About 30 days ago, I committed to writing online as part of Ship 30 for 30, the cohort-based course by Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole.
Since then, I’ve written and published 26 atomic essays and 3 tweets. I’ve learned the fundamentals of digital writing, how to write engaging Twitter and LinkedIn posts, and I’ve written about both the things I’m passionate about and the lessons I’ve learned.
I practiced the Feynman technique, figured out what works (and what doesn’t), and picked up a bunch of useful strategies to improve my writing.
It pushed me, stretched me, and reminded me how much I love creating and sharing ideas.
Here are the 3 biggest lessons I’ve learned from publishing consistently for 30 days:
1. Prepping the Page
I used to think prepping was a waste of time( until I burned out trying to write without it).
Most of the time, I didn’t prep. I’d open a blank page and just start typing, hoping something would come together. What should’ve taken me 4 hours ended up taking 11 to 12. I’d sit there trying to figure out what I even wanted to say.
Then I started using the structure Nicolas and Dickie teach:
Headline, intro, 3+ main points, optional conclusion, optional CTA.
Now I have my own version of that in my notes — a simple outline with key points I want to hit. It’s like my personal checklist. And it helps so much.
It saves me time. It gives me direction. And it stops me from second-guessing myself halfway through, like, "Wait… am I doing this right?"
2. Capturing ideas in the moment(even if they're messy)
How many great ideas have we lost just because we didn’t write them down?
A few days before, I’d have a conversation, watch something, and suddenly an idea would pop into my head. I’d think, “Oh wow, that’s a good one. I should definitely write about it.”
Then the day would come. I’d sit down, open my laptop, pull up Typeshare… and nothing. The idea was gone. I’d try to remember what made it great, but it just wouldn’t come back.
The wild part? I’ve heard the advice so many times: “When an idea comes, write it down right away.” But I didn’t listen. Not until I saw what happened when I didn’t.
Sometimes we don’t need to be taught something new, we just need to feel the lesson.
Now, when something sparks, I write it down. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s just a few bullet points or random thoughts.
When I go back to write, it’s life-changing.
100% recommend.
3. Studying other people's content is a hack
Now, I pause mid-scroll and ask myself, Why did this post hit so hard?
This one strategy helped me learn so much faster. As I was learning different writing techniques from the cohort, I started to see, in real time, why certain posts worked and others didn’t.
I wasn’t just reading passively anymore. I was noticing the structure, why the hook works, etc.
I want to be honest, though — this wasn’t something I always did.
For a while, I’d just scroll and keep it moving. But once I started actually studying the content that made me stop and feel something, everything changed.
Now I can’t unsee it. There’s so much to learn just by paying attention. And when I tell you it’s mind-blowing, I mean it.
It made writing feel less like guessing and more like learning from what’s already working.
Anywhoo, I’ve learned so much more than what I shared here, and I still have so much more to learn. But I had to stick with three things… otherwise this would’ve turned into a whole book.
A personal thank you to everyone who supported me, even if they didn’t know me. You made this experience feel less lonely.
So if you’ve been thinking about writing online too, just start.
The best time to start was six months ago.
The second-best time? Today. (I love that quote, so I had to reference it.)