Five weeks. That\u2019s all that\u2019s left in 2024.<\/p>\n
This plan isn\u2019t about perfection\u2014it\u2019s about action. Commit, simplify, build, launch, and iterate. By the end, you won\u2019t just have an idea; you\u2019ll have progress.<\/p>\n
Stop waiting. Start now.<\/p>","pubDate":"Tue, 26 Nov 2024 08:08:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":"entrepreneurship"},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/8-second-rule","title":"The 8-Second Rule: Designing for Modern Attention Spans","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/8-second-rule","description":"
Hooking a visitor in 8 seconds can make or break a landing page. In this essay, I share the lessons I\u2019ve learned while building the Content Flywheel landing page, from crafting clear headlines to designing with empathy. Discover how ruthless prioritization and small tweaks can make all the difference.<\/p>","pubDate":"Wed, 23 Oct 2024 21:23:18 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["content flywheel","design"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/if-youre-not-scared-youre-not-growing","title":"If You\u2019re Not Scared, You\u2019re Not Growing","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/if-youre-not-scared-youre-not-growing","description":"
\u201cIf you\u2019re not scared, you\u2019re not taking a chance. And if you\u2019re not taking a chance, what the hell are you doing?\u201d \u2013 Ted Mosby<\/p>
<\/p>
An atomic essay on pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone...<\/p>","pubDate":"Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:14:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":"growth"},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/the-rhythm-of-innovation","title":"The Rhythm of Innovation","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/the-rhythm-of-innovation","description":"
Ideas don\u2019t spread evenly.<\/p>\n
Everett Rogers figured this out and called it the Diffusion of Innovations<\/i>. It\u2019s the pattern of how new ideas and technologies move through society.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it works...<\/p>","pubDate":"Tue, 20 Aug 2024 10:32:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":"innovation"},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/the-power-of-small-wins","title":"The Power of Small Wins","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/the-power-of-small-wins","description":"
Solopreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. The journey can feel daunting, and it\u2019s easy to be overwhelmed by the distance between where you are and where you want to be.<\/p>\n
But progress isn\u2019t measured by giant leaps\u2014it\u2019s found in the little steps forward...<\/p>","pubDate":"Mon, 05 Aug 2024 11:18:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":"entrepreneurship"},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/done-is-better-than-perfect","title":"Done is Better Than Perfect","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/done-is-better-than-perfect","description":"Perfectionism paralyzes progress. While building Trendy.so, I learned that waiting for \"perfect\" nearly stopped me from launching altogether. By shipping early, I opened the door to real feedback, iteration, and growth. Progress isn\u2019t about being flawless\u2014it\u2019s about starting, learning, and improving along the way. Done is always better than perfect.","pubDate":"Sat, 20 Jul 2024 14:18:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":"entrepreneurship"},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2024-07-02-trendy-so","title":"trendy.so - nights&weekends week 2 update","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2024-07-02-trendy-so","description":"Here's my week 2 update for my nights&weekends project, trendy.so<\/a>. This week I setup an automated CRON job to generate the news stories, built the login & user preference views, and I'm about to finish the daily newsletter service.","pubDate":"Tue, 02 Jul 2024 22:22:14 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["youtube","project"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/stairstep-approach-in-2024","title":"My Stair Step Plan for 2024","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/stairstep-approach-in-2024","description":"I'm kicking off the new year by revisiting Rob Walling's \"stair-step approach\" to solopreneurship.","pubDate":"Tue, 02 Jan 2024 15:15:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["project","solopreneur","software dev"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/bedroom-remodel","title":"Bedroom Remodel","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/bedroom-remodel","description":"We spent the weekend painting and remodeling our bedroom. Click the link to see the before and after...","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Jan 2024 21:12:50 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["Home","Personal"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/12-essential-reads-for-solopreneurs","title":"12 Essential Reads for Aspiring Tech Solopreneurs","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/12-essential-reads-for-solopreneurs","description":"As the new year rolls in, I always find myself getting pumped up for a fresh start and a new set of goals. It's the perfect time for solopreneurs like us to sketch out our learning and growth plans. In the ever-changing, fast-paced world of solopreneurship, keeping up means you need more than tech smarts. You've got to have that entrepreneurial spirit, a good grasp of business, and be ready to bring your innovative ideas to life.","pubDate":"Mon, 04 Dec 2023 10:03:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["books","solopreneur"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/focus","title":"FOCUS","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/focus","description":"Curiosity is both the gift and the burden of entrepreneurship...","pubDate":"Fri, 26 May 2023 09:12:50 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["focus","advice","entrepreneurship"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/findplugins","title":"Building FindPlugins.ai","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/findplugins","description":"My journey building FindPlugins.ai<\/a>, a discovery tool for ChatGPT plugins. Learn how Next.js, MongoDB Atlas, Mongoose, Chakra UI, and TailwindCSS came together to form the ideal tech stack.","pubDate":"Wed, 24 May 2023 16:51:50 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["AI","ChatGPT","project"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/blockchain-based-loyalty-programs","title":"Blockchain: Rethinking Customer Loyalty","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/blockchain-based-loyalty-programs","description":"Loyalty programs are stuck in the past. What if your points were actual tokens? Trade them, swap them, maybe even sell them \u2013 it's blockchain's next big move. Customers gain power, companies gain data, and loyalty starts to look way more appealing. I see the future of rewards being minted on a blockchain.","pubDate":"Tue, 21 Feb 2023 09:51:50 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["Blockchain","NFTs","Loyalties"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/cockpunch-ai-art","title":"Cockpunch AI Art Competition","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/cockpunch-ai-art","description":"Here's a blog post of my Cockpunch NFT AI Art submission. I used my own NFT (#2017) as the starting point...","pubDate":"Tue, 20 Dec 2022 18:51:50 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["AI","AI Art","NFTs"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/techstack","title":"How I Prototype SaaS Apps Quickly","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/techstack","description":"It\u2019s important for Indie Hackers looking to build micro-saas products to have a reliable tech stack that they feel comfortable with<\/u>. Here\u2019s the tech stack that I currently use to prototype new projects quickly\u2026","pubDate":"Mon, 05 Sep 2022 13:39:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["coding","tech stack"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2022-07-19-youbuildthis","title":"Time to evolve from builder to entrepreneur...","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2022-07-19-youbuildthis","description":"After 36 years on this planet, I'm finally willing to admit that I'm a builder, not an entrepreneur... It's time to change all that.","pubDate":"Tue, 19 Jul 2022 09:25:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["project","YouBuildThis"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/web3-wallets","title":"The Power of Web3 Wallets","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/web3-wallets","description":"When talking to friends about getting started in web3, setting up a wallet is often the first confusing step. Here's an overview of why they are so important...","pubDate":"Mon, 14 Mar 2022 08:18:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["web3","blockchain"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2021-11-30-lesson-learned","title":"That time I wasted a month of my life trying to fit in...","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2021-11-30-lesson-learned","description":"Gather round everyone! It\u2019s story time\u2026 Today I\u2019m going to share an embarrassing story about the time I created a ton of video content and then deleted it all because I was self-conscious and embarrassed that others would judge me.","pubDate":"Tue, 30 Nov 2021 20:51:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["story","YouTube"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/12in21","title":"#12in21","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/12in21","description":"With the new year upon us, I've decided to use this arbitrary date boundary as an excuse to force myself to experiment with some new technologies. As a result, I've decided to start a little #BuildInPublic<\/a> challenge for myself that I'm calling 12 in 21<\/a>.","pubDate":"Sun, 03 Jan 2021 08:51:50 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":"project"},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-12-07-transistor-review","title":"What I love about Transistor.fm \ud83d\udc9b","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-12-07-transistor-review","description":"Similar to creating a website, starting a podcast requires that you have a hosting service to serve up your audio files. A lot of people I talk to, who are interested in starting a podcast, don't realize this extra step. I think a lot of the time they just assume that iTunes acts as the \"YouTube of podcasts\" and has you upload your audio files directly.","pubDate":"Mon, 07 Dec 2020 10:51:50 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["podcasting","reviews","Transistor.fm"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/schoonlabs","title":"Introducing SchoonLabs.com","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/schoonlabs","description":"As I gear up for some big things in 2021, I wanted to create a centralized portfolio website with links out to all of my various side-projects. I really like seeing people share those spreadsheets with a timeline of all their side projects, and I think I'll probably still do something like that here, but I also wanted a standalone website to really showcase the quality of my projects. My goal is to one day for a company around this SchoonLabs branding, and use it as an umbrella company over my various endeavours. Until then, check out some of the exciting projects I'm working on!","pubDate":"Sat, 05 Dec 2020 14:23:45 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["Software Dev","IndieHackers","Coding"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-11-25-i-want-to-be-an-inventor","title":"I want to be an inventor","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-11-25-i-want-to-be-an-inventor","description":"This perfectly sums up my life, and I have had such a hard time explaining that to people...<\/p>— Dan Schoonmaker (@DanSchoonmaker) November 25, 2020<\/a>","pubDate":"Wed, 25 Nov 2020 16:51:45 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["twitter","advice"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-11-07-we-re-buying-a-house","title":"We're Buying A House!","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-11-07-we-re-buying-a-house","description":"In other news... WE'RE BUYING A HOUSE!","pubDate":"Sat, 07 Nov 2020 16:51:45 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["twitter","house"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-12-01-rocket-launch","title":"Elon's Rocket Launch","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-12-01-rocket-launch","description":"I'm just glad I got to live long enough to experience some Star Wars-type technology","pubDate":"Sat, 07 Nov 2020 16:51:45 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["twitter","Space-X"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/hacking-on-trusting-co","title":"Hacking away on Trusting.co over the weekend...","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/hacking-on-trusting-co","description":"Some friends recently reached out to me for help creating an MVP (minimum viable product<\/a>) for a software idea they had to help families share information. I spent a bunch of time this Saturday hacking away at some new features for that app. Coming soon at https:\/\/Trusting.co<\/a>!<\/p>","pubDate":"Sat, 08 Aug 2020 14:34:18 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["youtube","project"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-07-27-austin-fc","title":"Austin FC Season Tickets","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-07-27-austin-fc","description":" View from my brand new @AustinFC<\/a>season tickets!!<\/p> Section 133, Row 13, Seats 19 & 20!!<\/p> I am so pumped for next summer \ud83d\udc9a<\/p>","pubDate":"Mon, 27 Jul 2020 16:51:45 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["twitter","Austin FC"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-07-27-bott","title":"Bott","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-07-27-bott","description":" Over the weekend I randomly re-opened this project I started back in February 2019, and I'm pretty sure it's the coolest thing I've ever made.<\/p> Now I have so much regret that I stopped working on it...<\/p>","pubDate":"Mon, 27 Jul 2020 10:23:45 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["twitter","project"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-07-23-friends","title":"Friends are better than money","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-07-23-friends","description":" \"Friends are better than money. Almost anything money can do, friends can do better. In so many ways a friend with a boat is better than owning a boat.\" - @kevin2kelly<\/a><\/p> h\/t @JamesClear<\/a>","pubDate":"Thu, 23 Jul 2020 16:51:45 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["twitter","advice"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/everyday-im-hustlin","title":"Everyday I'm Hustlin'","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/everyday-im-hustlin","description":"Found some free time this Saturday to finally sit down and really focus on adding some new features to Casts.co<\/a>. Thought it would be fun to #BuildInPublic<\/a> and record myself while coding. It turns out, I look very angry while coding haha.","pubDate":"Sun, 14 Jun 2020 17:47:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["youtube","project"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-04-27-contact-tracing","title":"Living Security Intelligence Update - Contact Tracing","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-04-27-contact-tracing","description":"This \"Contact Tracing\" trend is ramping up quickly! There seems to be a lot of support for it by governments around the world. Is this a short-term saving grace, and possibly a long-term privacy liability? The Living Security<\/a> team and I wanted to put together a quick video explaining exactly what Contact Tracing is, and open it up to a broader discussion. \u2753 I'm curious, what does everyone think about it \u2753<\/p> Blog Post - LivingSecurity.com\/blogs\/contact-tracing<\/a><\/p>","pubDate":"Mon, 27 Apr 2020 17:47:00 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["youtube","Living Security","work"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-04-08-series-a","title":"@Living_Security - Series A announcement","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2020-04-08-series-a","description":"So excited to announce our Series A funding round! We've partnered with some amazing investors and will continue to deliver the solutions you need for your #SecurityAwareness<\/a> program! https:\/\/t.co\/Pjtt6spxYC<\/a><\/div> Here's how it came out...<\/p>","pubDate":"Sat, 03 Jan 2015 14:34:18 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["youtube","google glass"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2013-10-30-timeflies-texas-freestyle","title":"Timeflies (Texas freestyle)","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2013-10-30-timeflies-texas-freestyle","description":"Recorded this at the recent Timeflies concert at Emo's<\/a> here in Austin, TX. The concert was everything I expected it to be and more. Here's a sick video of Cal doing a Texas themed freestyle...","pubDate":"Wed, 30 Oct 2013 23:34:18 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["youtube","music"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2013-10-30-timeflies-accoustic","title":"Timeflies (acoustic)","link":"https:\/\/www.danschoonmaker.com\/blog\/2013-10-30-timeflies-accoustic","description":"Recorded this at the recent Timeflies concert at Emo's<\/a> here in Austin, TX. Here's a video of a little acoustic freestyle set they did...","pubDate":"Wed, 30 Oct 2013 23:34:14 GMT","author":"dan@schoonlabs.com (Dan Schoonmaker)","category":["youtube","music"]}]}}