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htb issue 00023 .. 0925.99 .. distribution: 713+
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Hello. Remember me? My name is Michal Wallace, and this is the twenty third issue of a newsletter that I write just for fun. It's called Hacking the Buddha, and it's about computers, and self improvement, and - I hope - making a difference in the world. I haven't written one of these in almost a year, and this is the last issue I ever intend to write.
I'll keep it short.
On August 20th of this year, I celebrated my twenty third birthday and my last day of work with a fantastic web and intranet development company. I'd joined almost two years before, wanting to gain some skill building web based programs. I left because I was ready to build something on my own.
I wanted to turn my self-improvement website, manifestation.com - of which this newsletter is a part, into a huge commercial venture. Cash in on the twenty-three-year-old, multi-millionaire, web-CEO craze that seems to be all the rage in Silicon Valley. Lots of articles and interactive content. Sell advertising. Have an IPO. All that.
A month later, I've read a lot of books, fiddled around with a business plan. Thought about the code I've got to write. Realized I haven't really done much at all. Realized I didn't really want to.
I'm kind of burnt out on the whole "self improvement" scene. There's a lot of potential there. Lots of good stuff in trainings and audiotapes and books. But there's also a whole lot of wackos pretending, too. People making their living giving out answers to life's problems, when their own lives are littered with horrible personal relationships, vices of ever size and shape, lies, and scandal. And these are just some of the people I've met.
I'm also real burnt out on sitting in front of a computer all day. I used to love programming. Lately it's lost its appeal: I get bored doing stuff that has no impact on the rest of the world. I want to make a difference in people's lives, not just corporate bank accounts.
Maybe there's a reason combining the two into a grand entrepreneurial vision didn't work out too well.
Back to the drawing board: I want to help people reach their goals. I want to build a website and have fun with it.
I want to make a difference.
So here's the deal:
I'm gonna build this really cool web based self help "Life Coach". It'll help you set and reach goals, help you organize your time, help you strengthen your relationships with the people in your life. It'll help you make a change.
You (yeah, you!) are gonna pay a few bucks a month for it, get all your friends to do the same. I'm going to collect that money and give as much as I can to charity, scholarships, and grants for people who are out there making the world a better place. Even let you vote on which ones should get the money. Help the whole country make a change.
I'm a big fan of the notion that things ought to be simple. So let me make this clear: I'm going to start a business where I help people change their lives while we all band together to make a real difference in the world.
I think that's pretty simple. I think people will like that idea. You like it, don't you? Would you join up? For, say, $7.95 or so a month? If you did, and a million others did too. Where would you want that money to go? What do you want to change in the world?
I'm asking for help here. Ideas, encouragement, feedback, support. A "heck yeah, I'd do that!" or two. I'm looking for people to beta-test the software, which I've already started. I'm looking for whatever's going through your mind right now, even if... especially if we've not met yet. What do you say?
Thanks for reading,
PS.This was this last issue of HTB. It was pretty much dead anyway. I intend to start another newsletter with interviews and profiles of cool people, as well as information on the progress of manifestation.com .. I'm not sure what I'll call it yet, so for now, if you want to subscribe, just go to the same old place.
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