You Can Just Do Things
Reflections after six months of writing
2025 is winding down and we are officially six months into the Pretty Solid experiment. When I started this newsletter, I didn’t really have a plan. I still don’t. I just had this idea stuck in my head - you can just do things.
I’ve spent most of my career working at big tech companies, helping advertisers figure out how to reach people and tell better stories. A lot of that work was basically staying curious - reading, watching, listening, and trying to make sense of where culture, media, and technology were headed.
The part I’ve always liked most was the storytelling. Learning about new things, connecting a few dots, and then explaining why it mattered in a way that didn’t feel complicated. At some point, I started to wonder if I could take that same curiosity and use it for something of my own, instead of just doing it for clients.
I’ve always had this itch to put my thoughts on the internet. I even tried starting a WordPress blog back in 2014, but I got frustrated, stalled out, and eventually gave up.
At some point earlier this year, while reading one of the many email newsletters I subscribe to, it hit me that this might actually be something I could do too. Still, I had no idea what it should look like. I hesitated. I doubted myself. What if nobody read it? What if nobody cared? I worried about putting myself out there and looking ridiculous.
Then one night back in June, we were out to dinner and randomly bumped into one of my favorite YouTube cooking creators who happened to be in town from New York. I went over, introduced myself, and told him how much of a fan I was. We chatted for a few minutes, and he and his friend ended up sitting at the table next to us. We kept talking here and there throughout the meal.
But the rest of that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about how he was just a normal guy who had an idea and decided to start. That was it. No huge plan. No permission. Just doing it.
A few days later, I got a text in my group chat with my brothers. I know it sounds cheesy, but sometimes we share inspirational quotes from articles or podcasts we’re into. I woke up to this message.
I realized I’d been waiting for the perfect idea, the perfect time, the perfect plan. But that random encounter at dinner and Jeff’s text flipped a switch in me. You don’t need a big audience, a fleshed out business plan, or a five-year strategic roadmap. You just start. Figure it out later.
Pretty Solid was born.
My north star from the beginning has been simple:
Create something I wish existed.
Build something only I can build.
That’s it. No growth hacks. No fancy strategy deck. No business plan. Just a place to share the stuff I’m genuinely into - the intersection of sports, tech, food, travel, culture and whatever else catches my attention. The kind of media that I like to consume myself.
Pretty soon it started to feel like a real thing. I started hearing from readers. People forwarded it to friends. I’ve slowly started to find my voice and get into a rhythm with the writing.
For now, this is just a hobby. We’ll see where it goes. I honestly don’t care how many subscribers this gets (but feel free to pass this along to anyone in your network who may find it interesting - I still want to build an audience). Sure, it would be cool to have a million readers. But I’d rather have a smaller group that actually cares about what I’m sharing than a giant pool of people who don’t.
Yes, it feels good to see new subscriber notifications pop up, but the best part has been the messages of encouragement, ideas, and feedback.
If you’ve been reading along this year, thank you. None of this works without you opening these emails, sending feedback, or just quietly reading and enjoying it.
If you have an idea in your head and aren’t sure where to start, remember, you can just do things.
Here’s to a pretty solid 2026.
Yeah! Looking forward to what Mr. Solid has to say in 2026 and beyond.