Chapter 42: The 8th Wonder Of The World

If I told you that you could build the foundation for a life and business on your own terms in the next 12 months — but the price was 1–2 hours a day, every single day — would you pay it?

Most people would say yes.

But here’s the catch: the hours won’t be easy.

You’ll have to learn new skills, face your fears, and look stupid in public.

Would you still say yes?

If so, this letter is for you.

The Opportunity

The creator economy is projected to hit $190 billion by the end of 2025.

For context, Hollywood is worth about $100 billion.

That means the creator economy will be twice the size of Hollywood, but instead of a handful of studios, it’ll be distributed across millions of people with iPhones.

Most people don’t understand this. And I get it.

Until you’ve studied it — you don’t truly see the opportunity.

Here’s the analogy I use:

The creator economy isn’t a crowded party you’re late to.

It’s a frontier town. The land is wide open. New territory is discovered every day.

And the only thing that makes your plot valuable… is what you build on it.

The 8th Wonder Of The World

So how do you build?

That’s why you need 1–2 hours a day. This is your compounding vehicle.

Most people understand compounding in finance — your money doubling every 7 years in the S&P.

But almost no one applies it to media.

There are three types of compounding at play here:

1. Publishing compounding

   • Every post is a brick.

   • At first, it’s a shaky foundation.

   • But over time, the walls rise. Then you have a house. Then a fortress.

2. Skill compounding

   • Each rep makes you sharper.

   • Writing, editing, storytelling — things that once felt impossible become second nature.

3. Reach & impact compounding

   • The effort stays the same, but your audience grows.

   • It takes the same time to post for 50 people as it does for 50,000.

   • And as your reach grows, so does the impact you can have.

That’s why the 1–2 hours a day matters.

Those inputs compound across your publishing, your skills, and your reach.

The Vision

Now imagine this:

50,000 people who know, like, and trust you.

They resonate with your story.

They understand your worldview.

They want something you’ve already figured out.

At that point, creating products and services that solve their problems is inevitable.

This isn’t theory. It’s the new way the world functions.

And it’s available to anyone willing to do the work.

It won’t be easy. But it is possible.

The Playbook

If you don’t know where to start — here’s a playbook:

• Write your story: Where were you? What changed? Where are you now?

• Write your interests: 10–20 things you’re curious about or love learning.

• Write the pain points: For each interest, what problems exist?

• Connect the dots: Between your story, your interests, and those pain points.

That’s your foundation.

The rest is experimentation and consistency.

Publish short-form content daily.

Funnel people to an owned audience (aka newsletter).

Publish one newsletter a week.

Study those you admire.

Reverse engineer your favorite parts, add your own spin, and keep publishing.

Do this every day for 12 months — and it can change your life.

It’s what I’ve done for the last 9 months — and it works.

It’ll challenge you in ways you’ve never been challenged before.

But if you can persevere … you can fundamentally change your life.

Wrapping Up

If you want help starting, check out Story30.

It’s my 30-day cohort for founders, freelancers, and brand builders who want to master the fundamentals of growing their audience and business with short-form video.

I’m keeping it small, so I can spend 1:1 time with everyone.

The doors opened yesterday and there are only 8 spots left.

Once they’re filled, that’s it until Q4.

If this resonates, I’d love to see you inside.

Rooting for ya,
—Dodds