I made an irreversible decision...

The start of 2024 has been a whirlwind of activity.

I flew to SF for an event. Spent a week in Austin. Got a shoutout on the Tim Ferriss Show. Scaled my ghostwriting business to $13k/mo.

But as exciting as it has been, I found myself being pulled in too many directions without enough time to think and strategize.

• I wasn’t reading much

• I stopped going on my evening walks

• I wasn’t spending enough time with loved ones

So last week, I took a step back, revisited my North Star, and ultimately decided to shut down my ghostwriting business.

Now, you may be wondering… why would I throw away a $13k/mo business?

Don’t get me wrong, the money was great.

But one of the core ideas I’ve learned is to optimize for time before money. If you’re not in control of your time - no amount of money is enough.

So what’s next?

Long-time readers know I’ve been working with Noah Kagan to help with his social content and book marketing.

Well, I’m excited to share that recently I’ve been promoted to Head of Content.

I’ll be responsible for the strategy, content, and growth of all his socials and the email newsletter. (Hit me up with any ideas!)

Shutting down my ghostwriting business to go all in with Noah was no small decision—and there were many tradeoffs I made in the process.

Three mindset shifts that pushed me over the edge:

First, optimize for learning, not earning.

In the age of the internet, two skills reign supreme…

Storytelling and spreadsheets. If you know your numbers and can craft the narrative, the world is yours.

While some may argue I’d learn more from building a team and scaling my ghostwriting agency—the truth is Noah is one of the greatest storytellers and quant-based marketers I know.

He has used those skills to:

• Build AppSumo to $100M/year in revenue

• Grow his YouTube to one million subscribers

• Write, launch, and market a best-selling book

When you get an opportunity to learn from one of the best in their craft, it’s foolish to pick short-term earning instead of long-term learning.

Second, goodwill compounds faster than revenue.

One of the greatest assets you can develop is a group of high-quality people speaking highly of you behind your back.

Noah has been playing the online entrepreneurship game for longer than I’ve been alive. He’s cultivated a network of people who, to put it simply, I’d like to surround myself with.

Not everything that is measurable matters. Not everything that matters is measurable.

Which brings us to the last point.

Follow your energy, not the crowd.

You can read all the books, watch all the YouTube videos, and listen to all the advice in the world—but at some point, you have to look inward.

• What activities make you lose track of time?

• What gives you the most energy?

• What excites you the most?

No one can tell you what you should work on. It has to come from you.

Hopefully this gives you some food for thought.

See you next Sunday,

Jay “Follow Your Energy” Yang

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