In this video, I dive deep into explaining what Urbit is, why it exists, and how it works. I tackle the nagging issues with the current internet structure, tracing their root cause to the early decisions made in the creation of the internet, especially the use of IP addresses and servers. I explain how Urbit, a new operating system, offers a fresh approach, addressing these issues and providing promising solutions such as eradication of surveillance capitalism with the concept of a self-owned server.
In further detail, I discuss the two core elements of Urbit: its unique operating system and its identity layer, comparing it to current internet protocols and illustrating the advantages it offers. You’ll understand how Urbit is not just another social media platform but a new functioning internet model that facilitates direct, bespoke, and secure user interactions. Whether you’re a programmer or just a curious internet user, this video seeks to unravel the complexities of Urbit and the promise it holds for a better internet.
If you’re even halfway interested in being a full time content creator, this is one of the most valuable lessons you can learn.
Here’s why:
This is a lifetime view of my subscriber count. You can see that it started way back in 2015. I uploaded some videos here and there in 2017 which explains the very slow uptick in subscribers that continued through 2022.
Then, in 2023 (which is circled in purple), you can see that I started uploading videos that were getting me some new subscribers.
But a couple months ago things went bonkers (circled in green).
Obsidian is one of my favorite programs that I use every single day. It helps me keep track of my to-dos, my ideas, things I read, stuff I learn, and everything else goes in my own “digital journal / database.”
The biggest challenge I had with it?
All the files live on my computer, which is great until I want to write a note on my other computer.
We’re so used to using “the cloud” that we assume that it’s ‘just baked in.’ But, when you truly own the data, that’s a problem you get to solve.
And this is the way I solve it.
Additionally, I wanted my information to be more secure than just sitting on my harddrive. I have bank accounts, passwords, and all sorts of juicy information in my database. So, how do I keep it safe?
Encrypt the whole damn thing!
So, in the video I explain how I:
Made my own personal cloud that I can use on all my devices without using anyone else’s computers.
Encrypt the whole thing so it’s secure regardless of what device I use to see the database.
The meta-lesson is how to find solutions that work for you even if it takes a little bit of effort.
If you want to be the first to know about new videos & ideas like this, then I invite you to join my 6-days-a-week email list where I share tips, tricks, and advanced strategies for building your own personal empire.
As you may or may not know, we have a 6 month old kid; our first.
This would be the first time that my wife was away from our daughter. That also meant that this would be the first time I get to keep the baby alive.
All by myself.
Spoiler Alert: it went fine. Mostly.
That kid can scream, man. She had gotten used to A Certain Standard Of Living™ and it is not Bottles By Dad™.
And she let me know.
From 9:30 to 10:30pm. And midnight to 1am. And 2:30 to 3:45.
She’s a fantastic negotiator.
So, when I had a hot second to shoot this video I was tired.
I wasn’t feeling my best. Certainly don’t look my best either. It was late at night after the baby was taking a quick powernap between Parenting Feedback Sessions™ so the lighting is all janky.
And, after looking at the footage, I almost didn’t post it.
I was afraid.
But then, I thought about how one of the lessons that I recorded is to not let fear stop you from doing the things that you know will help the world.
So I went ahead and used it.
And I think it’s pretty dang good. If I didn’t tell you, you may never have thought “Boy, he looks like he’s been taking care of a 6 month old all on his own.”
So go watch the video telling you not to be afraid that I was almost too afraid to post.
You’ll also see why I (who has under 500 YouTube subscribers) still think everyone should start a YouTube channel in 2023. Even if you’re an introvert. Even if you don’t want a big audience. And why I have committed to sharing stories about my time on & off stage, on the road, and in board rooms across the world.
Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education. ~Bertrand Russell
Herman Melville, Ernest Hemmingway, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, Charles Darwin, Leonardo DaVinci, Buckminster Fuller, and thousands of other world-changing minds have something in common:
They’re AutoDidacts.
These are all people who taught themselves whatever skills they were interested in without the benefit of a mentor, or the interference of education.
Too many people misconstrue an education for intelligence, or having a degree with genius. Here’s an incredible autodidact (and personal hero of mine) talking about how the most educated people are often the easiest to fool:
PolyDidact
Personally, I’ve been educated with a mixture of self-directed practice, reading books, attending college, and personal mentors.
I taught myself a lot on my own, then demonstrated skill to people who would become my mentors, and then threw college into the mix. I was fortunate to grow up around some really interesting people who taught me really cool stuff like how to juggle knives when I was 13 years old, hammer nails up my nose at age 15, and eating fire at 18.
Not everybody is as lucky as I am.
Digital Revolution
Until recently, everyone who would be considered an “autodidact” was severely limited in how they could learn. It was either through books (which could be hard to come by), or mentors (who might not live close by).
Nowadays, however, we have access to an incredible resource that’s so incredibly powerful & extensive that you’ll never reach its end; the internet. No matter what topic you want to learn about, you can do a quick search and find detailed tutorials that can walk you through step-by-step. You can listen to Harvard lectures for free.
We are no longer bound by space & time. We can compress decades’ worth of someone else’s hard work into a couple minutes on YouTube.
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants. ~Isaac Newton
Free Your Mind
Too many people think success is locked behind the gates of certificates, stamps of approval, or some other gatekeeper.
Don’t get me wrong; if you’re a brain surgeon, I want you to have the proper education.
Otherwise, I don’t really care.
Use YouTube. Learn via Skype. Read interactive e-books.
Don’t allow yourself to be trapped by the belief you need someone else’s approval to learn what you need to get the life you want.
NeoDidact
This is the term I coined for the people who have already figured out the world has fundamentally changed. They’re bypassing the old ways of learning.
It’s exciting to think about what kind of incredible discoveries, works of art, and advances in human potential is just around the corner. Think about all the amazing accomplishments achieved by the list of people at the top of the article; wonder what they could have done if they had the internet growing up.
