Hey, it's me Tom Critchlow your resident business magician. Occasional blogger, frequent idiot and forever fool. You probably signed up on my bright green website, or because you read one of my essays about independent consulting. Unsub anytime.
Almost exactly 4 years ago I started this tinyletter. There were 6 subscribers for my first issue (read that here) and 8 subscribers for the second. I was up to 73 subscribers when I first emailed about my post the consultant's grain (read it here) which launched the book writing project I've been on these last few years.
Networked Writing is an Unfair Advantage that email went out in 2018 to 110 subscribers and remains true today.
Today we just crossed 1,000 subscribers.
Thank you and much love to all of you ❤️. I've replied to every single response - so as ever: email me. Today's prompt:
What question is alive for you right now? Hit reply.
But enough with the archives.... Some new stuff:
Permissionless Identities
Very much related to the power of networked writing - I wrote an issue of Little Futures exploring the power of writing as a driving force to rewrite your own identity and career. Relevant for independents and full-timers alike:Permissionless Identities
(I'm having a lot of fun with Little Futures and am increasingly "all in" on the idea of inquiry over insight)
Why Voice is so important for Independent Consultants
I was a guest recently on the Hundreds of Ways podcast and we had a lively conversation that revolved around the power of "thinking in public" and in particular the value in creating a distinctive voice and style:
Listen to the episode hereThe Economic Value of Real-time Chat Spaces
I've had more collaborations in 2020 than any other year in my consulting career. I wrote up some notes on why that might be and how transformative "the DMs" are to indie collaborations. So much independent consulting work is "just-in-time" and so real-time chat availability (slack, twitter DMs, discord etc) become crucial to forming these collabs.The Economic Power of Real-time Chat Spaces
(as ever - if you identify as an independent consultant / freelancer / weirdo then ping me for an invite to the !& discord group)
Much love and thank you, here's to the next 4 years of whatever this is.
Tom x
PS - I've been really digging Sylvan Esso right now. They have a new album out tomorrow. For now: put this tuba in your ears.