#12weeks

This episode was recorded on 14 September 2019. - We kicked off the episode by briefly discussing podcasting tools and approaches (our recording set-up is still not ideal and we're looking for ways to improve it) - We took a short detour in the conversation to discuss the last Apple keynote (and Haider might join the Dark Side/Light Side - depending where you stand - by switching from iPhone to Android because of the iPhone's "disrespectful design") - Abdulmohsen shares his new (newest/latest/final/final final/really final this time) branding of his physical product (the table previously known as Tré) - Haider shares his thoughts on there not being a "one best option" (there are usually many, equality great options) - Abdulmohsen shares his thoughts on being Branding-focus vs Product-focus - Haider will be launching two campaigns: The 100-Day Challenge and the "You Have 7 Minutes" Challenge - Haider explains how small habits bundled together can help you feel more accomplished and have an abundance of time (when you may have previously felt that you don't have time) - We discuss the importance of social proof - Haider shares his setup for his email course, as well as problems he's encountering (with deliverability, plus a feature request for ConvertKit) - Abdulmohsen has published his short guide on filtering ideas!

This call was recorded on 1 September (again, apologies for the gap between recording and publishing) Here are some of the things we managed to discuss: Since launching the email course (http://donewithgrace.com), Haider also managed to launch the ebook version of the email course, as well as an online course on writing (https://haideralmosawi.teachable.com/p/a-way-with-words/ - currently text-only) Haider shares some of the benefits writers can expect to gain from the writing course and how common writing obstacles can be resolved We discuss balancing art/inspiration with sticking to a process, which can perfectly be summed up with the popular quote: "I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning." Some causes of writer's block (remember: writer's block is a symptom with different possible causes of it) How Haider used Teachable.com to create his online course (and the friction he experienced using it) Abdulmohsen asked Haider: Will you create more products or focus on the ones I have? (listen to find out!) Abdulmohsen shared an update on the mini-guide he's writing for selecting business ideas Tip: As a creator, sometimes being a curator is a great form of contribution (don't assume you need to produce everything yourself. Directing your audience to existing resources is also valuable) Haider shares the reason why he writes (hint: it's not because he's an expert in the topics he writes about) Abdulmohsen continues to kill it with his habits using the Streaks app, following his strategy of "systems over goals" First step to building a habit is....

Aaaaand we're back with our 2nd season of #12weeks (i.e. the second time 12-week accountability program between Haider and Abdulmohsen) There were a few weeks between the two 12-weeks, and this episode kicks off with some juicy updates (like Haider launching his first info product!). Note: The episode was recorded on 8 August 2019. We may experience a delay between recording and publishing as we're working on enhancing the audio quality of our episodes. Here are the highlights of this episode: - Haider launched a daily email course on productivity that's available as a 12-week program (obviously) and a 4-week program. It's available at http://donewithgrace.com - We discuss launching without having an entire product ready and other ways to break down a product to prioritize shipping - Abdulmohsen shares an update on his idea validation guide (from Season 1), which he's looking to publish THEN flesh out with additional examples and case studies - Using http://200wordsaday.com to get into the writing habit and creating content that can be used in info-products - Abdulmohsen's experience using the Streaks app (spoiler: he loves it!) - Abdulmohsen shares updates on his physical product Tre, both in terms of manufacturing and branding - Haider recommends the writings of Amy Hoy (http://twitter.com/amyhoy) of Stacking the Bricks (http://stackingthebricks.com) on building tiny products to create a passive income stream - Haider reveals the number of sales of his email course (it's currently a low number, but he'll be sharing updates on how he's growing his sales) Another note: The published calls will be every 2 weeks. We felt this would give time for better updates and richer content. We will continue to have our accountability calls weekly.

This is our last episode (for season 1!). We reflect on how the 12 weeks went (or flew by) and what we intend to do differently the next time. We’ll go on a break and discuss the future of this podcast privately before we return with season 2!

There's just a few days left in our 12-weeks accountability experiment (sorry for the drama in the title!). In this call, the central theme of our discussion is about organizing resources for projects and being able to reference case studies and examples to support the ideas we're looking to share. In our next call we'll reflect on the 12-weeks experience and ways we can improve it in the future. Note: Apologies from Haider for the delay in posting this episode and a missing episode while Abdulmohsen was away.

This episode is mainly about a conversation we've been putting off for two weeks: talking about financial independence, how we define our professional ideals, and what success means to us. Some points we discussed on this call: - There is not one definition of success or a single career path we should all follow - Some of the restrictions that come in the corporate world are being challenged through the adoption of remote work, as well as the results-only work environment (ROWE) - How passive income can enable a life of freedom - We reference Dan Pink's excellent book Drive, which identifies 3 factors necessary for work satisfaction: Mastery, Autonomy, and Purpose. - The need to continuously reinvent ourselves and how changing jobs or careers is often perceived as a bad trait Note: We kicked off the episode with talk about traveling with youngsters. If that's not something you're interested in you might want to skip the first 7 minutes or so. Also, we had a technical error while recording (also known as receiving a phone call). Apologies if the audio is a bit jarring when that happens (towards the end). Hope you enjoy the episode and have a few takeaways from it!

In this episode, Haider and Abdulmohsen discuss how happiness leads to success (not the other way around), removing friction from doing habits, and how to reduce your timeline to achieving your goals. Other topics discussed include: Haider's routine of intermittent fasting Using Drops app to buy water (and how this relates to habit friction) Planning routines in unpredictable schedules Creating email courses as a stepping stone to bigger products @Front's "product case study conference" Next week's episode will include a discussion of financial independence, since it's a topic that we've been touching on for some time without diving deep into it. 8 weeks down and 4 to go!

The past week was a good one for both of us on different fronts. Abdulmohsen, having made progress with his health goal of going to the gym but not working on the idea generation guide he's writing, brought up the topic of trade-offs between our goals. We ended up discussing The Four Burners Theory (that success requires abandoning one or two of the "burners" in your life: Health, Family, Friends, Work). We don't agree with the theory but trade-offs are definitely something to consider. We also discuss a few strategies on how to achieve success on multiple fronts. Other topics we discussed: - What motivated Abdulmohsen to achieve his gym goal - "Each of us has their own Everest to climb" and the importance of celebrating your own goals no matter how small or insignificant they seem to others - Walk and talk meetings - The book Badass: Making Users Awesome, by Kathy Sierra (and why it's such a badass book) - The limited reserves of energy and willpower that we have and how taking on too many cognitively straining tasks and activities can deplete us of willpower and we end up making bad decisions This episode also featured a special guest: Abdulmohsen's infant son Tareq in the background (we're still not sure if he was agreeing or disagreeing with what we were saying).

We've completed 6 weeks of the 12 weeks challenge! In this episode we review how far we've come and what we think of our progress so far (time has flown by, and realizing we're half way there has been an eye opener). We also discuss a few topics related to writing and building an audience.

In this call Haider and Abdulmohsen discuss strategies on selling info products or making them available for free. How do you choose? They also discuss productivity tools and finding the tool that meets your needs.

In this episode Haider updates Abdulmohsen on the productivity experiments he's conducting, and they both discuss changes they've had to make to the outlines of the products they're working on. Haider also shares a book recommendation and some tips on following through.

It's the closing of the 3rd week of our 12-week challenge, and in this episode we discuss: - Setbacks from last week - The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins, which can help overcome overthinking - Repeating a habit multiple times in a day to increase chances of developing the habit - Reflections on successes Haider experienced in his previous 12-week challenge - How you can improve on existing content, especially when it's written by experts you deem more experienced than you - Using a model in writing that helps make ideas more memorable and practical, such as Charlie Gilkey's Three C's (Create, Connect, and Consume) and Danielle Leslie's T.A.S.T.Y. Content model - Haider's upcoming productivity challenge (more details here: https://200wordsaday.com/words/the-30-day-productivity-challenge-are-you-in-164255ccd695e9a9f5)

This is our second update (10 more weeks to ago!). We dive into the details of content creation and discuss the challenges of juggling multiple goals and commitments.

We completed Week 1 of our 12-week program! In this episode we share the first update and discuss several topics, including how to prioritize habits, writing book outlines, and many other topics. Give it a listen and let us know what you think!

We are considering this episode as episode 1.5. We initially agreed to have our accountability calls on Saturdays, but ended up publishing the "test run" call we had on Tuesday! So this episode is to go over some details we may have overlooked in planning this podcast. We value progress over perfection, but that doesn't mean we want to be sloppy. This podcast will improve, one episode at a time. In this episode, we talked about: • What we need to work on for this podcast (artwork, intro/outro, and a more detailed description) • What we do (day jobs and side hustles) • The importance of validation • Tools we find useful (how Haider uses TaskPaper and SizeUp, and why Abdulmohsen prefers using pen and paper) Give this episode a listen, and if you're keen on starting your own 12-week program, then join in! You may want to grab your own accountability buddy. :D

In this episode, Abdulmohsen and Haider share their thoughts on achieving goals, forming habits, and building info products.