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show your work

concept · in 11 sources (2017–2020)

Share what you are doing before you feel expert or ready; don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

Sources by year: 2017: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2020: 1

Also known as: document, don't create, just upload the video

Questions

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2020

  • 2020-06-05 · 5 Lessons I've Learned about Racism — Ali calls the feeling that he must become an expert on race before talking about it "kind of BS", like researching all of nutrition before ever going to the gym; he makes videos on topics he is no expert in. — 00:01:34

2018

  • 2018-03-07 · Monthly Favourites #2 - Ali Abdaal — Gary Vaynerchuk (quoted): Gary Vaynerchuk's "document, don't create": instead of creating content, think of it as documenting your life, what you know or your process of learning. — 00:13:16
    • Ali says thinking of a video as documenting rather than creating takes the pressure off and makes content much easier to make. — 00:13:16
    • Ali recommends Austin Kleon's book Show Your Work to anyone interested in sharing their work. — 00:15:12
    • Austin Kleon (quoted): In Show Your Work, Austin Kleon says to document your process of learning and put your work online, whether you are learning art, programming or writing. — 00:15:12
  • 2018-03-21 · Q & A - 5,000 Subscribers! — recommendation: Ali advises a new blogger to expect no readers for months or years: there is no point promoting a site with one or two posts; write high-quality posts regularly and readers will follow, valuing the backlog. — 00:07:55
  • 2018-04-16 · Monthly Favourites #3 - Ali Abdaal — Ali tries not to worry whether others will find his Monthly Favourites picks interesting: at least he has shared them and they are out there, which he says is how creating works. — 00:09:29
  • 2018-05-01 · First Live Hangout + Rapid-fire Q&A — recommendation: Ali's advice for starting a blog: get started, don't worry that nobody reads it for the first few months, keep at it and be consistent. — 00:16:01
  • 2018-05-07 · Live Q&A + Hangout - Bank Holiday vibes - Ali Abdaal, Cambridge medical student — recommendation: Ali advises against vlogging without showing your face: the face is a big part of vlogs, and videos with a face are far more engaging; consider starting a podcast instead. — 00:11:02
  • 2018-05-14 · Monthly Favourites #4 - Ali Abdaal — Ali: Knowing he will email 650 people every week motivates Ali to write each week; wanting it to be good makes him research more, builds his writing habit and makes him more reflective about what he reads and thinks. — 00:03:01

2017