In my annual retrospective on The Leverage, I identified a period in February where I locked in harder than I ever had in my life. As a result, revenue and free subscribers finally started ticking up again after six months of the business going downhill.
Many people asked me what the secret sauce was; what kicked me into a new gear?
I am now ready to disclose what happened.
Yes, the thing that fixed the business was the looming bill of raising another baby in Boston. This is the most expensive city in the country in which to raise a child. When my wife and I learned that a new little girl would be joining us, I knew that I had to step up. And, well, I did. The Leverage is now sufficiently successful that my mother-in-law’s basement will remain unoccupied.
But you don’t care about this! The miracle of life? Humdrum. The effervescent joy this writer feels watching his baby grow? Trite. What actually matters is that you keep getting the best damn tech writing on the planet. And in that department, The Leverage will continue to deliver.
While I am out, I have commissioned a series of guest writers to cover everything from media theory to profiles of some of the most fascinating tech companies in the world. Some of these authors are big names you’ll recognize, while a few are undiscovered talents. I’m pumped about all of them. I’ll also have several original essays, written in advance, on topics both challenging and eternal. I’m even prerecording 3 YouTube videos that will go out while I’m in diaper mode.
One request: I am still looking for 1-2 more guest writers to feature! Each feature pays $1K. If you want to put your ideas in front of 35K of the world’s most successful founders, investors, and creative technologists, please reach out with a pitch.
I plan on being out for ~6 weeks starting mid September through early November. Nothing will change in the immediate future, but know that in about 30 days from this publishing date, I will be very sleep deprived and you will only be mildly Leverage deprived.
In all sincerity, thank you for supporting this place. My dream is a home on the internet that is rigorous, beautiful, and fun. It is all of you who make it possible. The defining title of my life is Dad, and it is your embrace of this place that lets me be that. I love you for it.
Finally, I need to express the awe I feel for my wife. She is simultaneously raising a medically complex child, writing the prospectus for her PhD dissertation, dealing with an incredibly challenging pregnancy, and, most miraculously, still finding the patience to laugh at my stupid jokes every day. She is so good and I can’t believe that I get to build a family with her. To her, the most love of all.
:)
Congratulations on the new baby. Amazing. And props for turning it on to support your family.