Ever wonder when to stop DIY’ing and start paying for help? In this episode of The Journey : Podcast Edition, Paul dives into the tricky psychology behind spending decisions for founders and scrappy builders.

From fear-driven frugality to opportunity cost, he breaks down how to treat your time as an investment portfolio. You’ll learn a practical framework for evaluating whether to “buy or DIY,” complete with a tool to calculate the real cost of your choices—including risk, learning value, and strategic leverage.

Paul also explores the paradox of control, showing why holding onto everything can quietly strangle growth. The lesson? Maturing as an entrepreneur means knowing when to deploy resources, not hoard them.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive

Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/how-to-know-when-to-open-your-chequebook

Benjamin Lappalainen—creative technologist, educator, artist, and XR lead at UKAI Projects—joins Paul Austin-Menear to talk freelancing, AI, and culture. From building screen mirroring tech at Nanoleaf to experimenting with reverse RFPs at UKAI, Benjamin shares stories of navigating pivots, teaching others, and embedding art into the future of technology.

Highlights include :

* Why he left aerospace engineering for tech and creativity

* Lessons from Nanoleaf and building screen mirroring tools

* Teaching technical literacy and running AI models locally

* The risks of AI advertising and anthropomorphized systems

* Ukai’s mission: “culture for what’s coming” and experimental residencies

* A radical “reverse RFP” model embedding artists into companies

* Practical freelancing advice on savings, networking, and wearing many hats

Interesting Links :

* Ben’s Portfolio & Work : https://blap64.xyz/

* UKAI Projects : https://ukaiprojects.com/

* Cultural Technologies Lab : https://www.culturaltechnologieslab.org/

* Genetic Algorithms (Research Paper) : https://direct.mit.edu/artl/article/26/2/274/93255/The-Surprising-Creativity-of-Digital-Evolution-A

* SoftLaunch (Learn Creative Technologies) : https://softlaunch.net/

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-benjamin-lappalainen

Hana in Kyoto blends VR tech with ancient Japanese forest bathing... and wonders how to get investors to see the potential. In this AMA episode, Paul breaks down how to align vision, valuation, and vibe to attract the right kind of funding for your idea.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/ama-selling-serenity-convincing-investors

Are these marketing models really in competition—or are they undercover lovers?

In this episode, Paul explores the long-running debate between the primacy of the marketing funnel and the flywheel, showing how both can coexist and even reinforce each other. From focusing your campaigns to sustaining customer momentum, learn how to build a “funwheel” that powers growth long after the sale.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/marketing-the-flywheel-and-the-funnel

In this episode of The Journey : Podcast Edition, Paul breaks down the builder’s approach to marketing analytics. Learn how to focus on what truly matters, design a measurement program that drives growth, and even create your own custom metrics to uncover insights unique to your business.

Explore the coexistence of the funnel and flywheel models, understand key metrics like Conversion Rate, MER, CAC, and LTV, and hear why sometimes the most valuable data point is the one you define yourself.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/measmeasuring-the-flames-marketing-analytics-p2

Marketing analytics aren’t about numbers for numbers’ sake—they’re about unlocking insights you can act on. In this episode of The Journey : Podcast Edition, we explore how segmentation, data integration, and simple tools can help builders like you stand out in competitive markets. From coffee shops to startups, the lesson is the same : track what matters, not just what’s easy.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/measuring-the-flames-marketing-analytics

From military service to sales enablement—Steven Werley has built, failed, and rebuilt. In this conversation, Steven opens up about the chaos of running agencies, the heavy cost of misaligned incentives, and the practices that helped him overcome impostor syndrome and self-doubt. We dig into stoicism, the Alter Ego Effect, and why documenting your journey may be the single best investment you can make.

The highlight : Steven’s creation of Closable.ai, a system designed to help sales teams close more deals, capture lost revenue, and bring consistency where chaos often reigns. Along the way, we discuss how AI is changing the labour market, why SaaS may be fading, and why those who embrace AI tools today will be the ones best positioned tomorrow.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-steven-werley

Other Links

* Steven Werley on Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenwerley/

* Closable.ai : https://closable.ai/

* The Alter Ego Effect, by Todd Herman : https://alteregoeffect.com/

* A Handbook for New Stoics, by Massimo Pigliucci : https://www.amazon.ca/Handbook-New-Stoics-Week-Week/dp/1615195335

Remarketing isn’t just a digital ghost story—it’s one of the sharpest tools in your paid ads toolbox. In this episode, we break down how remarketing works, why it matters, and how to use it strategically without creeping out your audience or wasting your budget. Learn how to amplify your best content, re-engage warm leads, and make every ad dollar go further.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/stoking-the-fire-with-remarketing

Paid ads are like fire : powerful when controlled, destructive when mismanaged. In this episode, we explore how to balance paid advertising in your marketing mix. Learn the good, the bad, and the downright ugly—and how to capture residual value by building your own audience alongside campaigns.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/feeding-the-fire-with-paid-advertising

When you’re strapped for cash and trying to grow, affiliate marketing offers a low-risk way to spark the fire. But is it sustainable? In this episode, Paul breaks down the affiliate model, shares his own experiences, and offers a playbook for integrating affiliates into your broader marketing mix. If you’re building from scratch and want smarter ways to scale, this one’s for you.

The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/sparking-the-fire-with-affiliate