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Here are my notes from @aliabdaal's Night School session at @teachable's SWYK Summit.
The session is titled Productivity for Creators: How to Build Your Side Hustles in Your Spare Time
My Notes
The session is titled Productivity for Creators: How to Build Your Side Hustles in Your Spare Time
My Notes
Ali’s Quick Bio:
Ali is a doctor, YouTuber, blogger, and podcaster. He explores the principles, strategies and tools that helps us live happier, healthier, more productive lives. He recently surpassed 1M+ subscribers on YouTube (while also being in school to become a doctor).
Ali is a doctor, YouTuber, blogger, and podcaster. He explores the principles, strategies and tools that helps us live happier, healthier, more productive lives. He recently surpassed 1M+ subscribers on YouTube (while also being in school to become a doctor).
This session seeks to solve the general issue of creators” we cant to regularly create content but we want to create a trusted, reliable system for idea generation and content creation
To help do that, Ali created the Infinity Content Engine to help solve this issue.
To help do that, Ali created the Infinity Content Engine to help solve this issue.
THREE KEY PARTS
1. Idea Generation - how do you come up with an infinite number of ideas
2. Idea Refinement - How do we take these ideas and convert them into content
3. Output - How to think about a series and creating a content calendar
1. Idea Generation - how do you come up with an infinite number of ideas
2. Idea Refinement - How do we take these ideas and convert them into content
3. Output - How to think about a series and creating a content calendar
PART 1. IDEA GENERATION
1. Shower thoughts - we get original insights when we’re in the shower (or out and about in the world) ; need a system for capturing these as soon as possible
The capture habit is important for original isnights. Ali uses Things.
1. Shower thoughts - we get original insights when we’re in the shower (or out and about in the world) ; need a system for capturing these as soon as possible
The capture habit is important for original isnights. Ali uses Things.
He will add a quick note to his Things to capture the idea, forget about it, and revisit it later. You can also use Notes, Evernote, or another note-taking system. He will eventually add these ideas to his Notion Database (but other apps will solve this problem as well).
Here is a helpful podcast from @tiagoforte on how to build a capture habit: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3jbG66Z9GFKLVlyKXwPdhH?si=BC0qQvKISV2RMiYA35vG5Q
There are three other ways we can generate ideas:
1. Passive Consumption
2. Active-mining
3. Analytics
1. Passive Consumption
2. Active-mining
3. Analytics
PASSIVE CONSUMPTION
We consume a lot of content. We read books, watch videos, watch podcasts, or follow people on Twitter. When you become a creator, the way you consume changes. When you become a creator, you ask yourself:
We consume a lot of content. We read books, watch videos, watch podcasts, or follow people on Twitter. When you become a creator, the way you consume changes. When you become a creator, you ask yourself:
* Will this be helpful?
* Will this be relevant for something I’m making?
The lens through which you consume changes when you become a creator. You begin to look for things you can use to help you create in the things you consume.
* Will this be relevant for something I’m making?
The lens through which you consume changes when you become a creator. You begin to look for things you can use to help you create in the things you consume.
Through passively consuming, you can capture ideas that will inspire you later. You can capture inspiration from Tweets, newsletters, podcasts, blogs, etc. to generate ideas later.
A tool @aliabdaal uses to organize and streamline his passive consumption — https://feedly.com/i/welcome
Find some way to capture what you’re consuming so you can create later.
Find some way to capture what you’re consuming so you can create later.
ACTIVE MINING
When Ali comes across a resource that is so good, he actively mines it (like a gold miner digging for gold). These sources are packed with quality information that you can use to begin creating from.
When Ali comes across a resource that is so good, he actively mines it (like a gold miner digging for gold). These sources are packed with quality information that you can use to begin creating from.
Some examples Ali cites:
@augustbradley's Youtube Channel on using Notion for Life & Business —> https://www.youtube.com/user/augustbradley
@bakadesuyo Eric Barker’s Blog —> https://www.bakadesuyo.com
@nesslabs Blog —> https://nesslabs.com
http://trends.co http://fs.blog
@augustbradley's Youtube Channel on using Notion for Life & Business —> https://www.youtube.com/user/augustbradley
@bakadesuyo Eric Barker’s Blog —> https://www.bakadesuyo.com
@nesslabs Blog —> https://nesslabs.com
http://trends.co http://fs.blog
Seek sources others aren’t mining.
ANALYTICS
Ali uses tools to find keywords that people are searching for and designs content around them.
ANALYTICS
Ali uses tools to find keywords that people are searching for and designs content around them.
For blog, use Ahrefs --> https://ahrefs.com/
For YouTube, Ali uses Chrome Extensions VidIQ and TubeBuddy that will give him volume competition for search terms
Ali will find videos that are performing well and create his own unique content on that topic.
For YouTube, Ali uses Chrome Extensions VidIQ and TubeBuddy that will give him volume competition for search terms
Ali will find videos that are performing well and create his own unique content on that topic.
PART 2: IDEA REFINEMENT
Ali things about his refinement process as a refinery. He thinks about them in terms of an “idea flow.” He uses his own personal Kanban board which Notion does really well but you can use any app you like.
Ali things about his refinement process as a refinery. He thinks about them in terms of an “idea flow.” He uses his own personal Kanban board which Notion does really well but you can use any app you like.
Here are relevant notes on Personal Kanban: Mapping Work, Navigating Life: https://www.evernote.com/l/AUo8CXD44nJJELLfR4XllxYt8wuMsx6dw-0
PART 3. OUTPUT
Heavy lifts vs. slow burns
PART 3. OUTPUT
Heavy lifts vs. slow burns
We tend to think of ideas generation and content creation as a heavy lift - eg I need to come up with an idea today, draft a script, shoot the content, edit the video, then publish. But we should think about our ideas as a slow burn.
We are constantly generating ideas and building upon them, taking small actions towards our goals. As we build out our refinery, these ideas will start to build on themselves.
For example, we know that we have certain ideas brewing so as we find related content, we’ll add it to our refinery.
You want to design a system that allows you to focus on creating, not generating ideas.
You want to design a system that allows you to focus on creating, not generating ideas.
Ali's Website --> https://aliabdaal.com/
Ali's YouTube Channel --> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoOae5nYA7VqaXzerajD0lg
Ali's YouTube Channel --> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoOae5nYA7VqaXzerajD0lg
The link to these notes - with additional screenshots - in Evernote. Please feel free to copy and share. https://www.evernote.com/l/AUqKfLWYbBhEJbEhBdSZm0kB9oPoI0HX6bA
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