Matthew Lang

Derek Siver's latest post is the best business advice anyone needs before they start.

First you find real people whose problem you can solve. You listen deeply to find their dream scenario. You make sure they're happy to pay you enough.

Don't announce anything. Don't choose a name. Don't make a website. Don't build a system. You need to be free to completely change or ditch your idea.

Then you get your first paying customer. Provide a one-on-one personal service.

Then you get another paying customer. Prove a real demand.

Then, as late as possible, you officially start your business.

— Don’t start a business until people are asking you to by Derek Sivers

For a moment there I thought I was reading the blog of Nicholas Bate. Similar styles of writing. Straight to the point.

Smile have adjusted the pricing of the new TextExpander subscription service.

We will apply a lifetime discount of 50% off the Life Hacker pricing to customers of any past version of TextExpander. That amounts to just US $20 per year. In our initial rollout, we offered the discount for the first year only, and that was a mistake. We value our long-term customers, and it’s important for us to demonstrate that in our actions. Thanks for bearing with us as we sorted this out.

— TextExpander Adjustments

I like the new pricing for current owners of any previous version of TextExpander. $20 per year is a more affordable amount. As well as this Smile have said they will continue to maintain versions of TextExpander 5 as well as 6. I'm skeptical about how long this will last though. With that in mind, I don't think I can rely on an app that may or may not be around in the future.

I switched to aText a few days ago and I don't see myself switching back to TextExpander anytime soon. aText is working well enough for me and the reduced cost for what is a minor utility app has prompted me to start cutting back on other subscription services that I use.

If in the future though, I see a genuine need to use TextExpander over what I have at the time, then I'll know where to find it.

Ethan played in his first competition of the year at Paisley Golf Club. He's still struggling with the longer tees in these competitions but he enjoyed the challenge. Looking forward to seeing him out on the course a lot over the rest of the year and getting his handicap down.

If you want to tip the daily balance from shallow work to deep work, my buddy Curtis in British Columbia recommends Cal Newport's book, Deep Work.

In Deep Work, Cal Newport wants to convince us to step away from the ever-increasing series of distractions — those latest and greatest things that pull away our focus and keep us from doing deep work. Newport doesn’t just stop in telling us that distraction is harming us, but goes on to give us four rules to achieve a state of deep work with more regularity so that we can truly produce work that’s industry leading (without working evenings and weekends).

— Accomplish more of worth and suffer from less distraction: Deep Work by Cal Newport by Curtis McHale

Going by Curtis' review (and the fact I highly value his recommendations), I'm definitely adding this book to my reading list.

I've found it hard to maintain a steady level of posting. Seems like I'm in a continual state of rebooting.

I don't always have an acceptable reason why this happens, but I'm glad to identify a few of these reasons by Adam Keys.

Courtesy of Nicholas Bate.

I applaud Moleskine for their determination to break into the digital world with their new Smart Writing Set but I think they're better off sticking to just plain old pen and paper.

It's been a quiet here. I've got the week off and I'm enjoying some time away from the computer. It's been good so far.

I'd rather have one of these in the driveway.

I love using TextExpander. I use it everyday for all manner of things. It's not completely invaluable but it's certainly very helpful. Their recent change to a subscription model hasn't went down well with many users of their software including myself.

I use TextExpander almost daily, but I also use Todoist on a daily basis. My Todoist premium subscription is $22 per year. Very cheap for all the little extras I enjoy from Todoist and I don't grudge Todoist the money.

I love paying for the software that I use but I simply can't justify the $5 per month (or the $40 per year) that Smile Software are looking for to sync snippets that I use on a single device. I'd like to be wrong, but I think that Smile have just priced their product out of the market.

I may continue to use TextExpander without upgrading but I think in time I'll end up moving to something else.

Update:

Since reading more about the TextExpander 6 launch, a number of people have pointed out security concerns with a key logging app that syncs all your snippets to Smile's servers without being encrypted. Another valid argument against upgrading to TextExpander 6 then.

I love Tanmay's definition of art.

Art isn’t just about doing fancy stuff or indulging into painting, dancing etc. Your work becomes art when it changes others for better. When your ideas and insights change the conversations. When you overcome resistance to start, execute and most importantly, finish what you start. When you have the humility to accept what needs to improve and change. When you have the courage to truly ship your work, let it intersect with the context and make a difference. When you bring your humanity into everything you do. When you refine, improvise and evolve your art.

— Craftsman Spririt by Tanmay Voray

... with Nicholas Bate as our guide.

A photo posted by A. Danger (@adangerpdx) on Mar 27, 2016 at 7:46am PDT

A tablet that runs Ubuntu is now available for pre-order.

I've toyed with the idea of adding a tablet to my list of development tools for when I'm out and about, but the lack of a terminal app and web development tools for iOS means that the iPad isn't an option for me.

I've also considered a Chromebook, but the inability to completely remove the ChromeOS has put me off it.

I'm definitely curious from a developer's perspective about this new Ubuntu tablet. It could fill the niche of a portable web development tool.

John Gruber's early notes on the beginning of Markdown.

Just another idea in a notebook.

via The Cramped