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About Better Questions

"Only if we face these open wounds in ourselves can we understand them in other people." - James Baldwin

Better Questions is all about getting better.

That means being more creative and productive.

That means managing emotions.

That means thinking more clearly.

The core of Better Questions is the weekly email. It goes out every Wednesday at 6 am EST, and covers one question I think will be valuable for people who care about making awesome things.

The philosophy - and the method - behind everything I do here is Learn, Make, Teach.

I learn something new...

I make something useful with that knowledge...

And then I teach what I learned.

About Me

Credit: Andrew Rothmund

My name's Dan. I read a lot, I take a lot of notes, and I like breaking down complex subjects into systems I can use in my own life.

Most people know me from my musical projects, which include HAVE A NICE LIFE, Giles Corey, and Black Wing.

I also founded and run a 7-figure marketing agency. I love my work, which is always challenging and always changing. I can probably never work for anyone else again.

Foundational Posts

There are a few posts that have really stood out as "foundational" to what I'm trying to do here.

If you're looking for a good place to start, I'd start with these.

The Elephants

As close to a mission statement as this blog gets.

The Elephants
Better Questions is supported by readers like you. If you get value from my writing, consider becoming a supporting member. Exclusive content, weekly deep-dives, free beta-access to future courses and more. Thanks. ---- Some people know my story, or a version of it. Here’s what really happened: In 2…

Only You

On your responsibility to the world.

Only You
Here’s a thing that is both exhilarating and terrifying: There are certain ideas only you can come up with. There are things in this world – Paintings, songs, books, concepts, speeches, organizations, businesses, products, romantic evenings, longing glances, buildings, achievements, inv…

Practical Notes On Depression From a Semi-Famously Depressed Person

On what depression is, what it isn't, and how I try to deal with it.

Practical Notes on Depression From a Semi-Famously Depressed Person
Depending on how you know me, this may or may not come as a bit of a surprise: Most people I meet expect me to be depressed. This is because I am, perhaps, most famous for releasing a few albums of very, very depressing music. For some strange algorithmic reason,

The Factory Floor

In some ways, this post was where Better Questions first "became itself." Also the first reference to Personal Danban.

The Factory Floor
Not going to lie – this week’s email comes out swinging a bit. Not 100% sure it works. I debated sending it at all. In the end, there’s nothing to do but trust the process and hope it lands. Let me know your thoughts at

Rhinoceros

On mob mentality, the internet, and building something better.

Rhinoceros
——- Where is it written? ——- I recently came face to face with irrationality. I was attacked online… Called terrible things… Directly threatened. Why? I pointed out an inaccuracy. My crime was naively wandering into the world of online conspiracies, believ…

Personal DanBan: Iron Laws and The System

My personal productivity system, explained.

Personal Danban, Part 1: The Iron Laws
Better Questions is supported by readers like you. If you get value from my writing, consider becoming a supporting member. Exclusive content, weekly deep-dives, free beta-access to future courses and more. Thanks. ---- Productivity systems and I have had a checkered past. I’ve tried them all: every…
Personal Danban, Part 2: The System
Last week, we introduced the three “Iron Laws” of Personal Danban. VISUALIZE YOUR WORK LIMIT YOUR WORK IN PROGRESS IGNORE LOCAL OPTIMA These ideas form the philosophy behind the system. This week, we’re going to talk about how the system actually works, and how you can build your own. To

My Quarterly Review and Planning Process

Probably the most important thing I do each week, and one of my longest-running habits.

Fast-Tracking Progress With a Quarterly Review, Part 1: Proximal and Distal Causes
(Photo credit: Giuseppe Grimaldi ) Better Questions is supported by readers like you. If you get value from my writing, consider becoming a supporting member. Exclusive content, weekly deep-dives, free beta-access to future courses and more. Thanks. Making progress can be very hard. If the goal is b…
Fast-Tracking Progress With a Quarterly Review, Part 2: Feedback
Better Questions is supported by readers like you. If you get value from my writing, consider becoming a supporting member. Exclusive content, weekly deep-dives, free beta-access to future courses and more. Thanks. ---- All improvement comes from feedback loops. In our last email, we talked about th…
Fast-Tracking Progress With a Quarterly Review, Part 3: Stabilization
Better Questions is supported by readers like you. If you get value from my writing, consider becoming a supporting member. Exclusive content, weekly deep-dives, free beta-access to future courses and more. Thanks. ---- So far in our series on quarterly reviews, we’ve discussed proximal and distal c…
Fast-Tracking Progress With a Quarterly Review, Part 4: The Review
Better Questions is supported by readers like you. If you get value from my writing, consider becoming a supporting member. Exclusive content, weekly deep-dives, free beta-access to future courses and more. Thanks. ---- So far in our series on quarterly reviews, we’ve discussed proximal and distal c…

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