That moment when you realize “oh, this is what I should have been doing all along!”
Ever had that moment?
For me, I’ve been working on TokyoSpark (since I’ve lived in Tokyo 24 years).
But the virus has pretty much killed traffic to that. So I needed something new.
And quick.
So I decided to work on something I know, WordPress. I’m a computer science major with decades of IT experience, and top level cyber security certifications...
All that to say I’m basically a Web DevSecOps geek (even beforeDevSecOps was a term).
But I’m very much a WordPress guinea pig. I’ve tried almost every combination of plug-ins, code snippets, and hacks to make WordPress do things.
So why, with all this experience, have I not created something around it?
I honestly don’t know. But I am now and I am having a blast doing it.
It’s like I can craft things with speed because it just flows out of my brain. I just know what to create, how to create it, and every time I create more — more ideas come up.
I think this is a sign I should’ve been doing this all along.
Have you ever had that moment?
Aas @dvassallo pointed out, we all have "sawdust" that we've accumulated over the years. Those knowledge are actually quite valuable to other people, even though they were not our main purpose.
Agreed.
What are you building?! The suspense is killing me!
I’m building a course platform right now (using WordPress).
None of that bloated LMS stuff. I mean, do you really need a certificate of completion from an independent trainer? :)
My guess is you’d want the content. The know how. And would prefer not to waste a lot of time getting it.
That’s what I’m building.
I can make WordPress do almost anything. Just the right mix of plugins, code tweaks, and services that keep it flexible and fast.
Awesome content like how to make WordPress fast. I mean FAST, not just “install caching plug-in and turn on CDN.”
Or how to create quality courses without the big LMS plugins that lock you into their way.
And so much more. I’m in setup phase right now. Heavily modifying my site to make it a unique experience that delivers my on-demand video based training in an attractive way.
Will be ready as soon as I can get this stuff out of my brain and into bits. 👊
Oh, that sounds exciting. I'm a huge fan of minimalist WordPress plugins (having co-created two of them).
EDIT: Having a second look at your comment though, I may have mistakenly thought you were making a WordPress plugin, but seems like you may be building something like Teachable (people join and host their courses with you) and you're doing it with WordPress.
I'm also a course creator (visualcontentcourse.com) and searched for weeks to find the right minimal solution without having to bloat the heck out of the site.
Happy to share my feedback, be a guinea pig, and share my experience with you (having made over $1M selling premium WP plugins).
Thanks. Plugins and themes aren’t off the table. I do plan to provide code snippets during training.
There could easily be some minimalist plugins available for students. 🙂
I have that at the beginning of the new idea. Later excitement goes down a little bit.
Oh yea, trust me, I know that new idea/project rush all too well.
This is different. This is like no matter how much I work on it, I can work on it more.
It can keep me up until the Red Bull stops working.
:)
That's perfect then, keep the work going on :)
For sure. Thanks!
That is awesome @Chaddeus. It is always great to find something that aligns so well with you that also flows naturally. It's like a recipe for success. I think I am getting close to something similar. It is great when you realize that the content that you produce and share gives you feedback for even more ideas to create in the future. Keep up the great work my man!
For sure. It’s almost too many ideas. lol
I forget to write them all done. Some pop into mind right in the middle of creating other things.
It’s hard to tame! lol
Thanks Gordon!
Haha absolutely my man. Just let it flow!
Yes, I have had that. It came in the form of writing.
As an Engineering student, I was afraid of taking the dreaded Freshman Comp class. All of my friends took it (also engineers) and barely made it out with a C. When I took the class, my first paper was returned with a D. However, the professor commented, "This is an A paper marred by grammatical error." All of my following papers were A's.
Fast forward a few years and I was CEO of a startup company. It was horrible. The morning I resigned things looked bleak. Not sure of what to do, I talked to my business coach. He said to start a consulting company using my experience.
To help generate interest I began a blog. Now I want to write all of the time. 800 words come easy. Then I decided to make it a newsletter too. It started gaining way more traction than consulting. Now I am considering removing consulting altogether.
Nice. I say go with your gut. In the end, even if you think you can “brute force” it, the thing you’re interested in will always be easier and more fun to do.