18 Jan 2026 #misc
One problem is having no ideas. Another is having far too many.
With endless options, which project comes next?
That was one of the questions Austen Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist, got in this interview. An audience member with “millions of ideas” and “29 books to write” asked how to find time for them.
Her struggle resonated with me. Because these days, I’m like her. I have too many books and projects to choose from.
But here’s what I’ve been trying when I feel overwhelmed by ideas:
#1. Write down every idea as it comes. A book title, a concept, or just a phrase. Don’t let them go away.
#2. Create distance from your ideas. Take some time to do something else. This space helps your brain to connect the dots.
#3. Choose wisely. Tackle the project you can finish the fastest or the one you’re most excited about.
Credits to my sister for helping me think this through.
Currently I’m at phase one: brainstorming with 10-idea lists. Meanwhile, I’m giving my brain space to make connections by doing nothing. I know there’s a book in there. I’m trusting the process.
17 Jan 2026 #misc
Earlier today, I crossed the city for some blood tests. Regular checkups. Hot and sunny outside.
I don’t know if it was the heat, too much information, or just too much on my mind. (I even had to do a brain dump recently.) But I had to make lemon water, put on my headphones with ocean waves, and sit to do nothing else.
Maybe that’s what I needed to get over a creative block. Sometimes you need to do nothing. Not less. Nothing.
If you’re reading this, try it: put down your phone or your computer, and let yourself do nothing. It might clear your block too.
16 Jan 2026 #mondaylinks
Hey there.
Here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. Curious about laptops 30 years ago? Here’s the “I checked my notebook” commercial (1min). My laptop wouldn’t survive that.
#2. I’ve used StackOverflow (and still do), but never created an account or asked a question. Not a welcoming community. That’s why StackOverflow is dead (3min). ChatGPT doesn’t close your questions or downvote them.
#3. Meetings are the worst part of coding professionally. Especially those when the organizer is late, everybody waits…awkward silence…Here’s a quick hack to start meetings on time (2min).
#4. I keep seeing people online brag about coding without touching an editor or IDE. Now they “code” from their phones with Claude Code. Vibe coding was bad. But now coding outside an editor is good? That’s the vibe coding paradox (2min).
And in case you missed it, I wrote on my blog about the books I read and the ones I didn’t finish in 2025 (3min) and why we should forget about LOCs to stand out (3min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… my new book, Street-Smart Coding: 30 lessons to help you code like a pro. From Googling to clear communication, it covers the lessons you don’t learn in tutorials. It’s now out on Kindle and paperback on Amazon.
See you next time,
Cesar
15 Jan 2026 #misc
Following my own advice, I’m writing a 10-idea list to quiet the chatter in my head. Not that I had writer’s block, but a “too much noise in my head” block—If that’s even a thing.
#1. Use your blog as insurance. Blogs might feel dead. People consume content inside platforms, instead of Googling to land on personal blogs. But your blog is your insurance against dead platforms and suspensions. If you trigger a filter inside a platform, even if it’s a false positive, your account gets suspended, with almost no chance of getting it back.
#2. Your real asset is your email list. I’ve heard it plenty of times: “Build your list…,” “Count subscribers, not followers…“ But it wasn’t until my account on a social blog got suspended that I learned the lesson.
#3. Cut the news. Venezuela, Iran, Israel, United States…There’s always something going on somewhere. Unless you’re a diplomat, advisor, or spy, there’s almost nothing you can do. News only makes you anxious.
#4. “I want to build a product.” This is the second or third time I’ve heard a friend saying they want to build something beyond the 9-5. The problem? They recreate their day job after hours, when there’s less energy and willpower. A better alternative is to make experiments and create something in two hours. Or a portfolio of small bets.
#5. We live without being conscious of our bodies. I’m rereading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I wasn’t ready the first time I read it. One takeaway so far: We’re so in our heads we forget our bodies. Just stop to breathe.
#6. Coding is changing for good. I keep seeing people on the IndieWeb and LinkedIn brag about coding without touching an editor or IDE. Now they “code” from their phones with Claude Code. Maybe writing lines of code is becoming optional.
#7. Write books for AI to read. The other day, Kevin Kelly said he writes (or plans to write) his books for AI. What if we offer our books as chatbots? Instead of reading it, people talk with them. It’s another reminder that our job as writers is to adapt to how our readers consume content. Credits to Smart Brevity. That’s how we’re consuming content now.
#8. 12 apps in a year. The other day, I found an indie blogger running a challenge: building one small app per month. Such a great idea! Forget the next Uber, build tiny apps (or websites) that solve a simple problem and put a “Buy me a Coffee” link. Something like a “pill time calculator” or “time off finder.” Those are two small apps I’d use.
#9. Do something hard this year. This idea comes from Ryan Holiday. Marcus Aurelius, or another stoic, used to jump into a frozen lake at the start of every year. Prove yourself wrong and do something hard. Maybe that’s a side project, a book, or a jump into a frozen lake.
#10. You’re not too late. I just listened to an interview with Hassan Osman, a book writer, course creator, and podcaster. He admitted part of the success of his books and courses was starting around the lockdown in 2020. The best time was five years ago. The next best time to take action is now. Experiment, and double down.
14 Jan 2026 #books
For writers, the real challenge is to make readers finish books.
TikTok, Instagram, and endless feeds have turned us into skimmers. And as Smart Brevity says, our job as writers is to adapt to how readers consume content. Give them something fast.
Short non-fiction books, or mini books, are the answer for impatient readers.
A book doesn’t need 30,000 words. It could be a summary of 10 papers, a collection of personal stories, or your best posts—as long as it’s valuable even for one person, it’s worth publishing.
And to my surprise, after going down a rabbit hole, today I found a one-page book, This Book is One Page Long by Hassan Osman. Well, the book has 5 pages. I guess that’s the front matter, back matter, and one page of actual content.
If that doesn’t kill every excuse for writing a book, nothing will.