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I wrote this newsletter 100 times
It's hard to believe I've reached 100 issues of this newsletter. I never imagined I'd become so dedicated to this craft when I started.Much like my days in sports school, I discovered my strong suit was endurance – whether running for long stretches, showing up at the soccer field regardless of the weather, or tirelessly hitting the tennis ball. This attribute wasn't just limited to sports; it carried over into my professional life. Crafting this newsletter 100 times has been akin to a marathon, an enduring journey, and I'm here to run the distance. Unless something truly unexpected pulls me away, I'm committed.What do I gain from consistently publishing this newsletter, especially when there are no ads or paying subscribers? The answer is multifaceted, and I've delved into it in a post inviting you to read.Now, about the content in this newsletter. The apps section highlights apps that Fresh van Root runs on. From online meetings, and note-taking, to visual content creation, and more, get an insider view of what tools we rely on. Where possible, I also added screenshots. If you would like to post more on your social media accounts but lack a clear strategy about it, check out the book tip in this issue. Stay fresh, Rolf
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About the Creators of All Trades newsletter: discover trending apps and must-reads across social, marketing, productivity, design, tech, and startups. Curated by a 100% bio-degradable human, 2 times a month.
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Think of a situation in which you wanted to reach experts in a field you do not know too much about. To overcome this situation, you settled on creating beginner content. But beginners consume lots of content and are not going to amplify it. If you want to reach the experts who can trigger word of mouth in their communities, you should focus on creating content for them. This blog post shares tips and tricks on how to write for experts.
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The script sounds familiar: A startup shows early success with a very simple concept. Investors throw money at it. But the product is a flash in the pan. That is the story of Cameo, a website where you can buy personalized videos from celebrities. In this NYTimes article, you can follow the rise and demise of the startup.
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A friend asked me how to approach building an account on LinkedIn. What to write about? Also, he said, LinkedIn is full of dull content. My answer was straightforward: Talk about the pieces of work you create. Share behind-the-scenes material in addition to just the final thing. And there is the perfect book explaining the concept. It's called "Show Your Work," and I wish more people on LinkedIn would follow the advice given in the book. Book Summary
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Sublime is a feature-rich text editor I have been using for years. It has one key feature I love: you can organize your plain text notes in tabs. And you do not have to click a Save button. Your notes also persist through reboots of your device. I recommend replacing Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) with Sublime. It's marketed at developers, don't let this confuse you. Download it now. Blog post: How I use Sublime.
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For recurring meetings, like standups, sending out calendar invites and getting on Zoom or Google Meet calls is not practicable. If you want to create a virtual office feeling, Tandem is perfect. We use it for all internal meetings at Fresh van Root. The app did not get any updates in a while but it works like a charm for us.
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Slab is where we document our work: processes, checklists, and internal wiki. It integrates great with other tools we already use, is easy to use, and comes with a generous free plan. ( Screenshot).
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Obsidian is a personal note-taking tool catering to nerdy types (markdown formatting). I use it for writing this newsletter's drafts, blogging, and social media posts. The app is feature-rich, and hundreds of 3rd party plugins extend its functionality in all directions. It also has a feature to visualize ideas.
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I have tested lots of screenshot apps. And it is the only one I really recommend. You get lots of options to take screenshots, including capturing scrolling windows. You can also record videos, upload and share files, edit your screenshots, save style presets, and much more. ( Screenshot)
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Storyboards for videos, social media graphics, mockups, wireframes, and editing screenshots. Figma is our go-to app for all things involving visual creativity. Most of the content published on this Instagram page is produced with Figma. ( Screenshot)
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Getting stuff done is only possible by focusing on a single task at a time. To force myself to do that, I rely on Rize. It tracks everything I do on my laptop and sends daily and weekly reports. It can be overwhelming initially, but once you get into it, you will not want to miss it. Tip: Do not track work blocks shorter than 30 minutes - otherwise, you will spend too much time configuring your productivity app. ( Screenshot)
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Talk on Prototyping at SaaStock I gave a talk about prototyping products with AI at SaaStock Dublin. It took me 40 hours to put together all the content and the slides, but it was worth it. Got great feedback and now I have to figure out how to further spread my knowledge on the topic. I will distribute the slides and all content about it for free to newsletter subscribers first in the coming weeks.
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Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses
I did not see that coming: I like the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. Here is a video created using them and my first thoughts about it on LinkedIn.
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Agency Business My team has been very busy in October, setting up 3 new projects with 3 new clients. More on that when we get written approval that allows us to talk about it. But it's going to be a super busy rest of the year.
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Why replacing Twitter/X isn't easy
There are countless apps that want to replace Twitter. But why did none of these apps stick so far? My take on it.
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Let us connect on LinkedIn or Bluesky
I am getting more active on LinkedIn lately. In this LinkedIn post, I outlined my approach. Let us connect there. And if you joined Bluesky, another app that wants to replace Twitter, I also set up a profile there.
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Ever wondered what your neighborhood could look like if it were pedestrian and bike-friendly? Enter your address on this site and add a touch of Dutch to it.
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Support the Creators of All Trades Newsletter by forwarding it to a friend! Did you get this email forwarded from a friend?
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Created by Rolf MistelbacherA curious marketing nerd, content creator, and entrepreneur. LinkedIn | Mastodon | Bluesky
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