Writing

Essays and manifestos and such. More thoughtful and coherent than riffs.

• Jun 3Befriending shameHello darkness, my new friend
• May 27Beard pickingmembers
• Apr 24Connectionmembers
• Apr 23Lifemembers
• Apr 22Scaredmembers
• Apr 21Lettermembers
• Apr 20Againmembers
• Mar 9Belonging
• Mar 6Trust
• Mar 4Shoes
• Mar 3Fidelity
• Mar 2Butterfly
• Feb 28The Product Builder Manifesto№ 24A manifesto & community for the next frontier of software development
• Feb 26Lightning
• Feb 25Growth
• Feb 24Clack
• Feb 20Scars
• Feb 19Anger
• Feb 18Perfect
• Feb 16Heart
• Feb 13Enough
• Feb 12War
• Feb 11Vehicle
• Feb 10Rock
• Feb 9Dad
• Feb 8Fortymembers
• Feb 7Openingmembers
• Feb 6Commitment
• Feb 5Miraclemembers
• Feb 4Conversationsmembers
• Feb 4Half measuresmembers
• Feb 3Ideamembers
• Feb 2Mondaymembers
• Feb 1Visionsmembers
• Jan 30Realitymembers
• Jan 29Trustmembers
• Jan 28Tomorrowmembers
• Jan 27Ughmembers
• Jan 26Booksmembers
• Jan 25Enoughmembers
• Jan 24Tattlemembers
• Jan 23Friendmembers
• Jan 22Answersmembers
• Jan 21Recoverymembers
• Jan 20Gatheringmembers
• Jan 19Declinedmembers
• Jan 18Pizzamembers
• Jan 16Coffeemembers
• Jan 15Unmanageablemembers
• Jan 14More Fragmentsmembers
• Jan 12Monologuesmembers
• Jan 11Restmembers
• Jan 10Fragmentsmembers
• Jan 9Stuckmembers
• Jan 8Perfectmembers
• Jan 7Practicemembers
• Jan 6Shame Storymembers
• Jan 5Listeningmembers
• Jan 4Wemembers
• Jan 3Ten yearsmembers
• Jan 2Artificemembers
• Jan 1Beginningmembers
• 2025
• Dec 10The Resonant Computing Manifesto№ 22a vision for the future of computing
• Aug 30The LookAway Manifesto№ 21reclaiming our humanity from the seductive glow of screens
• Jul 18Conversational Creativity (v1)№ 23A six sentence manifesto for a new relationship with creative work
• Jun 26Money & Worthiness№ 20A six-sentence manifesto about divorcing work from worth
• Jun 24YOU NEED A MANIFESTO№ 1950 reasons to declare your independence
• Jun 3Soul work and securityHow can I balance the work I feel called towards, and my need for financial security?
• Jun 2The Living QuestionAn epilogue to a manifesto, and a new beginning for my personal writing
• May 25Every meal is a miracle№ 18Baby’s first “six-sentence manifesto”
• May 19Exhaustion is an invitation№ 17A micro manifesto for the endlessly-exhausted
• May 18The Lightpage Manifesto№ 16In an age of avoidance, a tool for those who choose life
• Apr 29Of mice and manifestoschoosing connection when the world is conspiring to isolate you
• Apr 22the human dojoon strengthening the best aspects of our humanity
• Apr 12Sketches of the enemyThe first dispatch in the Lightpage Chronicles
• Apr 7The Lightpage ChroniclesAI & humans (a love story??)
• Apr 1ONE HUNDRED MANIFESTOS№ 15That’s how many I’ll write
• Mar 4Experty McExpertmana very silly name for a very serious survival strategy
• Mar 3write the manifesto you need to readno one else can alchemize your frustrations as well as you can
• Mar 1watch me write my next manifestothis is going to be ridiculously meta
• Feb 22manifesto energythree elements of creative power
• Feb 19On self-renewalManifesto-writing as a tool for transforming stagnant lives and institutions
• Feb 18Tidal wave, incoming!Don’t say I didn’t warn you
• Feb 13Manifestos are magic spellsA thesis about how the written word can bring us to life
• Feb 13Mini manifestosOn staging revolutions in tiny slices of your life and work
• 2024
• Dec 6The Source 🌊№ 10A manifesto of hope for the chronic self-saboteur
• Nov 11Trust-based marketingIs the antidote to control-based marketing
• Nov 10writing dojofinding freedom, one imperfect sentence at a time
• Nov 8coming undoneon learning to be human in public
• Aug 16Manifesto Quest ⚔️Let’s make writing spicy again
• Jun 10MEMES WE LIVE BY№ 9a vibecamp manifesto
• May 27Business PoetryA hunch, a murmur, a leap of faith
• 2023
• Aug 8The Artisan’s Way№ 7The age of average writing is over. The future belongs to artisans
• Mar 3Steal our media strategy№ 6How Foster Media is navigating an uncertain future by leaning into work we can be proud of
• Feb 28Entering the forest 🌲It’s time to weave together my entire philosophy of 1,000 true fans
• Feb 27The mechanics of “choose your own price”Inquiring minds wanted to know how I run my coaching calls, so here’s a deeper dive!
• Feb 26Rob’s writing roundup!Single-sentence summaries of everything I wrote this week
• Feb 25On serendipity & magicSome cool shit is happening over here, y’all
• Feb 24Should I start writing with AI?Why I’m so resistant to merging myself with the machine
• Feb 23Revisiting Perennial SellerUntangling one of the roots of my perfectionism
• Feb 23The pointThis marketing stuff is just a trojan horse for something deeper
• Feb 21Earning the clickA philosophy for people who hate clickbait
• Feb 20Sticking the landingTaking another crack at an essay with big potential
• Feb 19rob’s writing roundup! (week two)14 days into this challenge, and I am still alive and kickin’
• Feb 18The Ungated Manifesto, RevisitedTwo paragraphs that bother the shit outta me
• Feb 17I nuked today’s post (lol)Instead, here’s a juicy question I’m starting to explore
• Feb 16Pricing alchemyThe unexpected magic of “choose your own price” coaching calls
• Feb 15One customer at a timeInside of me there are two wolves
• Feb 14From niches to networksI am hereby retiring the word “niche” from my marketing lexicon
• Feb 13Slowing down, finding balanceThe hidden cost of my very prolific week
• Feb 12rob’s writing roundup! (week one)an executive summary of my shockingly prolific week
• Feb 11The questions that bring me aliveTwo creative containers with roots that go deep
• Feb 10Containers of AlivenessInstead of niching yourself into a prison, find the questions that bring you alive, and live them.
• Feb 9The perils of niching downThe way we’re taught to pursue 1,000 true fans is broken
• Feb 8Measuring what mattersAn experiment in rethinking “data-driven marketing” from first principles
• Feb 7The daily invitationMy first big experiment in non-coercive marketing
• Feb 6Building a more beautiful internet (part 1)Growth ideology, 1,000 true fans, and a vision for the future of artisanal digital business
• Feb 5Three cool thingsWhat I’ve been working on, and what’s coming next
• 2022
• Dec 24why i’m leaving thrivecartit’s been a nice run, but it’s time to put my money where my values are
• Nov 30The oasis builders manifesto№ 4A manifesto for the proliferation of internet oases 🏝️
• Nov 16Substack?? (lol wtf)Why I’m publishing on Substack after two years of open hostility towards it.
• Sep 18The non-coercive marketing manifesto№ 5What would marketing look like if it nourished our humanity?
• Jul 22The Ungated Manifesto№ 3The Pattern, and the Battle for the Soul of the Internet
• 2019
• Sep 9The Filmpreneur Manifesto№ 2A playbook for indie filmmaking liberation
• 2015
• Jun 15Filmmaker’s Process Manifesto№ 1Baby’s first “manifesto” (June 2015)