In this episode, I talk with Igor Ranc about his journey as an online creative and writer, from his first online newspaper in 2008 to his newsletter Handpicked Berlin, which now has over 6,000 subscribers. We dive into everything from dealing with fear and the spotlight effect, to Igor’s experience taking an active sabbatical and creating his own startup, to the challenge of “hamster wheel content creation”, and the importance that distribution plays as a creator and entrepreneur. 

MORE FROM IGOR RANC

• Handpicked Berlin
• Contribute to the Startup & Salary Survey for 2024
• EightyFour
• Book recommendations: The Scout Mindset, Founder Vs Investor

MORE FROM IMPERFECT CREATIVES

• Sign-up to the Imperfect Newsletter
• Mike on LinkedIn

CHAPTERS 

(00:00) Introduction

(03:34) The origin of Handpicked Berlin

(05:26) Defining success & traction as a creator

(06:54) The evolution of Handpicked Berlin

(09:08) Why keep going?

(10:45) Balancing passion projects with full-time work

(17:56) Embracing the journey & finding balance

(22:53) Survivorship bias & compounding

(26:00) Nothing happens without persistence

(28:58) Compounding leading to growth

(31:40) Community is the key

(34:00) How things change when you have an audience

(37:20) Metrics and growth traps

(39:12) The urge to scale

(42:56) The pressure to have side-hustles

(45:00) Just start, nobody cares

(49:14) Asking is free

(52:00) Know the game you're playing

(57:40) What to ask companies in interviews

(01:01:17) Mastering salary negotiations

(01:09:02) Book recommendations & final takeaways

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