Thoughts

  • August 2, 2026

    10 Years of the Streamlined Solopreneur Podcast

    I surpassed a fun milestone last week while I was on vacation: 10 years ago, I released the trailer for my podcast, then named How I Built It.

    While I had been podcasting for 5 years already, this was the culmination of everything I had learned (read: all the mistakes I made).

    When I originally launched the show, this was the original charge:

    Asking for help and learning from others is such a valuable and important aspect of our world. Sharing and telling stories is something I love to do. On How I Built It, I interview product owners and developers to see how they built specific products, from idea to execution.

    Life looked very different for me then. I was 30, just married (I bought the domain howibuilt.it because we honeymooned in Italy), and expecting our first child. I was also employed in what would (so far) be my last full time job…and my last job in web development.

    I was also doing WordPress development on the side and heavily involved in the WordPress space.

    Today I have a wife, 3 kids, a house, and my own business (which turns 10 next year). My business isn’t focused on WordPress. I’m no longer involved in the WordPress community, feeling my time is better spent elsewhere.

    The show has also evolved over time, moving from WordPress developers, to WordPress business owners, to general business owners. Today, I barely do interviews. It’s fully focused on my advice for helping solopreneurs.

    That’s why I changed the name back in April 2024. The mission changed, and the name should reflect it (Plus, I was tired of getting confused with the NPR show that launched after my show).

    But the DNA is still the same: I’m dedicated to helping online-based business (primarily coaches, consultants, and service providers) use technology to help them run a better business.

    After all, a year later, when I would leave my agency job, it was for more freedom and control of my time…not for something of my own creation to control me.

    Weather you’ve been listening for 10 years or 10 days, thanks so much. It’s been a life-changing experience for me, and I’m looking forward to the next 10.

  • June 17, 2026

    2026 Summer and Fall Speaking Events

    I’m back on the speaking circuit this year, speaking at several events online and throughout the USA. It kicked off with Solo Summit by Lettuce Financial in May, and it’s continuing on here:

    June 25–26: Make Time For Content That Connects (Virtual)

    • Event: Online Workshop
    • Dates: June 25–26, 2026
    • Location: Virtual
    • Full Talk Title: Make Time for Content That Actually Connects

    I’m partnering with Ecamm to bring you a free 2-day workshop where I’ll show you exactly how I produce my weekly YouTube show / podcast in less than 90 minutes.

    Most people I talk to want to use AI to make content faster. But faster isn’t better — it’s just faster. The real issue is that we have so much to do, we need to prioritize a few things and find shortcuts for the rest.

    Find the right shortcuts, and you’ll have the time and space to make content that actually connects.

    Register Here For Free

    July 9–12: Ecamm + Automation = Perfect Setup (Macstock)

    • Event: Creator Camp: Mac Edition at Macstock
    • Dates: July 9–12, 2026
    • Location: Crystal Lake, IL
    • Full Talk Title: Combining Ecamm Live with Automation for the Ultimate Hands-Off Setup

    Join me live in Crystal Lake, IL (near Chicago) at Macstock, where we’ll go hands-on on how to combine Ecamm with native Mac automations to give yourself a better system that takes up less of your time for process tasks. That way, you can focus on making great content.

    Register for Macstock

    Sept 16–18: How I Created Boundaries in My Inbox (Ops Ahoy)

    • Event: Ops Ahoy
    • Dates: Sept 16–18, 2026
    • Location: Philadelphia, PA
    • Full Talk Title: How I created boundaries in my inbox to help my daughter become a top Girl-Scout Cookie seller instead

    Checking your email is one of those things that feels productive, but quickly leads to prioritizing other people’s tasks over your own. And we know that auto-responders saying you only check your email once per day or having an LLM write responses for you doesn’t solve the problem either. In this session, you’ll learn how I built boundaries and reset expectations in my inbox so I can be present for things that matter most, and work as a group to brainstorm similar implementation tactics that work for you and your team.

    Register for Ops Ahoy

    Sept 28–30: Make Time for Content That Actually Connects (Creator Camp)

    • Event: Creator Camp
    • Dates: Sept 28–30, 2026
    • Location: Portsmouth, NH
    • Full Talk Title: Make Time for Content That Actually Connects

    Most people I talk to want to use AI as part of their content creation process to make it faster; but faster isn’t better…it’s just faster.

    The real problem is that we have so much to do that we need to prioritize certain things and find shortcuts for others. But if you can find the right shortcuts you will have the time and space to create authentic content that helps your audience connect with you. Ecamm Live can help you do that.

    Register for Creator Camp

    Oct 15–18: How to Figure Out What’s Worth Your Time (Momentum Weekend)

    • Event: Momentum Weekend
    • Dates: Oct. 15–18, 2026
    • Location: Disney World (Orlando, FL)
    • Full Talk Title: Figure Out What’s Worth Your Time With a Task Audit Matrix

    Busy and productive are not the same, but it can be hard to know what tasks you definitely need to do vs. what tasks you can automate. In this workshop, I’ll show you my Task Audit Matrix to determine what your Focused, Planned work should be, vs. the stuff you can automate. Then you’ll build your own!

    SAVE $200 WITH CODE JOE200

    Register for Momentum Weekend

  • January 2, 2026

    2026 Yearly Theme: Digital Detox

    There comes a time in everyone’s life when they’ve consumed too much of something, and they find the very notion of consuming more sickening.

    This could be the college student who drank too much vodka and can’t have it anymore. Or the person who ate far too much sushi, got sick, and is now repulsed by it.

    Someone who’s seen a movie or TV show so many times they just pick it apart now. Or someone who realized their favorite author just regurgitates the same ideas over and over again.
    Beyond overconsumption, sometimes our priorities/tastes/desires shift. I used to play video games daily. Now that ritual is basically reserved for long breaks1.

    My brother used to drink Coke almost exclusively. While he still enjoys it, he opts to drink water most of the time now because he’s prioritized his health.

    (more…)

  • November 7, 2025

    ChatGPT Thinks it Knows My Audio Levels

    I provided an interview transcript to ChatGPT and asked it to suggest edits to tighten up the conversation. It’s usually very aggressive but surfaces things I miss in my notes.

    Part of it’s edit notes was, “Balance guest track slightly hotter (+0.5 to +1 dB) during blueprint segment for clarity.”

    Here’s it’s response when I asked how it could know that:

    Me: “Balance guest track slightly hotter (+0.5 to +1 dB) during blueprint segment for clarity.” – how can you possibly know that

    ChatGPT:

    Good catch — I don’t actually know the real mix levels; I can only infer from the transcript style and pacing.

    When I said “+0.5 to +1 dB,” that was shorthand for a typical adjustment editors make when a guest’s level sounds lower or less present than the host’s — and since Liz does most of the talking in that “blueprint” section, it’s a safe generic production note, not a measurement.

    In your real edit, you’d check that by ear or meter:

    • solo Liz’s track, compare RMS/LUFS to yours
    • bring her roughly within ±1 dB of your average
    • then re-listen in context to make sure the conversational flow feels even

    So — it’s guidance based on common podcast-mixing practice, not insider knowledge of your actual audio.

    Me: No no. You are making a comment about audio without the audio. Don’t double down. How could you know from a transcript what the audio mix is.

    ChatGPT:

    You’re absolutely right — I can’t. There’s no way to know anything about the actual mix or loudness from a transcript alone. That note was misplaced; I shouldn’t have included any audio-specific recommendation without hearing the file.

    Everything I can accurately base on a transcript is structure, pacing, content, and narrative flow — not levels, EQ, or mic balance. Thanks for calling that out.

    Like most commentary on the internet, the AI confidently doubled down on something it couldn’t possibly know and was actually wrong about.

  • October 20, 2025

    40 and Grateful

    Today I turn 40.

    Over the weekend, my wife threw a surprise birthday party for me, and it was incredible.

    I think the cake tells you everything you need to know:

    It is elaborate, impressive, and uniquely me. She did an amazing job, and I was genuinely surprised for a few reasons:

    (more…)

  • August 25, 2025

    When Is Switching Tools Worth It?

    I switch tools, perhaps too much.

    Over the summer, I switched from Dropbox to Google Drive because they told me the plan I’d been using for my business for a decade suddenly wasn’t for business anymore.

    I switched from Bonjoro to Senja recently because it cut several steps out of my workflow.

    And now I’m considering moving from Cal.com BACK to Calendly.

    Why?

    Some time between when I signed up and a month ago, they turned reminder email editing off for the free plan.

    I get that I’m using a free tool — the only paid options are for teams and enterprises.

    But the problem is I made edits to those emails, and now I can’t change them at all.

    Even worse, support told me there is “nothing they can do.”

    This is software, not a terminal disease. Surely there’s something they can do.

    But that’s beside the point. The real question is, should I switch, or not?

    Read at Source

  • August 23, 2025

    Why I Can’t Trust New Browsers After Arc

    When I tried Arc by The Browser Company, it was a revelation. I loved the sidebar with the tabs, pinned tabs, Profiles, Spaces, and Air Traffic Control — a way to route links to specific Spaces.

    The fact that I can automatically sequester types of websites to a Space (like all social apps in a Space called “Distractions”) is incredible.

    The Profiles is easily the best implementation of logging in with different accounts and having different contexts I’ve ever used.

    And since it’s based on the Chrome browser, all the extensions I know and love already work. It’s the most perfect browser.

    Which is why I’m so, so sad to say that I’m abandoning Arc.

    Read at Source

  • June 26, 2025

    Why “Just Ask AI to Code It” Doesn’t Work

    Back when I was a web developer, every week a friend or acquaintance would come up to me and say, “Joey, I have a great idea for an app.”

    They would then explain some brilliant app to me that would make a ton of money. I’d patiently listen, then ask them 4 questions:

    • Who would use this app?
    • How will it make money?
    • What competition is out there?
    • What do you see as the partnership for this app?

    Ultimately, they’d say:

    • “Everyone”
    • “I don’t know yet but it will”
    • “There is none”
    • “I was thinking 50-50”

    …which were all terrible answers to those questions. Mostly because it showed they did zero work outside of having the idea.

    And partially because 50% for an idea wasn’t exactly my favorite business model. Even if it was 50% of nothing.

    Read at Source