First $1000 on a Side Project (+ tips)

The challenge is no longer not being able to find the information/product you need, but rather selecting the right ebook/course/SaaS from many possible options. In this great post by Cedric Chin he talks about the ways people determine what is true and make decisions:

Correspondence — Does this author’s claims match up to my experiences? Can I come up with counter-examples or edge cases where the author’s ideas do not apply?
Coherence — Has the author committed any logical fallacies? Does the argument flow coherently and logically from premises to conclusion?
Consensus — Who else agrees with this argument? If this argument is on something scientific, is it arguing against a consensus, and if so do I trust that consensus?
Pragmatic — Is the author believable? Can I come up with a test to see if the author’s argument works?

By building a personal brand, you give people a lot more datapoints they can apply across these axes. e.g.

• Doing what you say you will do
• Making sense
• Seeing other people take an interest in your work (e.g. on social media) / review your product (testimonials + reviews)

This all leads to greater trust, which means people are more willing to take a risk with you (i.e. parting with their hard-earned cash).

The good news is that personal branding is a big term and it's possible to start in small chunks. This diagram is useful:

I elaborate more in this post. It's not that great though, I'm getting quite tired of writing posts only to realise Cedric Chin has written a better one :)