Posts in Mental Models
Start betting on yourself

Tara and I just released our first romantic comedy series on YouTube. I directed it. She stars in it. It’s not perfect, and it’s not for everyone. But we committed, bet on ourselves, and shipped the thing that lived in our heads into the real world. Here’s what happened when we did.

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How we turned a viral sketch into a pitch for a TV series

A few months ago, Tara and I had a budget airline sketch go viral, and this week we’re pitching a TV series based on it. It’s a real-world example of how permissionless leverage works: build something online first, then use that momentum to attract permissioned leverage later. This is how we turned a sketch into proof of concept, an audience into an asset, and views into a defensible TV pitch.

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Do more things that break your brain

Growth rarely feels like growth in the moment. Most of the time, it feels like confusion, ineptitude, and your brain struggling to keep up. I felt that firsthand on the first day of directing our rom-com series, when my brain completely broke and taught me what real growth actually looks like.

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AI is eating video content

Instagram has an authenticity problem. The average person can’t tell the difference between a video made by AI and one made by a real person, which means the value of a single video has basically dropped to zero. In a world where anyone can pump out content nonstop, the only real advantage left is making work only you can make, work that comes from your point of view and requires real judgment, taste, and stacked skills.

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How to learn anything

The fastest way to learn any new skill isn’t through courses, books, or endless research — it’s by making something. In this piece, I break down how I’m learning cinematography from scratch by shooting a project my wife and I wrote, and why trial-by-doing is the key to mastering anything, one skill at a time.

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Why human connection will win in the age of AI-generated video

In a world where AI is generating more content than ever, it’s the human moments that stand out. Our latest YouTube video hit nearly 10,000 views — not because of flashy effects or trends, but because it captured something real: a glimpse into a genuine relationship. As AI continues to shape the future of video, creators who lean into truth, emotion, and connection will have the edge.

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What no one tells you about being a creator

Building something of my own has been harder than I expected. I’m not where I thought I’d be by now, and that’s frustrating. The fear hits hardest at 3 a.m. — when I’m running numbers and wondering if I’m crazy for choosing this path. But deep down, I know this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

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The hidden ROI of “wasted” creative projects

Not every creative project is meant to be finished. In fact, the ones you quit often teach you the most. So-called “failures” sharpen your instincts, quitting at the right time is a skill, and abandoning ideas can actually pave the way for the work that truly matters.

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