Your business shouldn't do good.
Why charging less might be the most selfish thing you can do — a counterintuitive case for separating profit-maximization from philanthropy.
Hello friend,
Here's what I'm thinking about…
Your business shouldn't do good…
It should maximize profit and forget the kumbaya stuff.
In fact, trying to help people might be the most selfish thing you can do.
This might sound evil—but hear me out. I might have ruined a perfectly nice young entrepreneur last week. He runs a web design agency that charges struggling small businesses bargain prices because "they need our help." I made him do the math, then pointed at Patagonia, and walked back to my car wondering if I was the asshole…
AI is exciting, but also terrifying.
It could create a future where most labour is effectively free and we can all just hang out and play pickleball.
Or, total annihilation and chaos. Fun!
Over the past two years, I've spent the majority of my time thinking about it. Reading every book I can on the topic (my favorite is The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman) and learning how to use all the tools...
PS: If you want to learn how to build Digital Employees yourself, I'm hosting a 1-day workshop with Lindy Drope from Lindy (yes, the company was named after her) in Victoria on October 20th. We only have about 10 spots left—grab a ticket here if you're interested.
Every once in a while, I like to brag about one of my friends.
Today, I want to brag about my friend Vic.
She's one of those people who makes you leave lunch buzzing with ideas.
Who asks you a gazillion questions and shows they remember everything.
The kind of person who charges your battery.
Which is weird, because she's also an absurdly talented designer. And those two qualities rarely go together.
Often, the uber-cool designer type is not friendly or warm. They're usually quiet, and sometimes judgemental.
Vic, on the other hand, is the opposite.
And whatever weird thing she's doing today—clothing, typeface, aesthetic—I'm always confident everyone else will be doing it within 6-12 months.
A few years ago, she moved away from Victoria (boo) and started a creative agency in Copenhagen helping brands with their design and strategy.
She's the best and you should work with her. Or worst case, if you're in Copenhagen, email her for a coffee!
Random Stuff:
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I was recently in Toronto and was absolutely blown away by Sweat and Tonic, a beautiful gym that had everything a healthy person could want: a cafe and smoothie bar to work in, saunas and cold plunges, and every type of exercise class and gym equipment money could buy. I'm yet to find anything similar in Victoria, and a few friends and I are interested in backing someone to create something like it. If you might be this person or know this person, email me.
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Adam Savage of MythBusters fame sat down with Ryan Norbauer and went into delightfully nerdy depth about what makes his absurd keyboards worth $5,000. YouTube
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I'm sick of hotels. I'm still on the hunt for a beautiful, well-located house to rent for 5-14 days at a time in Vancouver. If anyone has a furnished spot they're open to renting out, send me an email!
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Zoe and I loved Gianmarco Soresi's new standup special 'Thief of Joy'. It's absolutely hilarious. YouTube
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I also had a good chuckle at this dumb Shane Gillis sketch. YouTube
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Christmas is coming. If you live in Victoria, my home services business, PressurePros, is offering holiday lights installation services.
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If you like Persian food and live in Victoria, Niloo is very tasty.
That's all for now…
-Andrew

Andrew · Victoria · October 9, 2025
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Thirty thousand people read it. About six of them email me back, and one is my mom.