__Writing is like compound interest.__ Einstein once called compound the Eight Wonder of the World. Ergo, __writing is the Eighth Wonder of the World__. I often get asked the question “I want to start writing, but don’t know where to begin?” I can totally relate — I avoided writing (and all _the humanities_) until my mid-30s. When I first began writing, I lacked the confidence in my ideas and thus hid behind curation. And even today I still have tremendous __ _imposter syndrome___ and don’t refer to myself as a writer. Yet, one of my personal values is __ _Compound small wins over the long term___ _._ In my post-Wall Street rebirth, writing has hugely contributed to the growth of my proverbial “bank account” — [exposure](), [relationships](), [income](), and [opportunity](). Here are a few ideas on how to tap into this Eight Wonder. ## __Remove the Friction__ Whether you want to write privately ([Day One]()) or publicly ([Medium.com]()), the available tools are free, seamless, beautiful, and work across devices. (And let’s not forget: the good old analog — pen and paper. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention __WordPress__. It’s a dangerously seductive rabbit-hole. The customizability and cost are unbeatable, but unless you’re technically savvy it’s guaranteed to give you a few gray hairs. Here’s an analogy: Medium is like the iPhone and WordPress is like Linux. If you’re just beginning, get the words on paper. Then you can migrate to WordPress (or an intermediate step like [Squarespace]() or [Webflow]()). ## __Just start__ Writing is equal parts habit formation and actual skill. You can’t acquire the skill without the habit. I spent 3 months writing [my first post](). I felt like it needed to be my __ _Ulysses___ , my statement to the world that I had arrived. The piece came out fine, but what I should’ve been doing was more of the [Lean Startup approach]() (creating MVPs, testing, and iterating). ## __Consistency is Key__ Consistency is an underrated virtue. And in our world of Instant Gratification we forget that to creating something beautiful requires us to __show up each day__. Even if we’re tired, hungover, unmotivated, or distracted. The process is like dollar-cost-averaging. Boring and unsexy, yet __methodical and agnostic to our emotional whims__. That’s the only way it can compound. A nice trick is to pair consistency with accountability. If I stopped doing RadReads, I’d be disappointing a slew of people — this provides both feedback loop and accountability structure. ## __Living Documents__ My mom always points out my typos in my blog posts. And while I do hold myself to extremely high standards, we’ve moved from a world of PDFs to one of Google Docs. Our documents are adapting and transforming in real time — think about how Kanye West [released The Life of Pablo multiple times](). As writers, we have the space __ _and permission___ to rework ideas, both in public and incorporating the feedback from our communities. ## __Process over outcomes__ 25 clicks. During my first six months as a writer, this was the average number of page views (mostly coming from family members). __It’s impossible to play a long game, when you check the scorecard in real-time.__ Personally, I’m feeling this right now with the podcast. I’ve recorded 30 episodes, each one costing $200 and taking 10 hours. Yes, that’s $6,000 and 300 hours. The response has been strong, but definitely not commensurate with the “cost.”But it’s been pure joy — intense learning, living outside my comfort zone, and a work product that I’m infinitely proud of. __Irrespective of the outcome____.__ ## Read more * [Writing is a form of compound interest]() (Dan Shipper, Rad Awakenings Podcast) * Perfect your craft: Become a better writer