Miss kicking the ball

Making things again feels unbelievably good. For the last three years, I've been working on a book and it's been one of the most satisfying projects I've ever worked on. There's something wonderful about crafting something physical—a creative act, a thing that will exist in the world for years, maybe decades, to come.

I used to create things every day. When I started my company almost twenty years ago, I was a designer. I'd put on headphones, drop into a flow state, and make something.

Mockups. Logos. Websites. Code. You name it.

But over the years, that happened less and less.

This is the paradox of scaling a business.

In the end, you no longer do the thing that started it all. The thing that brought you joy in the first place.

It feels a bit like going from a soccer player on the field, to the captain of the team, to the owner of the team up in the owner's box.

You miss kicking the damn ball. The roaring crowd. Beers with the team afterwards.

Writing a book felt like kicking the ball again.

While I love business and all the problem solving that goes along with it, I've come to realize that I need individual side projects that I can pour myself into.

That's what this newsletter is: something creative and fun, where I don't have to manage a team of people or field HR crises or negotiate raises.

I just turn on some good music and write for a couple hours.

And man does it ever feel good.

What's yours?

Originally published in the What was that like for you? issue of Never Enough.