The Next Chapter of A Mug of Insights: Now I Need Your Help
The prototype is here and let's test it together!
Today’s post is going to be a little bit different.
I want to start by thanking all of you for reading MOI for over two years. I had a total blast showing up here every week with research and stories that have gradually attracted over 17,000 engaged and lovely subscribers.
But then recently I started to have doubts about Substack as a platform.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the vibes here are a little weird. What used to feel like a quiet sanctuary is filled with distractions and Notes app warfare. And before I knew it, the structure of Substack gradually started seeping into my own reading habits.
Instead of reading other writers I liked, I spent most of my time scrolling through Notes and reading about writing. Instead of orienting my work towards offering the most value, I started playing to the beat of writing that would gain attention on this platform. In addition, the time I spend on Substack usually comes at the cost of something that is way more precious: time for research that’ll offer value for my readers.
All these potential concerns have been weighing on me and I couldn’t help but wonder if we need to go back to the drawing board.
When I started this newsletter I had two goals:
1: Practice my writing
2: Share the best tips & advice on how to read better through my research
Notice, all the Notes, the Restacks and the dream of one day releasing a viral Substack post are not a part of the picture.
So over the last month or so, I started redeveloping the vision & promise of this newsletter and I have decided to migrate this newsletter to a dedicated website. Countless hours and dollars have been poured into this migration and so far, things are looking pretty good.
The new chapter of A Mug of Insights will double down on all the best qualities of the original while removing all the non-essentials. Each email will be clean, to the point and packed full of actionable advice. And this is when I came up with the new format: 1-2-Read.
The New Format
We live in crazy times and a problem people routinely bring to me is:
I’d love to read more but I don’t know how!
Maybe you are one of those people and this newsletter will address your concerns head-on. Every fortnight, I’ll send you a no-BS and succinct email that’ll follow a very tight format: 1,2, Read.
1 stands for one central idea. Have you seen those yawn-worthy books on how to read literature and all in the reference section of bookshops? Yes.
Do you want to read them? Hmm…
Don’t worry, I have an English degree and I used to specialise in literary theory. Let me rent my brain out and condense the most valuable lessons in literary theory for you in ONE CENTRAL IDEA.
2 stands for two practical actions. Riding on the back of that one idea, we’ll put it into action with two weekly prompts.
And, this will give you everything you need to start your journey as a lifelong reader.
And Here’s Where I Need Your Input:
As I mentioned, the prototype is already available and I’d love to show you what I have so far and get your feedback before I release it to all our subscribers.
You can click the button here:
and sign up to be a beta reader. If you have any feedback, please leave them in the comments below and I’ll improve the newsletter accordingly before the full launch.
Your opinions and suggestions mean the world to me and let’s band together and launch this newsletter into a new chapter!
Until next time
Robin
Hi Robin, I have admired your work since past few months. My interest in the few past years has been in philosophy, and my first encounter with your contents (on Youtube) was like a fresh air to me. I am currently taking math undergrad degree at university. I love math, but tbh my interest is slowly shifting to philosophy. As someone who didn‘t have a privilege to study philosophy at uni, I just self-study philosophy through books and the internet, and particularly through your contents. You are also the one who introduces me to the wonder of literature. Thank you for the contents, and I will keep supporting you wherever you bring your contents!
My advice to your move to the website: I think it will be a good idea if you have A Mug of Insight app in the future. I don‘t expect you to create the app now since you are still developing the website xD. But someday, I hope there will be the app, so it will be easier for us to visit your MOI. I got this idea from Mark Manson. He has a website and also the app that connects to the website.
A few thoughts. First, I’m glad you’re leaving Substack. I tried it once, but hated the clunky comment system and don’t care for apps, notes, etc. And until Substack turns a profit, there’s always the chance they fold. So I stuck with my website and deliver newsletters via Flodesk. My readers thanked me.
Second, I understand the reason for the new simplified email format. People are busy, and a two-part succinct email will please some, but not me. James Clear used to send lovely essays via his newsletter, and I read them all. Then Atomic Habits became a best seller and James moved to a short little three part email. It felt formulaic and repetitive. I summarily unsubscribed. I share essays and short stories for my readers. My email includes the first few paragraphs, with a link to my site to read the rest. Engagement is good.
Best of luck moving forward.