September 01, 2024

How Ben Thompson Built a Writing Empire

1 hour 33 minutes

Write of Passage Podcast

Key Takeaways

Writing invokes clarity of thought; it forces you to ensure that every you say is actually correct
Productive writers are always thinking about the topics they write about, even if they are not sitting in front of their computer
The goal of writing is not to convince the reader that you are right, but to force the reader to think about the issue that you are discussing
“The most important article you write is the second article someone reads.” – Ben Thompson
Develop a framework for writing by using “The Writing Machine”:
- Have an overall view of the world and how it works
- Process news and information as it happens
- Fed that information into your worldview machine
- The output that this machine churns out is your content

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org

What if writing a newsletter could pay your rent? Well, it can. And today, you’re going to learn how.

Ben Thompson makes millions of dollars a year with his writing. He’s the OG of subscription-based newsletter writers. Maybe that’s your dream, too, but you’re plagued by questions like: “What should I write about?” “What’s my business model?” “How do I make my first dollar online?” We’re so glad you asked; because Ben has the answers. In this episode, you’ll learn his exact playbook for how to monetize your writing — not just for right now, but also for the future.

Ben’s blog, Stratechery, is the OG of subscription-based newsletters and actually inspired the creation of Substack. If you’ve ever wondered what a day-in-the-life of someone who makes millions of dollars writing looks like, now’s your chance.

SPEAKER LINKS:

Website & Newsletter: https://stratechery.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/benthompson

WRITE OF PASSAGE:

Want to learn more about the next class for Write of Passage?

Click here: https://writeofpassage.com/

PODCAST LINKS:

Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv

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September 01, 2024

How Ben Thompson Built a Writing Empire

1 hour 33 minutes

Write of Passage Podcast

Key Takeaways

Writing invokes clarity of thought; it forces you to ensure that every you say is actually correct
Productive writers are always thinking about the topics they write about, even if they are not sitting in front of their computer
The goal of writing is not to convince the reader that you are right, but to force the reader to think about the issue that you are discussing
“The most important article you write is the second article someone reads.” – Ben Thompson
Develop a framework for writing by using “The Writing Machine”:
- Have an overall view of the world and how it works
- Process news and information as it happens
- Fed that information into your worldview machine
- The output that this machine churns out is your content