, which means my goal of 100,000 copies sold isn’t for 2020, but for 2022! This is a great example of how every goal relies on a certain set of assumptions about reality, and that when reality changes, the goal has to change. But I’m actually glad this gives us plenty of time to improve our courses, build the email list, and prepare the team for the onslaught of attention the book will (hopefully) bring.

Despite barely starting to work on the manuscript, I’ve already seen some benefits from clearing my weekday mornings for writing over the past couple months. I had to lean on the team more and remove myself as the bottleneck in as many decisions as possible. This boiled down to spending more time orienting/training them during weekly standing meetings, and constantly pushing for every commonly repeated task to be turned into an SOP or checklist or memo. These changes will continue to serve us as it allows everyone to make decisions faster and with less friction.

2. PRODUCE AN AMATEUR DOCUMENTARY ON WAYNE FORTE, HIS WORK, AND HIS LIFE, AND SCREEN IT IN A PRIVATE THEATRE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY, BY JUNE 30, 2020

After a crazy last-minute push (thanks to a public deadline) I screened the first cut of my film for about a dozen members of my family a few weeks ago on my dad’s 70th birthday. The reception was fantastic and motivated me to get to work on the second cut, which I’ll screen for my subscribers using YouTube Instant Premiere on July 11. You’ll get the invite if you’re subscribed to my weekly newsletter.

I’ve learned so much from the process of making this film, which I plan on writing up as a blog post after the public screening. I also plan on doing an online workshop on how to create personal documentaries using widely available equipment and software, which is now possible for a tiny fraction of the cost once required.

I wasn’t able to screen the film in a theatre like I originally wanted. But I’m astounded by the prescience of what I wrote in January in light of recent events: “I believe amateur documentary filmmaking could be one of the most powerful sources of social change in our generation. With the proliferation of powerful smartphone cameras, easy-to-use editing software, and social media networks, that possibility is more feasible than ever. The only remaining constraints are our courage, our willingness to learn, and our ability to get ourselves organized and in action.”

I sound like I’m describing the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality to a T. The first wave of smartphone videos have been short clips captured in the heat of the moment. I think the next wave will be short films made up of multiple pieces of footage, at higher quality, edited together to tell more complex stories that inspire people to action, not just outrage. I’m excited to contribute to the rise of personal documentaries as an individual, creative storytelling technique.

3. PRAXIS REACHES 2,000 PAYING MEMBERS BY JUNE 30, 2020

I haven’t been able to give Praxis the attention it deserves, due to the growth in most other areas of the business. Which is why I decided to join the Everything bundle, an online publication in which multiple writers join forces and combine their publishing behind one paywall.

What tipped me over the edge was that my subscribers would receive a wider range of excellent content on the topics I know they care about – productivity, organizing, effectiveness, strategy – without me having to change anything. I believe many more people will be exposed to my ideas through our combined platform, and those who only want my content can continue to subscribe only to Praxis. It’s a win-win with more options for everyone.

Ultimately, I just want to focus on creating the best content I can create. Dan and Nathan are committed to building a media company for the future, with all the work that entails, so I figured it made more sense to join them rather than continue postponing improvements to Praxis as I’ve been doing for a while.

We’re up to just over 1,200 members, which is a great milestone. It will be hard to count now given that many new subscribers will actually be Everything subscribers, but the ultimate goal is fulfilled: expose more people to my work who can benefit from it while maintaining a revenue stream that allows me to continue investing the time needed.

4. FORTE LABS CONTENT IS LICENSED TO 5 ORGANIZATIONS, PRODUCING $5K PER MONTH IN REVENUE, BY DECEMBER 31, 2020

We ended up not pursuing any licensing deals so far this year. There were a few potential leads, but they were so speculative that we ended up investing all our attention in the public-facing online courses. For The Art of Accomplishment, our new group coaching program, we have a 9-person team from the same company joining one of our cohorts for the first time. It will be an excellent opportunity to test if we can add teams to our existing, public courses, rather than having to create a separate, private learning environment that doesn’t benefit from the ideas and energy of a larger group.

Once the book is out, that should also provide a boost to licensing deals. In fact, the foreign publishing deals we’re pursuing for the book could be seen as fulfilling the intention of this goal. Books are far easier to translate and license than courses.

5. ENROLL 1,000 NEW STUDENTS IN BASB COURSE BY DECEMBER 31, 2020

We had more than 800 students in cohort 10 of BASB, which was incredible. There was so much palpable energy and so much enthusiasm around the course, like nothing I’ve experienced so far. I thrive on that energy and it was unbelievably fulfilling to see so much of it channeled through our newly recruited Alumni Mentors, as well as the course staff, who carried so much of the burden and went so above and beyond what I expected. I saw that my stepping back and doing less allowed others to arise as leaders. It didn’t look how I expected, but that’s ok. It’s not only ok, it’s critical to the future of this work finding its way to a broader audience.

Of those 800 students, 345 were new students. Which means we have a formidable goal in front of us, especially since we are only running two cohorts this year. To fulfill this goal, we are aiming for 655 new students in the next cohort in a couple months. It’s not impossible, but combined with the 50% price increase, it’s a daunting challenge. If we get anywhere near it, it will be an absolute blowout launch. We should easily have well over 1,000 students in the cohort total (including returning alumni), which is almost impossible to wrap my head around. What does it even mean for 1,000 people from around the world to come together to learn this new way of learning and working? I’m dying to find out.

6. REACH 25K SUBSCRIBERS TO FORTE LABS NEWSLETTER BY DECEMBER 31, 2020

Growing our email list was my top marketing goal for 2020, and I’m proud to say we’re well ahead of schedule. Growth in new subscriptions rapidly picked up from the beginning of the year, and is now at around 2,800 per month. That means we’ve just passed 23,000 subscribers, and should be around 40-50,000 by the end of the year, depending on how growth accelerates. It’s so gratifying to have made the investments in the newsletter that I made last year, and to see it bear fruit so fast and decisively.

I’m going to continue doing everything I’m doing, and knocking out email-improvement projects whenever I can. At some point we’ll want to level up our email game by implementing advanced strategies and potentially working with a consultant who specializes in this. But for now I think there’s a lot of growth potential just in continuing to stay consistent and producing the best content I can.

7. ENROLL 1,000 PEOPLE IN WRITE OF PASSAGE, AND RELIABLY DELIVER A TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR WRITING AND CAREER, BY DECEMBER 31, 2020

Write of Passage has continued to grow tremendously. It is in its rapid iteration phase, with 3 cohorts planned this year. The growth of that community has injected a lot of energy and ambition into the BASB community, and seeing David’s meteoric success has prompted me to look for other high-potential course creators. I’ve worked with Joe Hudson over the past few months on a new group coaching program called The Art of Accomplishment, which is my second in-depth collaboration to bootstrap a new program with another instructor.

I’m ready to retire Write of Passage growth as a goal of mine, since it doesn’t really need me and there’s not much I have on my plate related to it. I do have a goal to improve the cross-promotion of our courses, but not exactly sure what form that will take yet. Will revisit this at the end of the year.

8. VISIT 3 NEW CITIES/REGIONS OF MEXICO WITH LAUREN BY DECEMBER 31, 2020

This one was derailed by COVID, as we chose to leave Mexico in late March after the U.S. State Dept. warned Americans abroad that they might not be able to enter for some time. I’m really glad we made the choice to return, since the situation in Mexico has become truly horrible. Overall, I feel very fortunate that our lives in general haven’t been impacted much by the pandemic. Most of our work takes place virtually or is location-independent, and I feel more fortunate than ever for that fact.

9. BUY A HOME FOR OUR FAMILY, IN LONG BEACH OR NEARBY, BY DECEMBER 31, 2020

The unexpected turn of events took us in a new direction which I’m very happy and grateful for. We spent a couple months living in an Airbnb after returning from Mexico, and a few weeks ago bought a home in Long Beach, close to both our families. We are expecting our first child, a son, in early October, and couldn’t be more excited to receive him in the beautiful home we are putting together now.

It’s been a lot of change in a short period, going from intrepid digital nomads to responsible suburban homeowners, but it’s a change I’m ready for. After 7 years (this month!) of self-employment, of putting everything I have into the growth of my business, I’m ready to take my foot off the brake a little and explore what a more relaxed lifestyle might look like. I honestly have no idea so it is indeed an exploration.

10. TO BE DECIDED

This TBD slot was filled with the The Art of Accomplishment program I’m running with Joe, which kicked off last Friday. It’s been a whirlwind getting it designed and planned, but it’s been extremely satisfying to not occupy the project/course manager role for once. I’m still learning the balance between letting things go and intervening when it really matters, but it’s done wonders for my well-being to not be at the center of all the action. It also dramatically opens up the possibilities for the kinds of joint ventures we can do in the future.

It was pretty amazing to ask something big of my audience – their commitment and trust in a brand new program at a much higher price point than we’ve ever charged – and to see them respond so forcefully. We’ve sold out all the spots in the inaugural cohort, and last week kicked off a completely new kind of online learning experience that is deeper, more personal, and I hope more impactful than anything we’ve done before (or anyone has done before).

7-Year Mindmap Review

At the end of 2018, I did a brainstorm about what I wanted my life to look like in 7 years. It’s insane to me that 21% of those 7 years has already passed. I feel like I made this just yesterday!

It took the form of a mindmap, with “7 years” at the center and each major branch representing one area or facet of my life. I used the MindNode app on my iPad, printed it out as a large poster, and posted it in our apartment as a reminder of my long-term vision.

Click the image to view in a larger size

I decided to revisit the mindmap and see what had changed about my future aspirations. I bolded the words and phrases that most resonated with me:

PurposeExperiences with the kids to explore our inner selvesFoundation that funds promising new projects for the worldNatureA deep connection to natureMaking a contribution to climate sustainabilityCommunityA close circle of deep friends who we share our lives and deepest selves withMore experience with psychedelics for healingTo be part of a community of seekersHealth and wellnessYoga and stretchingHigh-intensity functional exerciseStimulating vagus nerveLearning and growthNew relationship with my throat painPresence and awarenessSolid daily routine of exercise, stretching, meditation, journalingDaily experience of oneness and love for all beingsHomelifeDedicated workspace supporting focus and mindfulnessMost meals cooked by us and eaten togetherBedroom free of devices and distractionsBusiness and workCoaching a small group of world-class creatorsGrowth Board of strategic advisorsArt and creativityPlaying piano oftenDrawing as a hobbyFamilyFrequent visits to uncles/aunts/cousins on both sidesEveryone in my family supported and growingDeep connection to our families in Brazil, Mexico, PhilippinesFinancesPersonal budgets in check with our long-term prioritiesDiversified income through real estateAngel investments or fellowship for promising creators

I always look for an unexplainable “resonance” as a sign that my intuition is telling me to pay more attention to something. In this list, I noticed that changes in my life circumstances have made certain parts of my life recede into the background, such as the ones about traveling or having diverse cultural experiences (which are made difficult by the COVID lockdown).

Instead, I was more attracted to themes related to spending time with children, family and friends (who we now live close to), regular exercise, and cooking at home (now that we have a full-size kitchen), and more right-brain activities like playing the piano and drawing.

In general, I’m a little bit shocked to find that I’m much less motivated by life goals than in the past. Throughout my 20s and early 30s, my list of goals was my north star. But I think the events of the past few months, combined with changes in my personal life, have reminded me of the preciousness of the basic things in life, and the people to share them with.

I’m also thinking a lot more about how I want to give back. I’ve watched the events of the first half of the year alternating between hope and heartbreak, depending on the day. I’m working on a new project that will allow us to make a contribution to the incredible movement for social justice we’re seeing play out on the streets of the United States. More on that next week.

In the meantime, I’m asking some questions of my team, to learn more about what we stand for and what we believe in, in a time where beliefs desperately need to be turned into action. These are the questions I’m sending them, drawn from a book called Reboot I’ve been slowly reading over the last few months:

How would our organization respond were we to hear all the things that are being said, regardless if they are being said with words or deeds?What does it mean to be a leader at our organization?How would we feel if our children were to work for the company we’ve created or the team we lead?How has the unsorted baggage of what has happened to us shaped who we are as leaders?When our employees and colleagues leave our sides and our company, what do we want them to say about our time together?What do we believe to be true about the world?What do we, as a community of people working toward a common goal, believe the world needs?Regardless of the myths we are telling ourselves, what kind of company or organization are we truly building?

Perhaps the biggest insight from my own personal journaling has been that my #1 job is to empower leadership among my team. Their leadership is what will enable us to have the impact we want to have, while enabling me to lead the kind of life I want to lead. I’m hoping these questions will push us to look at ourselves more honestly, and to ask what kind of people we want to be in the face of all the changes rocking the world.

New Favorite Problems

Instead of a list of new goals, I found that the main output of my mid-year review was questions.

In my Building a Second Brain course, I have students generate a list of their “favorite problems” – open-ended, generative problems framed as questions that can drive their learning across many projects over many years.

Here are the questions that are most alive for me for the second half of 2020:

What future am I saying yes to with my actions?What does it look like to be a channel?What if I didn’t succeed? (What if I didn’t keep track of everything? What if I didn’t follow through? What if I let things slip through the cracks? What if I let things fail?)What does excellence look like in a business that is all about prototyping, iteration, and publishing early?How can I give up my need for control?How can I make cooking and eating healthy a source of inspiration and creativity?What is the source of my dissatisfaction toward the depth of relationships in my life?How do I keep my heart open always?Who would I be without the myths I’ve told about myself?How is my way of being more powerful than what I do or say?

The clear pattern for me is the shift toward a more “normal,” more family-centered life as we welcome our new son in a few months. I can feel things shifting within me, the priorities and values reorienting around a new true north.

I’ve long heard about founders selling their companies and then plunging straight into a great unknown, ranging from depression to wandering the globe. Their identities get so tied to their company that once they step away, they don’t really know who they are.

I had always assumed that would never happen to me, because I’m never going to sell my company. Yet I find myself in a similar situation now, simply because work can no longer occupy the same place in my life that it has until now. It can’t be the anchor of my identity in the same way it has been.

I feel both a sadness and a bittersweet happiness at that thought. I’ve enjoyed that identity. It’s been a wild ride. But at the same time, I’m a little tired of it. It isn’t everything I am, or want to be. There’s a wider experience of life that I’m hungry for, that isn’t about pushing and pushing at all times and at all costs.

I’m just beginning to get my fingers around the wider edges of this new identity. Just beginning to get a sense of how it works. But I’m doing my best to welcome that discomfort with open arms.

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Tiago’s Mid-Year Review 2020 appeared first on Forte Labs.

Tiago Forte on the Sources & Methods Podcast

I recently sat down with Alex Strick van Linschoten and Matt Trevithick on their podcast Sources and Methods, for an hour-long chat about my latest thinking on methods for organizing knowledge work, and the weaknesses of the ‘deep work’ trend.

Click here to visit the Sources & Methods website for the audio recording, or listen below:

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Tiago Forte on the Sources & Methods Podcast appeared first on Forte Labs.

Crafting a Book Proposal

Your proposal is like a business plan for your book.

It needs to justify why your book is worth not just years of your time and effort, but the time and effort of dozens of professionals around the country (and maybe even around the world) who will be needed to get your book on shelves. Not to mention the time and money of the many thousands of readers you hope will buy it.

This is perhaps the hardest idea for writers new to publishing to wrap their head around: you write the proposal and sell your book before writing it.

This took me years to fully understand. It completely went against the vision in my mind of a writer toiling late into the night, for years on end, only to emerge victoriously with a completed manuscript in hand. In this vision, the writer doesn’t have to prove that the book will be worth reading. She already has it, so she can just show that it is worth reading.

But this simply isn’t how the process works. Publishers are investors, and they want to feel like they have a hand in the development of the book. They don’t want to be just a source of funding combined with a printing outfit. They want to be creative partners in your book. And partnership requires that they be involved from the beginning.

This is also best from the writer’s point of view. You don’t want to spend several years writing a book, only to have it flop. You want to have some assurances that there is a ready and willing audience for what you have to say.

Since you can’t go out and secure promises from one reader at a time that they will buy it, the next closest thing is to have a promise from a publisher that they will publish it. That promise is the contract you sign when you sell your proposal and land a book deal.

This is why I’ve focused this series on the all-important milestone of landing a book deal. It is the step you have to reach to even have a shot at all the other steps. Once you have a book deal, you have a team. A team made up of an agent, an editor, a publisher, a publicist, and others, all dedicated to helping you see your book through to completion. Until you have a deal, you should focus all your energy on reaching this milestone.

Here are the main components of a standard proposal, as described in The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published (affiliate link) from which much of the content in this series is drawn:

Table of contents
Overview
Bio
Audience
Competition
Marketing and promotion
Manuscript specifications
Outline
Sample chapters

Each of these sections should be no more than a few pages, double spaced, with the exception of “Marketing and promotion,” which can be longer.

Let’s examine each of them in more detail.

Overview

The overview is an executive summary of the whole proposal, allowing anyone to grasp its essence in just a page or two. It needs to entice and invite while illuminating how your book is unique and urgently needed. It should briefly describe every other part of the proposal.

Here’s the Overview from the proposal for No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty, which teaches readers how to write a novel in 30 days:

When I was 26 years old, I accidentally founded an institution that now produces more fiction than all of America’s MFA programs combined. I blame it all on coffee. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) began in a moment of overcaffeinated ambition when I sent out an email to friends, challenging each of them to write a 50,000-word novel in July. Since then, the escapade—chronicled on the CBS Evening News and NPR’s All Things Considered and in dozens of newspaper and magazine articles around the world—has grown to include a high-tech website, hundreds of spin-off fan sites and discussion groups, and thousands of enthusiastic participants every year. Part literary marathon and part rock-and-roll block party, NaNoWriMo is based on the idea that anyone who loves fiction should be writing his own. Not for fame and fortune (though those may come in time). But because novel writing is ridiculously fun once you throw away the rulebook. My rallying cry as NaNoWriMo cruise director (and fellow participant) is simple: No plot? No problem! That low-stress, high-velocity approach has helped tens of thousands of writers set aside their fears and dive headlong into the joys of homemade literature. Based on four years of experience as the director of NaNoWriMo, No Plot? No Problem! will be a thoughtful, encouraging and fun guide to blasting out a 50,000-word novel in a month.

This overview is effective because it accomplishes many things at once:

Demonstrates the same playful voice he will use in his book
Shows what an interesting, funny, ambitious person he is
Identifies both a rabid fan base and a wide potential audience that is likely to buy this book
Demonstrates marketing and publicity potential
Shows how much thought has already gone into every aspect of the book
Proves that there’s no other book quite like this one

Bio

Your bio makes the case for why you are the ideal person to write this book and sell it to the reading public. It’s up to you to demonstrate why you have the expertise, life story, and passion to make it happen. You should also try to anticipate any objections that publishers may have.

Here’s Chris Baty’s bio:

Founder and four-time National Novel Writing Month winner, Chris Baty is the Web’s most sought-after writing coach. The 29-year-old Oakland, California, freelance writer has been called “an indie David Foster Wallace with compassion” (Fabula Magazine) and has been profiled in newspapers ranging from the L.A. Times to the Chicago Tribune to the Melbourne Age, as well as being featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and a host of BBC radio programs. When not heading up NaNoWriMo, Baty is usually on the road, covering Louisiana juke joints and Parisian thrift stores for such publications as the Washington Post, the SF Weekly, the Dallas Observer and Lonely Planet guidebooks. His funny, freewheeling style landed him an Association of Alternative Newsweeklies award for Best Music Writing in 2002. Before becoming a full-time writer in 1999, Baty spent several years behind the editing desk, first for Fodor’s publications and later as the New York, London and Chicago City Editor for the travel Web site ontheroad.com. Baty holds degrees in cultural anthropology and psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago. His quest for the perfect cup of coffee is never-ending and will likely kill him someday.

Here’s what this bio accomplishes:

Shows that he already has a wide reach with his writing
Presents many facts and accolades highlighting how many things Chris has done
Provides testimonials from famous, influential people praising Chris’ work
Associates Chris with top publications
Demonstrates once again his freewheeling and funny writing style
Establishes Chris’ writing and academic credibility

Audience

This is where you describe your audience as specifically as possible. Prove that they have a willingness to buy and that you’ve been actively connecting with them and listening to what they have to say. Quantify the size of the audience, their buying power, and how many of them you can reach.

Here’s an excerpt from the audience section of the proposal for No Plot? No Problem!:

Readers buy how-to books expecting a silver bullet—a magical formula that makes a daunting activity understandable and achievable. This is exactly what No Plot? No Problem! delivers: a results-oriented plan for people who want to nurture their inner artists without getting tangled in time-consuming classes or ongoing writing groups. After one week of the No Plot? No Problem! regime, participants will have already written 46 pages of their novel. By delivering huge results in a short time, the book will have instant appeal for busy people who want to experience the creative joys of writing, but who have limited free time to devote to the project before the demands of real life intervene. Also, by framing novel-writing as a short-term, highly accessible activity for everyone, No Plot? No Problem! casts its line out beyond the confines of “serious writers,” tapping into the vast demographic of people who have no fiction-writing experience but who feel they have a story worth telling. The structured creativity of No Plot? No Problem! will reassure first-time writers that they already possess all the skills necessary to write a rough draft, and that the only thing standing between them and their manuscript is a month’s labor.

Competition

Identifying your competition has two purposes:

To prove that no one has published the same book already
To associate your book with others that have been successful

For the first, you want to articulate how your book is different from others. For the second, how it’s similar. It’s a delicate balance to strike.

For each “comp” (a comparative, previously published title), describe the book’s message in a short paragraph. Say why your book will succeed where the comp has failed. Or, speak to an aspect of the subject they have failed to address.

Here is an excerpt from this section from No Plot? No Problem!:

And unlike the overly broad books for novice writers that cover everything from brainstorming protagonists to handling royalty checks, No Plot? No Problem! brings all of its taskmastering to bear on the first and highest hurdle: surviving the first draft.

Marketing and promotion

It is your job to convince publishers you will make an all-out effort to promote the book in every way possible.

Here are the kinds of questions this section should answer:

Which public venues, both in-person and online, will you speak at?
Which radio, television, magazine, or newspaper audiences will you reach?
Which bloggers or media figures will you get in touch with for interviews, guest appearances, or guest articles?
Are you affiliated with any large groups?
Does your website receive a lot of traffic?
Will you make a short trailer video showcasing the main takeaways?

Manuscript specifications

This section is highly concrete and practical. It includes such details as approximate word count, any special design features or illustrations, and how long it will take you to complete the book once you’ve accepted an offer.

Outline

This doesn’t have to be final, but you should show that you have a solid working plan for the book’s contents.

Include section and/or chapter headings with a few paragraphs explaining what each one will contain and how it moves the book forward. The voice and style of these paragraphs should match the voice and style of the book.

Sample chapters

You’ll need to include one to three sample chapters for a total of 20-50 pages. It’s a good idea to start with the first chapter so readers can more easily understand the flow of the book.

Other elements

A modern book is an artifact that exists in physical form but also extends into the online world. Here are some things you can include in the proposal as optional, but desirable, extras:

Blurbs, or testimonials, from well-known authors, journalists, or industry experts
Press kit and photos, which give publishers a taste of your marketing acumen
Website with links to extra resources or guides
Video trailer, presenting what the book is about in one to three minutes
Speaking engagements, showing that you have an existing circuit
Press coverage if you’ve received any

The book proposal is a very different kind of text than most writers are used to. It is much more cold, detached, and objective, presenting the business case for the book in terms of hard numbers to a skeptical audience for whom the default answer is “no.”

But that doesn’t mean there’s no creativity involved in writing it. This is persuasive writing at its best, crafting a vision of the future that feels so compelling and inevitable, that a publisher can’t pass up the chance to be part of it.

In the next post, we’ll look at what it looks like to start assembling the team that you’ll need to finish the book-writing journey.

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Crafting a Book Proposal appeared first on Forte Labs.

Praxis is Joining the Everything Bundle

My Praxis blog is joining Everything, an online publication curating the very best content on productivity, organizing, personal effectiveness, and strategy on the web. Click the button below to join, or keep reading for the full story.

Join Everything

When I first started Praxis, my mission was to “dramatically increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the information you consume.”

That’s nerd-speak for “make every minute you spend consuming information much, much more valuable.”

I noticed that so much of the content I encountered online was just awful. Driven by clickbait, optimized for maximum distraction, and always catering to the lowest common denominator, it only added to people’s confusion and overwhelm instead of reducing it. 

The problem was even worse in my area of expertise – productivity, performance, and personal effectiveness. There were lots of gems out there, but they were buried beneath an avalanche of boring, mediocre, frivolous “tips and tricks” that did a disservice to the incredible depth and breadth of the human experience at work.

I launched Praxis membership to provide one place where any knowledge worker could go to find a collection of insights that were both practical and profound. Where they would be able to encounter new ways of thinking and working without having to do all the research and experimentation that I’ve done over the years.

That experiment has been a phenomenal success over the last two years, with over 1,200 members now subscribing from around the world. These “Praxsters” have enabled me to invest the time and effort to publish 213 pieces of content in that time, including 60 paywalled posts for members only.

We are in the midst of a two-fold revolution: a revolution of ideas about what it means to be a creative in the modern economy, and just as importantly, a revolution in the technology needed to actually implement those ideas. Increasingly I’m realizing that I can only cover a tiny fraction of this 21st-century renaissance in human potential.

It’s now time to take Praxis to the next level. I’m joining forces with Dan Shipper of the Superorganizers newsletter, and Nathan Baschez of the Divinations newsletter, to create a new “super-bundle” called Everything. With this alliance, we are creating a one-stop shop for the world’s best thinking on productivity, organizing, and strategy for the absurdly low price of $20.

For many months now, I’ve followed Nathan and Dan as they’ve published truly excellent, strategic, timely content on the up-and-coming Substack platform. I’ve consistently found it to be among the most actionable, thoughtful, and impactful writing on the topics that most interest me and my audience that I’ve found anywhere. 

Dan covers many of the developments that I miss, such as simple systems for paper note-taking, deep-dives of my arch-enemy Roam Research, and profiles of the life management systems of thought leaders like Marie Poulin (including yours truly). As a coder, Dan even creates small apps to solve everyday headaches, including Sparkle, based on my PARA organizational system.

Through Dan I learned about Nathan and his Divinations publication, which I’ve now also started reading religiously. It explains key concepts from business strategy in simple, accessible language, which is very refreshing. For example, he’s recently written about what is going on with the podcast ecosystem, operating principles of unexpectedly successful companies like Dominoes, and his personal experimentation with up-and-coming trends like Clubhouse. His article explaining the logic of bundles was the inspiration for this collaboration!

Now that we live in a world of full-stack freelancers, it’s more important than ever that everyone have a basic understanding of business strategy. It’s no longer just something for corporate executives to think about. All of us are a “startup of one,” and it’s time for us to start learning like one.

Current Praxis members will receive free access to their entire archive, plus a free ongoing subscription to the Everything bundle at no extra cost. This is my thank you for your trust and loyalty in funding my research and writing. If you’re currently a Praxster, look out for an email from me in the next couple days with a link to opt in.

As always, all three of us will continue to publish free content to the public on a regular basis. The Praxis blog will continue to be the home of all my past and future content. 

But for our best, most in-depth, most comprehensive thinking, you can join the club for only $20 per month, or $200 per year (a 17% discount). We are creating a next-generation publishing platform where you can get the highest-quality content from across the Internet delivered straight to your inbox like clockwork.

When I first started Praxis, I wrote that “None of us can make this vision happen alone. We need a tribe of people with a purpose to connect and collaborate with.”

I believe those words more than ever. With this new combined publication, we’ll have an even greater critical mass of interesting people to connect and collaborate with. I’m confident that the conversations, relationships, and ultimately, ideas that come out of that will be better than ever. 

I invite you to join us on this new chapter, and subscribe below (with a 1-day free trial so you can check things out):

Subscribe to the Everything bundle

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Praxis is Joining the Everything Bundle appeared first on Forte Labs.

Interview with Oliver Sauter of Memex

On Wednesday, June 17 at 12pm PT, I’ll be interviewing Oliver Sauter, the Co-Founder of a knowledge management and online bookmarking platform called Memex.

Memex is built by a company called WorldBrain, whose vision is “A well informed and less polarised society where everyone can use their full attention to create knowledge and make sustainable, effective and compassionate decisions.” Their vision is “To make it faster for people to organise, share and discover trustworthy and perspective-rich content on the web & support an internet where individuals enjoy data ownership, privacy & freedom to choose software providers without lock-ins.”

Memex has been built from the ground up to prioritize the privacy, security, and accessibility of its users’ data, with core features like:

Full text search of every website you’ve visited, with no upfront work required to save itHighlighted annotations on websites, in its original context, without requiring a separate toolAbility to sort and organize bookmarks using tags and collectionsEncrypted sync of content between different web and mobile devicesSidebar and keyboard shortcuts within the browser to maximize speedA novel corporate structure that caps investor returns to ensure company incentives remain aligned with customers

I’ve heard a lot of good things about WorldBrain and what they’re working on, and wanted to hear from Oliver about their current progress and future plans. Click here or the button below to register for a 1-hour Zoom call where I’ll ask Oliver about the ideas behind its creation, how it differs from other platforms, and ask him to demonstrate its most powerful use cases:

Click here to register

For more information, I suggest

Reading WorldBrain’s inspiring post Vision, Mission & Values — 2020 UpdateWatching this short 90-second video demonstrating the appReading this short article on Oliver and WorldBrain from Founder Institute

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Interview with Oliver Sauter of Memex appeared first on Forte Labs.

The 5 Stages of Building a Second Brain

By Pranav Mutatkar

Note from Tiago: these are the “5 stages” a recent student went through as part of my online course Building a Second Brain, in which I teach people how to create a system of personal knowledge management (known as a “Second Brain”) for themselves.

1. Holy crap, this could change everything. I’m going to become an organization GOD

You read up on the course and dig into what Tiago talks about. You read his blogs. You follow him on Twitter. You get super excited. This is gonna be it. This will change my life forever.

Eventually you realize : This course is different from other online courses you’ve taken. This is the real deal. You buy the course and expectantly wait for it to start.

2. Tiago is the lord of productivity

Wow, so this is Tiago. He’s cool. He actually replies to questions I ask? Damn, he’s really cool. And clearly a smart dude. I’m a huge fan already.

I know the best way to kill it in this class: I’m going to pause any video where he shows his second brain and screenshot it. Because I’m going to copy his second brain to the frickin’ T.

[image error]

Eventually you realize: Tiago is smart, but so are you. Tiago’s system isn’t going to be 100% perfect for you. You’re trying to build your second brain. Not Tiago’s.

3. What’s the perfect tool and second brain system for me?

Roam, Notion, Evernote, Workflowy, Dynalist, OneNote, DevonThink. I’m gonna research them all. It doesn’t matter that I also have a full-time job, kids, and residual crisis stress. Once I have the perfect app, I will reach note-taking nirvana.

[image error]

Eventually you realize: There is no such thing as the perfect app. All you need is a good enough app. Perfection isn’t the goal. Being done is. You have a feeling you’re going to be continually re-learning this lesson in many other aspects of your life.

4. I’ve given up on my perfect app search, but this is still soooo hard and overwhelming.

There are so many videos to watch and so many things to learn. I have a weird feeling where I logically agree with what Tiago is teaching, but there is still emotional resistance. What is that?

Eventually you realize: The things you are proudest of in life weren’t always easy. Struggling was essential for your first brain to learn. The emotional resistance is a sign you are onto something big. You realize the secret goal of the course is not only to change your second brain, but create radical paradigm shifts in your first brain as well.

5. I get it now and realize it’s an ongoing process.

Weirdly enough after all that struggle and overwhelm, you finally understand the high-level overview.

You’ve learned to incorporate what you need in your system. You have a second brain that you slowly iterate on. It frees up time and makes everything in your life a little easier. You have more time to do the human stuff. Like meditating, spending time with loved ones, and achieving a full-blown galaxy brain.

[image error]

Eventually y ou realize: Building a brain isn’t the end goal. After you build one, you don’t get to rest and watch the sunset like Thanos. It’s a tool to help you do everything else. It’s a tool that you refine on a needs basis.

You realize this course is a Trojan Horse. In learning how to Build a Second Brain, you ended up learning so much more. You learned about yourself. And even though it sounds a bit grandiose, about life. Your life has changed, and the journey was so worth it. 

You can’t wait to take another cohort and do it all over again.

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post The 5 Stages of Building a Second Brain appeared first on Forte Labs.

Project-Based Learning: Designing a Capstone Project

By Will Mannon, Forte Labs Course Manager

This memo outlines the Capstone Project that students will complete for Cohort 10 of Building a Second Brain (BASB). It was originally written for our internal team, but in the spirit of “working with the garage door open”, I’ve decided to share it here.

Overview

Each student will be asked to complete a Capstone Project of their choosing. Each student will have flexibility when choosing their project, but all projects should be:

creativechallenging (slightly beyond their current abilities)something that positively impacts otherssomething that can be shared publicly with otherssomething they couldn’t complete with their current skills, resources, and system of organizationPurpose 

Building a Second Brain students build systems for personal knowledge management. But we don’t create Second Brains merely for the sake of being organized. A Second Brain is meant to be used for some type of productive output. A Second Brain serves as a foundational platform from which creative work occurs. 

In past cohorts, students have asked questions about hypothetical scenarios involving their Second Brains – how would the system work if some hypothetical circumstance arose? Oftentimes these abstract questions are difficult to answer because they’re too theoretical.

Capstone Projects will make those hypothetical scenarios concrete. Each student will select some type of creative project that they’ll use their Second Brain to complete. This project will be the channel through which their new note-taking system is tested. Rather than asking about hypothetical scenarios, all questions will be filtered through the lens of their project. 

Projects will serve as a real-time “stress test” of their new note-taking system. Projects will also encourage students to stay engaged with BASB through the end of the course. Projects will serve as a forcing function to build a Second Brain system that actually works. To complete the project, they’ll have to capture and organize information, distill it into knowledge, then use that knowledge for creative work.  

There’s no reason to collect information and develop knowledge for its own sake. Knowledge should be used to have an impact on your life, and on the lives of others. Tiago shared the definition of knowledge transfer as “the process through which one person is affected by the experience of another.” The BASB Capstone Project will ensure that students’ Second Brains are being used to create an impact in the world, beyond the confines of their digital note-taking system. 

Areas of Focus 

Capstone Projects will fall under three general categories:

Creative projectsWork-related projectsPersonal life projects

While all capstone projects will involve creativity, creative projects will be focused on producing creative work to be shared publicly. These projects will be an expression of a personal area of interest, and can come in different forms and mediums. 

Examples of creative projects include: 

Write a long-form essay Start a blog Start a websiteStart an email newsletterMake a video (film or animated)Record a podcast (or podcast episode)Conduct an interview Create a work of art (painting, drawing, sculpting, etc)Create an online course Develop a software program or appCreate a Github portfolioDevelop an animation Hold a fundraiser Prepare and give a speech Create a unique data visualization

Work-related projects include any creative initiatives that contribute to your professional life. Examples include: 

Start a company newsletterPlan a team event (virtual, for now)Organize a customer-facing event Prepare a sales presentation Foster virtual community among a team or companyCreate a company WFH manual Complete an industry-specific project Create a company best-practices guideDesign a training program  Develop an internal software application Film a commercialCompile a knowledge base (ex: for internal company systems)Write and publish a personal career vision/roadmapLaunch a coaching businessCreate a job search toolkit (resume, informational interviews, cover letters)

Personal life projects will include any project relating to your personal life, likely involving family and friends, but which aren’t meant to be shared with a public audience. Examples include: 

Create a gift Plan an event (wedding, family reunion)Write and share a family newsletter Complete a creative household project Compile your family’s ancestry  Write a family history Organize a book club Organize and direct a play (for kids)Create a family cookbook Design a language learning plan Create a family budget planProject Guidelines

We will present the Capstone Project within the larger context of a project-based approach to work (whether that’s creative work, professional work, or personal work). 

Most people have ambitious goals that they never act on. These goals amount to feel-good wishes, always perfect in the imagination, but rarely put into action. The best way to produce impactful work is through an iterative, project-based approach. The project is a fundamental unit of work in the Information Age. We should explain this philosophy to students, so they understand why the Capstone Project is important, and so they’re encouraged to continue working on projects after the cohort ends.  

Students should think of their projects as a probe into an area of interest. Projects help you see what it’s like to work on something in a limited fashion. If the project goes well, you can always double down and continue working in that direction. If it doesn’t go well, you can pivot and work on something else. Each project is an experiment with a fast feedback loop.

To arrive at the proper scope for a project, we can ask students to envision a big-picture goal they hope to achieve. Then, they should scale down to about 1/10th of that ultimate vision. That’s the appropriate scope for their initial project. Completing a successful capstone project will give students momentum toward achieving their ultimate goal. 

Potential challenges

Students might have trouble choosing a project. Everyone will have until the second week to choose their Capstone Project. If students are having trouble deciding what to work on, they can refer to our list of suggested projects, talk with their alumni mentor, or ask for feedback on Circle. We could also hold a project brainstorming session in breakout rooms either during or directly after the first office hours. They should also trust their intuition – most people will have some sort of project they’ve been meaning to start, but haven’t yet. It’s easier to focus on a pre-existing area of interest, rather than trying to start on an entirely new path (although this rule won’t apply to everyone). 

Students might feel overwhelmed working on their project. It’s important that students aren’t choosing projects that are too broad to complete within five weeks. Projects should be challenging, but also manageable enough to finish by the first week of May. Alumni mentors should be trained on how to help students select a project, so they can give guidance on project topics and scope. 

Students might focus too much on their project, at the expense of the BASB curriculum.  The Capstone Project is important, but students still need to focus on developing their Second Brain system. The Second Brain is the foundation upon which all future projects will be based. An ineffective Second Brain will undermine future work, so it’s important for students to develop their PARA system, note-taking instincts, information capture habits, progressive summarization abilities, and just-in-time project management ability. While returning students may focus more of their energy on the Capstone Project, we should make sure that new students develop a solid BASB foundation.

Students might get discouraged when they see other project ideas. BASB attracts a high-caliber group of students. People will work on impressive projects. We should emphasize that everyone is taking this course at a different place in their life – we have PHDs and high-level executives, but also college students or people in their early career. We should explain that everyone’s project will be different, there’s no right way to complete the Capstone Project, and your project should serve you, and where you currently find yourself in your life. Comparison is the thief of joy.

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Project-Based Learning: Designing a Capstone Project appeared first on Forte Labs.

Tiago Forte on the Everything is Teachable Podcast

I recently sat down with Melissa Guller on the official Teachable podcast, Everything is Teachable. Teachable is the online learning platform we use to deliver all our programs.

In this episode, we talked about why I believe pre-produced content isn’t necessarily the best approach for online courses of any size. I made my most forceful case for why “live” courses, delivered through videocalls to cohorts of students, is a far more effective, profitable, and fun way to deliver online courses, for instructors and students alike.

I also shared the story of how my initial product – a book club – eventually turned into a workshop and then an online course, and how I look at creativity practically instead of mythically.

Listen to the interview below, or visit the Everything is Teachable website for the audio recording and full transcript.

Subscribe below to receive free weekly emails with our best new content, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or become a Praxis member to receive instant access to our full collection of members-only posts.

The post Tiago Forte on the Everything is Teachable Podcast appeared first on Forte Labs.