25 Jun 2025 #career
I’ve changed my mind about what a good manager is.
At one past job, I worked on short-term projects. Every six months or so, I had new projects with a new team leader and sometimes a new team.
I worked with all kinds of managers. From those who still coded to others who hadn’t touched code in years.
The most challenging ones? The newly promoted team members.
In times of uncertainty, which is pretty much all the time, they fell back on what they know best: coding. And they forgot that as managers, they aren’t the best coders anymore.
In those situations, the best thing to do is follow the advice from Why Engineers Hate Their Managers:
If you’re an engineer frustrated with your manager, consider that they might be drowning too—sometimes the best thing you can do is have an honest conversation about what you both need to succeed.
The day before, they were just teammates who got a quick promotion, tapped on their shoulder with no training or clear expectations. Just, “You’re a manager now. Figure it out. See you at the next performance review.”
I used to think a good manager was a still-technical team member making code-level decisions. Now, a good manager is simply someone I’d like to work with again.
24 Jun 2025 #writing
If you’re like me, you’ve listened to your favorite songs plenty of times.
Not just often, but over and over, in different versions. A live version during a concert, a studio version with a string quartet, or a duo version with another well-known artist.
If singers do it, why not do the same thing in our content?
A good post can become an email for your newsletter or part of a book chapter. The message stays the same, but presented in a new format for a new audience. And that makes it different.
As Robert Birming put it on Blog Recycling,
Dig up an old post and rewrite it from your current perspective. It’s not cheating, and it’s not copying. It’s growth.
It’s like singers giving a popular song a fresh arrangements, just like we can to our best posts.
23 Jun 2025 #writing
#1. They offer a clear promise. “10 reasons” or “5 mistakes” are way better than “on writing” or “some thoughts on blogging.” It’s clear what to expect from the first two.
#2. They are easy to digest and skim. People don’t read online. They skim. A listicle with bolded bullet points or subheaders is easier to skim than text-heavy essays. People can jump in at any point after skimming. And even if they only read those subheaders, they will take away some value from a listicle.
#3. They follow a proven structure. Listicles are popular because they work. The 10 Commandments, The 48 Laws of Power, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century are just three examples of listicles.
#4. They offer more interaction points. Every point invites comments and conversation. “I really like point #n…“
#5. They offer more repurposing opportunities. Listicle points with the most interaction make great standalone posts. See #4. That’s one tip to double our post count.
Best of all? If you already write 10 ideas a day, listicles practically write themselves.
22 Jun 2025 #productivity
For a long time, I was a note-taking freak.
I spent hours trying to find the perfect note-taking system. I tried a bullet journal, a simple A-4 sheet of paper folded twice, and an endless .txt file. I probably have an old comparison table of note-taking buried in my old computer.
Starting a second brain
Years later, probably scrolling on Hacker News, I found out about the Zettelkasten method.
It fascinated me so much that I read How to Take Smart Notes to learn more about the method and started my own “zettel.” But recently I realized that I barely revisit most of my notes. I’m not interested in the same topics anymore.
Simply writing 10 ideas
And after reading some of James Altucher’s books and recovering from burnout, I’ve changed my mind about productivity and to-do lists.
Instead of to-do lists and goals, I’ve started to write 10 ideas a day to become an idea machine. It has changed my note-taking habits too. Now, after every book, podcast, or course, I write down 10 key lessons. It forces me to recall the main ideas from the content I consume. I don’t need to write every single detail but rather remember the 10 points that resonate the most. That effort makes the learning stick.
I still write down the quotes I like the most from books I read. But I’ve stopped chasing second-brain systems and testing every new AI-powered app. I simply write 10 ideas. It’s simple and more useful than any system I’ve tried.
21 Jun 2025 #misc
In 2019, I started my first attempt at running a freelancing business.
I had started freelancing for a company I had just left. I thought I could do the same for other companies. My strategy for finding clients? Cold emailing any software agency I could find.
I even emailed every recruiter I found on open applications on LinkedIn. Those days, LinkedIn was flooded with “life-changing opportunities.” Sorry, I meant job listings.
I don’t remember how many emails I sent. But I remember getting just one reply. When I followed up, I only heard crickets.
Here are 15 ideas to reduce chances of getting ghosted when cold emailing clients or anyone else:
#1. Send 10 ideas for free. Don’t expect anything in return. This is James Altucher’s idea to become an idea machine.
#2. Don’t give your reader homework. “Fill out this application form to apply.”
#3. Make an offer simple to say yes. “For $x, I do XYZ.”
#4. Don’t make your reader look or feel bad. “Your YouTube video thumbnails suck, but I’m here to rescue you.” Good luck with that!
#5. Show real interest. “Hey, I’ve been following your content and liked your take on XYZ” or something like that.
#6. Start with a genuine compliment. Probably an idea I picked from “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
#7. Sound like a real human being. Write using your own words.
#8. Don’t copy pitches from the Internet.
#9. Don’t use classical sales tactics. “Hurry up! Only X seats left. Limited offer.” Think you’re reaching out to help, not to close.
#10. Don’t just ask for something in exchange for nothing. “Let’s do a collaboration. You do something for me, but I don’t do anything for you.” Yeah, I’ve received DMs on LinkedIn in those lines.
#11. Interact with your reader’s content first on social media.
#12. Use a catchy subject line in your email.
#13. Spell your reader’s name or title correctly. You don’t know how many emails and DMs I’ve ignored simply because they started with “Hello, coach Cesar.” I don’t have a coaching business and I don’t have “coach” next to my name anywhere online. Somebody just use a template, got you!
#14. Tell them how you found their contact details. “I found your email on your LinkedIn profile…“
#15. Include your own socials or portfolio as proof you’re real. Nothing fancy, you could try adding them under your signature.
Last year, I found a job listing I liked. They were looking for people on-site in a different country, but it didn’t stop me. I reached out to the CEO sharing 10 ideas to improve their product landing page. My mistake? I misspelled the company name. Maybe that’s why I never got a reply.