Nathan Challen (🧱,🥷)

Fit, healthy, living well. Suddenly, I was struck down by a heart attack. If you've ditched the 9-5, a creator, solopreneur or freelancer, we share a number of qualities that got us here. Yet these qualities mean it could also happen to you. 🧵Here's how to prevent it👇🏼

@ausgrandprix Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast

The drivers go slow too? 🤔 Be sure to catch your favourite driver on track before the lights go out on Sunday 🚦 #AusGP #F1

Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast @ausgrandprix

@dvassallo Ha ha! I’ve been my main 3 Claude Agents’ servant for about 8 months now. Feels like a slot machine pulling the Handle. But get the endorphin hit almost evety time. Highly addictive!!

OpenClaw is delegating stuff to me now.

@esrtweet @dvassallo 💯

If you are a software engineer "experiencing some degree of mental health crisis", now hear this, because I've been coding for 50 years since the days of punched cards and I have a salutary kick in your ass to deliver. Get over yourself. Every previous "programming is obsolete" panic has been a bust, and this one's going to be too. The fundamental problem of mismatch between the intentions in human minds and the specifications that a computer can interpret hasn't gone away just because now you can do a lot of your programming in natural language to an LLM. Systems are still complicated. This shit is still difficult. The need for people who specialize in bridging that gap isn't going to go away. As usual, the answer is: upskill yourself and adapt. If a crusty old fart like me can do it, you can too.

Things don't happen to you... → they just happen → and you are the witness. The meaning is what you make it. Changing the lens changes everything.

Reality isn't fixed. It's filtered. And you control the filter. Obstacles → stepping stones Setbacks → setups Challenges → opportunities

Your brain tells you stories about everything that happens. But who's writing those stories? You are. And you can rewrite them anytime.

@GeorgeSiosi Yes. The improved memories in chatgpt mean more recall. Yet, there is quite a bit lacking out of the box. So that’s where I built out around it. This is a user / patient app. Even If not working with a therapist you can get oversight and guidance for a subscription fee

@GeorgeSiosi I working on this exactly George. Adding therapist in the loop so there is clinical oversight.

is anyone using ai to call out their own personal, psychological barriers? if so, what are some patterns you've observed (even from a prompting perspective)?

@GeorgeSiosi See: Ascenda.one

@dvassallo If you want a good book on why this is the case. I recommend reading Daniel Pinks‘ “Drive”. I read it about 10 years ago but wondered why apps kept implementing Skinners’ Carrot vs Stick? If you believe Pink, this would be good in the short term but ultimately break the bond.

Not surprised Duolingo discovered streak scores cause negative retention. People subconsciously rebel against artificial "carrot and stick" motivators.

@dvassallo No comment from 🇦🇺😆

TIL that the punishment for British luddites who damaged mechanical looms during the industrial revolution was death by hanging, or exile to Australia (which apparently was equivalent, lol). I wonder what the modern government response will be for obstructing the AI revolution.

Feelings are not facts. Challenge your feelings for the truth before you act on them.

@johnmccrea @toddbarnard @harari_yuval @pmarca It’s a fair reason to re-read and consider under the conditions of significant shifts that affect humanity. … such as AI.

@toddbarnard @harari_yuval @pmarca Fair point

Finally getting around to reading "Sapiens" by @harari_yuval. Only 50 pages in and am blown away. Thanks to @pmarca for spotlighting this great work.

@dvassallo I love this @dvassallo but what happens when you take a couple of months off to travel? 🤔

How I made $200,000 with Unlimited Consultations Earlier this year, I tried something a little different: I started offering one-on-one consulting to members of the Small Bets community. But I put a twist on it. Instead of charging for my time by the hour, or per session, or per month, I charged a one-time fee for unlimited and indefinite access to my time. And on top of that, I also committed to a 100% refund policy (no questions asked) for an entire year. Sounds a bit crazy, right? Here’s why I thought it was a good idea. Let’s start with the results. This year, 85 people signed up, paying $2,500 each. Of those, 40 chose a payment plan of $625/month over four months, and 45 paid upfront. Only 5 people asked for refunds: 3 never booked a call, and 2 decided it wasn’t the right fit after one or two sessions. This leaves me with 80 active collaborations, with whom it's been going amazingly well. It might sound bizarre because this is not a very scaleable business but this arrangement is probably my ideal type of work. I find it exhilarating and very fulfilling when I can help someone directly with things I have lots of experience with. Before launching this, I posted a tweet that captured the idea brewing in my head. I just needed to figure out how to make it work. And now I think I’ve cracked the code. So far, I’ve done 210 consulting sessions this year, with an average income of $952/hour ((80 people * $2,500 each) / 210 one-hour sessions). Of course, as more sessions are booked, that rate will go down, but I’m guessing it’ll settle around $500/hour over time. But how come it won't go down to almost $0/hour if anyone can book sessions with me indefinitely without limits? Here’s why: My inspiration came from universal healthcare. For almost everyone outside the great United States, you can see a doctor as often as you need — free of charge! Yet people don’t just go for fun. Why? Because it takes time on both sides. Spending 30 minutes with a doctor means you’re also committing 30 minutes of your time. The same logic applies here. No one wants to waste their own time chatting with me about the weather, so people only book sessions when it’s truly worth it. To make this work, I’ve kept things strictly synchronous. For example, I won’t take feedback requests via email, because an email only takes a few seconds to send and my feedback could take hours. I love giving feedback, but it has to be on a Zoom call. If you’re thinking of trying this consulting model yourself, make sure you stick to this rule. Now, why did I take the risk of offering something so unconventional instead of charging per hour or give access for a limited time? Simple: I hate those models when I’m the buyer. It’s stressful being “on the clock,” or feeling like time’s running out, especially when life gets in the way. I wanted to create an option that doesn’t come with those pressures. Whether you’re ready tomorrow, next month, next year, or even five years from now — I’ll be here when you’re ready. If you’re thinking about offering consulting services, I encourage you to consider this model. It’s not a perfect fit for everything, but it’s been working great for me. I’ve even convinced a few friends in different fields to give it a try, and they’re seeing great results too. If you’re curious about how I make this work or have questions, ask me anything below. I’m happy to share everything I’ve learned. Also, I’m opening 20 new spots for the new year. If you’d like to have me in your corner heading into 2025 (and beyond), this could be for you. Anytime you need help, just book a Zoom call, and I’ll do my best to assist. No limits, no restrictions. Consider it like having me on speed dial for any problem I can help with. Secure your spot here: dvassallo.gumroad.com/l/consultations

@dvassallo No one is guessing why Microsoft acquired GitHub now…

Probably won’t happen, but doesn’t hurt to be prepared for it