For years, I couldn't have told you what energized me at work. The days just blurred together… until I burned out. That's why I built the Alignment Quiz. It shows how aligned your work is with how you're wired. Take it when you have 5 quiet minutes: shawnhesketh.com/alignment-q…

Ollie AI is here! We're doing things a little different (as usual). Instead of a bulky AI thing that aims to do everything, we're taking a more measured approach by layering AI into the features you already love. High-caliber design 🤝 AI superpowers

The most expensive sentence in your business might be: “I can do that, too.” As a founder, I wore too many hats for more than two decades. I didn't see what it was really costing me... until I burned out. One question could have prevented that: shawnhesketh.com/wearing-too…

Educators & course creators 👋 Online education is evolving fast. I’m running a 5-minute survey to understand what’s actually happening on the ground. If you’ve ever: • launched a course • taught online • built learning experiences Your input matters. You’ll also get the 2026 State of Online Education Report when it’s released. Take the survey → lifterlms.com/state-of-onlin…

My good friend and big brain @kathyzant is hosting a webinar on security and AI for small businesses. "Small Business Security in the Age of AI" is on March 12th at 1pm EST. Don't miss it, you can register at streamyard.com/watch/8uJsMDz…

Happy birthday to the one and only @kathyzant! If you know her, I don’t have to tell you how brilliant, caring, and inspiring she is. If you don’t know her yet, you should follow her right now. She’s the real deal. Hope you’re feeling well-loved, admired, and celebrated today, Kathy!

Well, that was one of the most exhilarating and terrifying things I’ve ever seen. Unbelievable. Way to go, @AlexHonnold!

These first few days of the New Year are when most people look to tap into that extra burst of #motivation — only to watch it fade by February. But what if I told you that true motivation is not just some temporary feeling that comes and goes on a whim? Your motivations are hard-wired and ever-present anytime you need them. Want different results? Identify your unique motivational DNA. Here's how... shawnhesketh.com/motivation-…

Introducing Varchive, a showcase for AI-assisted builds, inspiration, and how-tos. ⤷ varchive.ai Built by yours truly and Adam Spooner with assistance from Cursor & Codex. Product submissions are now open!

Hey friends, I've got a little gift for you. If you're seeing this, I want you to take the MCode today... for free. Why? Because I believe it’ll help you understand what makes you tick—why certain activities light you up while others completely drain you. You’ll find the threads that have run through every meaningful moment in your life—so you can do more of what energizes you and less of what doesn’t. I know. You've taken assessments before. Here's the thing... Most assessments only reveal your personality traits or even your strengths. They don't tell you WHY. MCode goes much deeper—it uncovers your unique motivational pattern that creates satisfaction, purpose, and meaning. Then it gives you a roadmap to align your work, relationships, and goals with what energizes you most. If you... • feel like your work is burning you out, • need more purpose and energy in your work or relationships, • want to understand what motivates you in a clear, confident way, • or simply need language for what makes you tick... Here's your invite to take the MCode—on me! 🎁 Use coupon code: FRIENDSOFSHAWN 💯 Get your MCode Lite report for FREE 👉 Start here: motivationcode.com/pricing/

Grateful for the freedom to vote. I'll never take this privilege and responsibility for granted.

I've been making and selling online courses for 8 years now. I was supposed to be making Build With Bricks 2.0, another big-ass course from scratch. Problem is, I've been dreading it. So today I launched something completely different. Here's why 🧵

Remember when the #1 reason people cited for choosing WordPress over other platforms was, “Ease of use”? For many years, it was the top reason given in responses to the annual WordPress user survey. Those were the days, huh?

A great read about narrative warfare — the very real, highly sophisticated, and ongoing battle for your attention and beliefs. open.substack.com/pub/aladde…

“Solving for delight is the only way I know to successfully transform product value from ‘need to’ or ‘have to’ to ‘want to’ when consumers can choose the software they use.” Chiefly Design issue № 01 by @cameronmoll out now: “Delight vs. Delightful” open.substack.com/pub/chiefl…

I’ve been using Apple products since my first Mac in 1989. So imagine my surprise when Apple decided to release a special iPhone just for me, in my all-time favorite color, perfectly matching the rest of my EDC, just to say, “Thanks, Shawn!” 😁

I created the course I wish existed 10 years ago remkusdevries.com/i-created-…

Okay, @RocketDotNet, I'm impressed. I've never had a perfect page speed score... until now. Thrilled with the speedy, hassle-free migration, too. Now I see what all the fuss is about, @xojessfrick, @corymiller303, and @KJRichards!