My friend Jeremy Enns and I recently had this conversation about a quote by Thelonious Monk:

We explored this idea about what it means to find your zone of genius and why being authentically yourself might be the key to your greatest work.

I ended up writing a blog post about this too: Finding your zone of genius

This conversation was a part of a longer episode we did for PMT Explained.

I think a lot of folks assume that people who create content (YouTube videos, podcasts, screencasts, public speaking) are mostly extroverted.

But this conversation I recently had with Aaron Francis, Marie Poulin, and Brian Casel on the Panel Podcast calls that into question.

🔗 Listen to the full episode here: https://panelpodcast.com/4

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - - Are most content creators extroverts?

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In the pursuit of "making podcasts more discoverable," the podcast industry has welcomed YouTube with open arms. But is the industry misdiagnosing YouTube's role? YouTube isn't just "getting into podcasting" - it's a behemoth that's captured consumer attention at an unprecedented level.

Join the discussion:

• Reply on Bluesky
  

I don't think YouTube actually cares about "podcasting" as an industry (it's just another content keyword for them). I also think responses like "Let's add video to podcasts" are missing the bigger picture.

This episode contains clips of myself and Jeremy Enns digging into the realities of algorithmic discovery, social media addiction, audio podcasts vs video podcasts, and how the podcast industry might respond to the threat of YouTube as a platform.

• (00:00) - - YouTube's advantage: engrained consumer habits

Want to start an audio podcast? Read my guide.

The advent of AI coding assistance has introduced a wave of dread in the software development industry, exemplified by Chris Sacca's stark prediction that "we are super screwed" when it comes to traditional coding jobs. 

But I'm not convinced.

• (00:00) - Chris Sacca's dire prediction about AI replacing coding

I wrote a blog post, that ended up Hacker News, called: "What's happening with founders over 40?" I got a lot of comments and reactions to the piece, so I thought I'd respond to those here.

Key moments:

• 0:00 - What was the blog post about?
• 1:28 - Discussion of cognitive changes and fluid vs crystallized intelligence
• 3:01 - Personal example of declining energy for late-night work
• 5:36 - Menopause and hormonal changes in aging
• 7:58 - Research showing the age of a successful founder is 45
• 10:15 - Personal life stage considerations
• 12:31 - Thoughts on ambition and different paths for aging entrepreneurs
• 14:04 - Discussion of taking health seriously in your 40s
• 15:44 - Example of shifting gears like Rob Walling
• 17:38 - Final example: Bob Dylan

Key Quotes:

• "At 44, I don't feel like I still have the raw horsepower in terms of creative mental energy that I did 20 years ago."
• "It's like gradually and then sudden. And there's actually research that shows that aging might happen in these bursts."
• "A 50 year old entrepreneur is nearly twice as likely to have a runaway success as a 30 year old."
• "Nothing sticks. I have to clear my schedule, concentrate, take supplements, stay up late, and take copious notes just to make a bit of progress on anything."
• "You can't have the same kind of energy or creative firepower forever. I did that. I can't do that anymore, but I can do other things now."

Links:

• Blog post: What's happening with founders over 40?
• Draft: I'm 44, and my brain is getting worse
• Article: How Old Are Successful Tech Entrepreneurs?
• Blog: Old founders do this better
• Research: How the Aging Brain Affects Thinking
• Article: Humans age dramatically at two key points in life
• Research: Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging
• Peter Attia: build muscle in your 40s
• Video: Bob Dylan, 60 minutes
• Book: From Strength to Strength, Arthur Brooks

I have an entrepreneurial drive to start many projects.

A formula from my therapist about stress management.

How I use Claude AI to evaluate my life choices.

Key moments:
0:00 - Introduction & One-Take Podcast Format
0:39 - The Stress Formula: Demands vs Resources
1:44 - Entrepreneurial Phase & Sustainability
1:59 - Using Claude AI for Life Planning
2:27 - My Current Responsibilities
3:31 - Desires for New Projects
4:04 - Claude's Analysis of My Responsibilities
5:17 - Resource Management Insights
6:31 - The Only Two Solutions
6:50 - Summer Camp Dream Example
8:13 - Key Lesson: Can't Be CEO of Everything
9:18 - Three Main Takeaways

Key Points:

• Stress = Demands ÷ Resources
• The importance of maintaining equilibrium between responsibilities and available resources
• How I'm using Claude AI for personal life planning
• Why you can't be the CEO of everything
• The necessity of delegation when taking on new projects

Links:

• Bluesky: I want to do all the things!
• Follow me on Bluesky
• Inspired by Caleb Porzio's "Notes on Work" podcast

tl;dr – I've decided to delete all my Twitter posts, lock down my account, and leave the platform. And I'm going all-in on Bluesky, which (in the last month) has become 1,000x more fun than X.

Links:

• Why I'm leaving Twitter for Bluesky  – my blog post
• ​Bluesky Migrate​ – a simple guide on how to migrate to ​Bluesky from X.
• ​Starterpacks.net​ and ​Bluesky Directory help you find Starter Packs to follow.
• ​Use your custom domain as your username​

Follow me on Bluesky!
https://bsky.app/profile/mijustin.bsky.social

In 1999, I met Chad Muska at Slam City Jam in Vancouver. He was at the height of his popularity. His pro model was selling 10,000 units a month, and he was one of the first playable characters in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game.

But then, all the money and fame ran out.

"Right around the beginning of the pandemic," Chad says, "everything ended in skateboarding for me as far as finances go. My last check came in, and it was done."

So, what's Chad Muska doing now? He's building the Muska brand as an independent company and bootstrapping it just like you or I would.

I initially made this episode as a YouTube mini-documentary. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/14SLpQ-SsiM

Read more about Chad's story on my blog: https://justinjackson.ca/chad-muska

Full episode on the Make Lemonade podcast, episode 49

This is my 2022 year in review. I've been writing these every year since 2013. Traditionally, these have focused on my business highlights: what's happening with the podcasting SaaS I run with Jon Buda (Transistor.fm), thoughts on bootstrapping and startups, plus any other personal experiences I feel I can share publicly.

If you'd prefer to read the blog post version, you can find it here:
https://justinjackson.ca/2022-review

What happened in 2022 for Transistor.fm
With a team of four people, we were able to launch a lot more features than in previous years.

• Updated podcast website builder (and new themes)
• Multiple languages for podcast websites
• Free podcast website builder for non-Transistor customers
• Podcast achievement badges
• Multiple improvements to Dynamic Ad Insertion
• Episode timestamp links
• Multiple improvements to podcast analytics: episode comparison charts
• Guest, host, and creator profiles for podcast websites
• Cool MP3 chapter feature that automatically generates timestamps
• Remove email address from the RSS feed, so you don't get spam
• Added a few new Podcasting 2.0 tags (and joined the Podcast Standards Project)
• Big refresh to the Transistor marketing website

I spent the last few months of 2022 trying to improve Transistor's search results for terms like "how to start a podcast" (both on Google and YouTube).

Other links:

• Tatiana's community newsletter
• Matt Ruby's standup comedy special
• Why Sam Harris left Twitter

Top posts from 2022

• Working harder won't make you more successful
• Older founders do this better
• The Good Life
• Is Twitter done?