Hi friends! Welcome to another issue of the Naiman Labs Newsletter.

As you know, this newsletter is a part of my Naiman Labs project.

Well, actually, the "project" is not the correct term here.

Project implies start, scope, and end. Naiman Labs is my ongoing side hustle. I see it more as a framework of different content types where I share my thoughts about career and productivity.

Since I got laid off last December, along with searching for a new job, Naiman Labs has become my main work area.

I have made many changes and adjustments in my content approach and strategy for Naiman Labs development. I decided to try to apply more of a "build-in-public" approach, so here's a sneak peek from backstage for you, my dear subscribers.

I started Naiman Labs after several friends asked me for career advice, and it was quite helpful. Then suddenly, friends of friends reached out as well, and I managed to help them.

It got me thinking there's some demand for good career advice, even though there are so many career coaches, gurus, and experts online.

Other than that, I have always wanted to write and share my thoughts online. Since my first year at university, I have found online writing quite appealing. I tried it several times, using Facebook public pages, Telegram Channels, and VK groups. It never lasted long, though, as I didn’t have enough motivation or desire to stay consistent.

Then, I saw some great YouTubers sharing their thoughts about productivity, career, and work. Ali Abdaal, Matt D'Avella, Jeff Su, Thiago Forte. Those guys inspired me a lot.

And, of course, it is never wrong to have a side income, right? 💸

But as it often happens, you start passionately, and you burn out quickly. The same happened to me several times. The moment work gets busier, or I find something cheerful in life, all the content-making goes down in priorities. That's not right, and that's not sustainable.

Now, it seems like I am in another overwhelming round. After two months of active job hunting, I started a new job at the end of February, and it's getting more complicated for me to allocate time for everything I want to do in my life.

When this happens, what do you do? Right, you apply the "Hell Yeah or No" approach, prioritizing and assessing. What do I actually feel like doing? What inspires me?

When I started Naiman Labs, I launched multiple content streams:

• 📸 Instagram posts

• 📽️ Short videos

• 👔 LinkedIn posts

• 💌 Weekly Newsletter

• 📝 Long-read articles on Medium

• 🎁 Digital products

After a quick recent assessment, I realized that writing is what really drives me among all the content streams. I love writing newsletters and deep-dive long-reads, even though it takes a lot of time.

So it got me thinking—if that drives me and helps me achieve my goals of sharing good content, developing the side hustle, and building my brand, then I will focus on this.

I will keep Instagram as my personal space and focus more on written content.

That is my update on the Naiman Labs building. Let me know if you find it interesting, and I can share regular updates with you🙂 

If you want to read some of my deep dives, check out my blog on Medium. I share high-quality articles there about my research findings and personal and professional experiences.

Things I love this week

You know, note-taking apps are the area where I love experimenting and testing new apps and new approaches. Recently, Evernote, the largest note-taking app, has been in decline because of the acquisition, tons of bugs, and the absence of very much requested updates. However, during the last two weeks, Evernote has made significant updates, improving their desktop app significantly. If you have never tried it or are thinking of leveling up your note-taking, now would be a great time to try Evernote.

More content from me

👔 My LinkedIn - more insights from my professional life, news and research

📱My Instagram - videos and posts on career and productivity

✍️ My Medium - deep dive long-reads about career, work, and productivity

Want to support my project? ☕️ Buy me a coffee

🚀 Products and templates to boost your career (coming soon)