Practical strategies for success

Hey y’all, I spent most of this week in Salt Lake City at Kent C. Dodds' Epic Web Conference. Steve drove over from Boise so we got to hang out for a little bit which is always super fun to hang out in person. We're always scheming on something and we managed to sneak away and grab some pizza and scheme in person, which somehow just hits different. I gave a talk called “Practical strategies for increasing the odds of your success” and I think it went really well. I’m currently working on turning those five strategies into written articles, and I’ll let you know when they’re ready.. But if you want to see the talk, we've put a link down below at the very bottom of this newsletter. --- ### Thoughts from the week Alright, I gotta give you a warning! All of the tweets for this week are super touchy-feely. II’m not sure if it was the timeline, me, or both, but these are all a bunch of soft tweets that really spoke to me. So, brace yourself! And unfortunately or fortunately maybe, there are no Studio Ghibli tweets. You are in a Studio Ghibli-safe space for this newsletter. --- ### Tweets from the week [](https://x.com/Joseph_Fasano_/status/1904967210084282463) I don’t follow many poets on Twitter, but I do follow Joseph, and he always shares really good poems. It’s nice to have that kind of thing pop up in my feed every now and then. This one, in particular, about the relationship between a father and son and how parts of the father live on through the son really got me. --- [](https://x.com/jposhaughnessy/status/1905198110089023985) I spoke at the Epic Web Conference this week, and part of my talk was about becoming known for something. I mentioned that, generally, you can become known for hating a thing, loving a thing, or doing a thing. Personally, I prefer to be known for doing a thing. This quote from Cal Newport echoes a similar sentiment — that you have to produce. Especially in the age of AI, it’s more important than ever to keep making things, even if that means using AI to help you create faster. --- [](https://x.com/andrewmccalip/status/1905305979086143744) This guy is a great follow. He works at some hard-tech space company and, on the side, is building an autonomous boat to circumnavigate the world. He fully embodies that "You can just do things" spirit. I’m not sure where this picture is from, but I absolutely love the sentiment: "The torment of precautions exceeds the dangers to be avoided." It’s a reminder that we usually regret the things we don’t do more than the things we do. --- [](https://x.com/oldbooksguy/status/1904536930106458295) [](https://x.com/DylanoA4/status/1904519873729810753) Both of these guys are great follows, and I especially like Dylan, he’s always sharing quotes like this. These quotes feel directionally similar to the one from Andrew McCalip in the previous tweet, which I find really interesting. What stands out to me is how these ideas come from a long time ago, yet they still resonate. It makes me believe there is something timeless about the human condition and the desire to avoid discomfort and the benefits or the gains that come from facing that discomfort and doing it anyway. --- [](https://x.com/posterlad/status/1904125936980697572) I recently started following this guy and really love his style — I’ll definitely be picking up some posters from him soon. When people build out a YouTube studio, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to quickly fill up the backdrop with stuff just to make it look complete. But I think it’s better to build it out piecemeal with things that actually mean something to you. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for prints, posters, knickknacks, or anything I can collect over time to make my space feel more personal and authentic. --- [](https://x.com/dannypostmaa/status/1904055060855750815) There are plenty of ways to “win” online that can actually lead to losing in real life. I think being a vocal hater is a good way to win online, but actually not win in real life. You might get you internet points, but behind the scenes in group chats and Slack channels people take note. And more often than not, people will say or talk about how they don't want to work with you because you are a vocal hater. It’s a short-term win with some pretty serious long-term consequences. --- [](https://x.com/RawPowerGame/status/1903627760012026181) I think the fear of embarrassment holds a lot of people back from being sincere or authentic. When you keep a layer of irony or cynicism between yourself and your audience, it acts as a buffer, a kind of protection. It’s something I’m constantly trying to fight against, but it’s hard! What helps me push through is knowing I’d rather be embarrassed than regret not trying something. That perspective makes the fear a little easier to face. --- ### This week at Try Hard Studios **🔒 Hacker News** I made it to the [front page of Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43438797) this week after posting about a small package he pulled out of Solo Terminal. And, naturally, the Hacker News commenters were out in full force — this time, upset that I used the name *"Screen."* Most, if not all, missed the fact that it’s a **PHP-specific** package, meaning it won’t clash with other things named *"Screen."* I had to pick my battles on how to reply, but I’m calling it a win that I managed to get some folks to see reason. Hacker News drama aside, it’s been fun seeing the buzz around the package! 🎟️ **Conferences** I'm back from the Epic Web Dev Conference in Salt Lake City, and it was a blast! Even though it’s more JavaScript-focused than my usual crowd, I felt right at home thanks to the incredibly welcoming and friendly community Kent C. Dodds has built. If you get the chance to go next year, I highly recommend it! If you're curious, you can catch my talk [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDuvi5eUqp0&t=7798s). Let me know what you think! **🎙️ Podcast Appearances** I recently had the chance to join Startup Dad for a conversation about one of the wildest chapters of my life — getting laid off while on paternity leave with my second set of twins. We covered a lot, from navigating loss, life with four kids under three, and the challenges of starting a business in the midst of it all. We also talked about staying present in an always-online world, making time for what matters, and yes, even the occasional gym nap. If any of that resonates, [give it a listen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SntR9LmO4oU)! --- That’s it for this week! If you saw something interesting lately, hit reply and share—I’d love to see it. Talk soon, Aaron {{ ENV.unsubscribe\_personal | default: visitor.unsubscribe\_url | hyperlink: "Click here to unsubscribe." }}