Andy Black
Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
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The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer.
A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)
You probably knew this right?
But here’s something I’ve noticed from PMs with a few thousand forum members:
Many of you don’t think you know enough to get started.
Many of you are constantly looking for something else to consume so you can finally become a producer.
The more insidious danger of consuming is that it makes you think you don’t already know enough to start.
I always imagine a young lad knocking on the door with a lawnmower in tow.
“Hey mister. Do you need your grass cut?”
“Not today thanks.”
“No thanks. Maybe another time.”
“Oh wow. I was just thinking of finding someone to cut my grass. Yes please.”
(I live in a very polite little world.)
You know what that lad didn’t do?
He didn’t think:
“I need a logo.”
“I need a website.”
“I don’t know enough about cold calling.”
“I need to go to the library and get a heap of books on how to start a business.”
Many of us know to give ourselves a stern talking to when we catch ourselves action faking.
But did you know the hidden rabbit-hole lying in wait for you in the library?
“Oh boy. I didn’t realise I needed to know about marketing as well as just starting a business.”
“Uh-oh... I didn’t know I needed to create avatars of my ideal customers before I go knocking on doors. What if I go round the wrong estate?”
“USP?! Whoa. I’m glad I came into the library today. I wouldn't have known that I didn’t know about USPs.”
“Scaling? Growth? What’s that mean? Should I even try to start a grass cutting business?”
“OMG... look at all this stuff I didn’t know I needed to learn before I even step out of the house and speak to people this fine Saturday afternoon.”
Many of you are straight out of school or college.
You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.
Whenever a new challenge comes up you’ve been programmed to search for a book or course.
This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.
I get it. I was a good student. I got my degree. I worked a cubicle for nearly 2 decades. I took the courses. I Googled for “books on XYZ”. I took “evening classes on ABC”. I even decided I “needed” an MSc to get ahead.
I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school) was street-smart where I was book-smart.
And that he was streets ahead of me.
Then one day someone asked me a very simple question:
“Andy. What if you already know enough?”
Oh.
We all want to join team producer right?
The best way is to produce more, not consume more.
What if you already know enough?
What would you do then?
Do that.
...
PS: This was all *produced* on my phone on a coach to the airport.
I could have consumed a podcast for the hour, or I could have produced a post in that hour. I chose to gain clarity by producing, to help others by producing, and to not clutter up my head with yet more “knowledge”.
I chose to clear my head not fill it.
EDIT:
Here's an 8 minute video expanding on this:
A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)
You probably knew this right?
But here’s something I’ve noticed from PMs with a few thousand forum members:
Many of you don’t think you know enough to get started.
Many of you are constantly looking for something else to consume so you can finally become a producer.
The more insidious danger of consuming is that it makes you think you don’t already know enough to start.
I always imagine a young lad knocking on the door with a lawnmower in tow.
“Hey mister. Do you need your grass cut?”
“Not today thanks.”
“No thanks. Maybe another time.”
“Oh wow. I was just thinking of finding someone to cut my grass. Yes please.”
(I live in a very polite little world.)
You know what that lad didn’t do?
He didn’t think:
“I need a logo.”
“I need a website.”
“I don’t know enough about cold calling.”
“I need to go to the library and get a heap of books on how to start a business.”
Many of us know to give ourselves a stern talking to when we catch ourselves action faking.
But did you know the hidden rabbit-hole lying in wait for you in the library?
“Oh boy. I didn’t realise I needed to know about marketing as well as just starting a business.”
“Uh-oh... I didn’t know I needed to create avatars of my ideal customers before I go knocking on doors. What if I go round the wrong estate?”
“USP?! Whoa. I’m glad I came into the library today. I wouldn't have known that I didn’t know about USPs.”
“Scaling? Growth? What’s that mean? Should I even try to start a grass cutting business?”
“OMG... look at all this stuff I didn’t know I needed to learn before I even step out of the house and speak to people this fine Saturday afternoon.”
Many of you are straight out of school or college.
You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.
Whenever a new challenge comes up you’ve been programmed to search for a book or course.
This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.
I get it. I was a good student. I got my degree. I worked a cubicle for nearly 2 decades. I took the courses. I Googled for “books on XYZ”. I took “evening classes on ABC”. I even decided I “needed” an MSc to get ahead.
I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school) was street-smart where I was book-smart.
And that he was streets ahead of me.
Then one day someone asked me a very simple question:
“Andy. What if you already know enough?”
Oh.
We all want to join team producer right?
The best way is to produce more, not consume more.
What if you already know enough?
What would you do then?
Do that.
...
PS: This was all *produced* on my phone on a coach to the airport.
I could have consumed a podcast for the hour, or I could have produced a post in that hour. I chose to gain clarity by producing, to help others by producing, and to not clutter up my head with yet more “knowledge”.
I chose to clear my head not fill it.
EDIT:
Here's an 8 minute video expanding on this:
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