A Generalist newsletter

A Generalist newsletter explores the intersection of personal growth, productivity, and the digital realm, offering actionable advice and curated content. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on what matters, leveraging not-to-do lists for focus, appreciating the role of procrastination in creativity, and embracing generalist skills in an AI-driven world.

Personal Growth Productivity Digital Entrepreneurship Curated Content Creativity and Innovation Financial Independence Technology and AI Work-Life Balance

The hottest Substack posts of A Generalist newsletter

And their main takeaways

Portfolio secrets for product designer

8 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25

Have your own website instead of just using platforms like Behance. It makes you stand out and shows you're serious about your brand.
Show only a few of your best projects in your portfolio. Focus on what you did in each project so employers can see your skills clearly.
Let your personality shine in your portfolio. Share interesting things about yourself that make you unique and memorable.

How to get your first 1000 users

11 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24

💼 Business Marketing Entrepreneurship Product Design Content creation

Getting your first 1000 users is crucial for a startup's success. It can set the foundation for growth and sustainability.
Telling a story in your design portfolio can help you engage with interviewers and make your work memorable.
Rest is important for creativity and sustainability. Consuming less noisy information can lead to a more productive and fulfilling life.

Design portfolio of 2023

5 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24

🪑 Design Product Portfolio Solopreneurship Audience Building Information Consumption

Learn how to level up your design portfolio with a genius tactic demonstrated by Marco.
Consider whether to prioritize building an audience or a product first.
Be cautious of the "Noise Bottleneck" where consuming more information might not always lead to more valuable insights.

The Generalist Unicorn

5 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24

🕹 Technology Product Design Solopreneurship

Being a generalist allows for high leverage in times of AI.
Hybridizing expertise in multiple areas can lead to unique contributions.
Generalized specialists like Shakespeare and Da Vinci excel by adapting to various environments.

Prioritising your growth [action plan included]

11 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23

🏥 Health & Wellness Self-Improvement Mental health Physical health Personal Growth Well-being

Prioritize what's important over what's urgent in your life.
Address problems promptly before they grow bigger and become overwhelming.
It's never too late to make positive changes in your life for self-improvement and growth.

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🐦 5 Tweet Tuesday 💎 - the tweets you gotta see this week

8 implied HN points • 16 May 23

🎭️ Culture Social media

Prioritize optimizing life over work.
Networking can be valuable for introverts too.
This decade is for independent creators.

🐦 5 gem Tweet 💎 - the tweets you gotta see this week

8 implied HN points • 10 May 23

🕹 Technology Social media Tech Trends User Experience Digital marketing

The newsletter is now divided into three parts: essays, curation, and tweets.
The curated tweets include interesting insights and reflections from Twitter users.
Readers are encouraged to engage by leaving comments and sharing their favorite tweet.

NOT-TO-DO LISTS, curated podcast and tweets

8 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23

🎙 Podcasts Productivity Conversations Quotes Recommendations Reflection

Not-to-do lists are helpful for staying focused on important tasks.
Implement a not-to-do list by prioritizing impactful actions and avoiding busy work.
Regularly review and adjust your not-to-do list to maintain productivity.

Problem with "entrepreneurs"

6 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23

💼 Business Entrepreneurship Self-employment Startup Freelancing

Being an entrepreneur doesn't require fancy titles or big investments.
Anyone who starts a new business can be called a 'starter.'
Self-employment is a form of entrepreneurship and shouldn't be looked down upon.

My first $10,000 Internet dollars

5 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23

💼 Business Product Internet Design SaaS

Jim H.'s advice: Don't fall into the build trap when starting an online business.
To be successful in product management, understand how human beings think and feel.
Overcome challenges in designing for B2B and Enterprise SaaS by following pointers in the design process.

🐦 5 Tweet Tuesday 💎 - I scroll, so you don't have to!

6 implied HN points • 30 May 23

🎙 Podcasts Productivity Motivation Entrepreneurship Self-Improvement

Prioritize using your own product before expecting others to use it.
Slowly work towards gaining freedom.
Focus on intensity rather than just consistency.

Procrastination is a feature, not a bug

6 implied HN points • 21 May 23

🏥 Health & Wellness Procrastination Well-being Self-discovery Motivation Productivity

Procrastination can be a signal that certain tasks may not align with your natural inclinations.
Procrastination can lead to increased creativity through divergent thinking.
Focus on intrinsic motivation over external triggers and rewards for sustained purpose and joy.

Build small bets not startups, learn prompt engineering, principled product building

6 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23

💼 Business Entrepreneurship Product Development Technology Startups Innovation

Build small bets, not startups
Learn prompt engineering for principled product building
Focus on shipping speed, rapid experimentation, and short feedback loops

Making $13.5K from a job board; 10x your productivity

4 implied HN points • 16 Jul 23

💼 Business Productivity Entrepreneurship Quality Design Resources

Use a simple approach like 'now or later, yes or no' to boost productivity.
Learn from how Andrew sold his niche job board for $13.5K in spare time.
Quality work involves careful consideration and effort, not randomness.

Do your activities make your life better?

5 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23

🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care Mental health Physical health Well-being Reflection

Evaluate if your activities are making your life better
Reflect on habits that are draining you and consider substituting them
Focus on engaging in activities that improve your life rather than repeating harmful habits

$1,000,000 as solopreneur, Beyond the screen, signal vs noise

4 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23

🕹 Technology UX Solopreneurship Information Consumption

Entrepreneurial success without a team or huge capital is possible this decade.
Spatial computing will revolutionize our interaction with technology.
Strive for quality information over quantity to avoid cognitive overload.

🐦 5 Tweet Tuesday 💎 - the best of the week

4 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23

🕹 Technology Productivity Design Writing Twitter Innovation

The importance of taking sabbaticals for personal growth and creativity.
The value of starting the design process by writing down thoughts in a notebook.
Notable individuals like Warren Buffet used basic tools for productivity.

Prioritising your growth - Investing time in root cause of your problems

4 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23

🏥 Health & Wellness Self-Improvement Problem Solving Personal Growth

Invest time in solving the root cause of your problems; it gives you more time in the long run.
Avoid addressing only the symptoms of an issue; focus on solving the root cause directly.
Acknowledging and addressing the root cause of problems is crucial to avoid feeling stuck in life.

Preparing better for layoffs + curated tweets, reads & a gift

4 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23

💼 Business Career development Finance Entrepreneurship Personal Growth Side Hustles

Diversify your sources of income beyond a full-time job.
Build a cushion in your savings account for financial security.
Regularly update your portfolio and document your achievements.