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This will be my 1st 100k sats post on SN

4678 sats \ 26 comments \ @cryotosensei 21 Feb meta

Bold words, Sensei. Do you have the big idea to match?

I believe I do.

The genesis for my idea was planted when I wanted to sell my book called Happy the Hippo. @siggy47 promoted it on his ~BooksandArticles newsletter, @AG promoted it on Nostr & @Design_r volunteered to give me design tips.

Imagine.

We have so much talent here. If we pool our strengths together and embark on a cross-collaboration, we will generate waves in the BTC space.

But what product?

I suggest creating a book of testimonials tentatively titled Creating Content & Stacking Sats on Stacker News. Just use the search button; we already have plenty of testimonials.

Some examples:

My first year on Stacker News by siggy47 (#182682)
Reddit is dead…Long live Stacker News by @benwehrman (#313773)
I stacked 40 thousand sats on Stacker News more than my entire life on Twitter by @piecover (#342757)

We can just use these testimonials. @gnilma and @carlosfandango enlightened me recently that once something is published on the Internet, it should be considered as free-for-all information. Of course, we can do the proper thing and ask the Stackers who have written these testimonials for permission to publish them.

Why testimonials? Because we are wired to remember stories. Stories that create emotional resonance will be more effective calls to action than paid Fountain ads. Especially if we publish these testimonials without heavy editing - they will be truly authentic.

We can invite 15-30 Stackers to publish their testimonials in a book. These testimonials should be of varied lengths and formats to make reading them Exciting. Other Stackers can contribute by coming up with the cover page and illustrations. Once the book is finalised, all Stackers can promote it using their referral link.

We want to create something substantially V4V so that the big companies will take note. When we invest proof of work to come up with something jaw-dropping, we will end up with high impact. Perhaps these big firms will want to advertise with us. Perhaps influential names in the BTC space will want to organise AMAs here. Maybe Michael Saylor will set up his personal blog here.

It sounds like a massive labour of love. But we don’t have to take on such a huge undertaking at once. We can test the market by coming up with a preview comprising 3 testimonials. Use it to generate hype and ascertain interest. Tweak this idea based on audience reactions. Fast iterations help keep the dream alive as we are breaking down a Herculean task into actionable steps.

My two sats’ worth

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138 sats \ 1 reply \ @SwearyDoctor 21 Feb

So, I've edited and published some books before. A few things: How much work it is depends, as you're not writing it, you're collecting; collecting is more managerial work (getting everypone to hand in promised chapters is a PAIN, especially because academics never keep deadlines, while they make students fails for being a minute late...)

The challenge is finding a publisher. Three options: finding a publisher who will do it for the promise of return (only works with authors/editors they know and have delivered returns before, usually, or a really cool idea); finding a publisher who will take payment up front and then ALSO pocket the book profits (on the argument that only a minority of books makes money; this is no longer true, as nowadays, they don't have to print 1000 copies and wait, they just make a pdf and print on demand). Or self-publishing, which in academia is discouraged because of the reputational gain of having a publisher (BS really, but not the subject here).

Then, you have to make sure you get them all on time and do QC: that is, largely, spell-checking, seeing to it that the authors keep the format rules, and sometimes give some suggestions on streamlining arguments etc.

Finally, you have to organize and arrange then chapters in a way that makes sense. Good editors will cross-relate them sometimes by adding cross-references, but this is rare. Then, you write an introduction that sets the frame of the book, outlines the book "thesis" that uhnites it all, and summarizes the chapters.

Off to the publisher it then goes.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 21 Feb

Thank you for treating my idea with such respect and giving of your time and energy to share your experiences!

I feel quite bad. Flushed by my excitement, I didn’t explicitly state the most important aspect of my idea: Publish an e-book.

After all, even kids these days can publish their e-book on the Book Creator website: https://bookcreator.com/. Why not us?

Messari publishes its Crypto Theses as an e-book every year. (https://messari.io/crypto-theses-for-2024)

Initially, I thought we could just use the Search button and surface 15-30 testimonials that Stackers had already left on this site. This will surely cut down on the work of managing authors. But I guess I was too naive. If I push on with this idea, I will ruffle feathers in regards to who gets included n who else gets excluded in the book. Haha

In my 20s, I used to patronise this poetry forum (https://piptalk.com/) a lot. The founder wanted to compile a list of the best poems from us members. So he initiated a submission period in which members could submit their best poets for consideration by other users. Iirc, members had a partial say in deciding which poems made it to the book. He would make the final call as the editor of the book.

Again, this will eliminate the work involved in managing deadlines. Though managing the submission period is gonna be a pain.

I guess it depends on whether enough Stackers believe that there is value in my idea. I do still have my (physical!) copy of the Piptalk book around

69 sats \ 4 replies \ @joda 21 Feb

Why didn't you just say "Let's make a book together!" Instead of "I'm gonna get rich biotch!"

69 sats \ 2 replies \ @wealthcrumb 21 Feb

Would you have read the post if it had that title?

26 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 21 Feb

I think people would read my post. But would they be prompted to comment if not for the click-bait title? I doubt so haha

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @joda 22 Feb

touche

26 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 21 Feb

Well very hard not to pass up on the temptation of using a click-bait title when I know I have a great idea. Haha

At the end of the day, even if this post doesn’t gain traction, I will pick up invaluable tips for my writing

69 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby 21 Feb

Not sure about a book but I love the idea of a series of fountain ads with a prominent stacker quote about SN featured in each one.

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei OP 21 Feb

Ohh thank you for your comment. Was feeling frustrated with Fountain recently because my sats counter never increased despite me qualifying for sats. This has happened 3 times already.

https://m.stacker.news/17050

Due to your comment, I decided to give Fountain another go and voila! 9 sats per minute this time round. Listening to a podcast right now haha

Thanks again

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 22 Feb

Still not as good as the early days of fountain but rewards have been a bit better recently.

69 sats \ 1 reply \ @doofus 21 Feb

I think it’s a great idea!

4 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 21 Feb

Me too!

69 sats \ 2 replies \ @Malachi17 21 Feb

We can just use these testimonials. @gnilma and @carlosfandango enlightened me recently that once something is published on the Internet, it should be considered as free-for-all information.

Is the same true for what is published in a newspaper? Why would the internet be different?

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei OP 21 Feb

Thank you for your inputs. I did cover my ass by saying: Of course, we can do the proper thing and ask the Stackers who have written these testimonials for permission to publish them.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Malachi17 21 Feb

I noticed that you had done that, but wanted to bring the point into focus anyway.

69 sats \ 5 replies \ @kakocuro 21 Feb

I don't get it. Why would anybody want to read testimonials from forum site?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 21 Feb

Well because I think people are always looking out to increase their accumulation of sats. I have 9 referees this month - and I wasn’t trying very hard.

https://m.stacker.news/17046

I have another example. Simple Bitcoin, which allows people to gain a few pettt sats by reading articles, netted me 15 referees:

https://m.stacker.news/17047

I believe that people would read testimonials because they are looking for a reason to Stick Around and keep using SN so that they will reap rewards one day. I haven’t looked at this yet but when I lack motivation to persevere, I know I can derive some positive energy from How Siggy47 Stacked Over 500k Sats: https://www.stacksats.how/guides/how-siggy47-stacked-over-500-000-sats

0 sats \ 3 replies \ @SwearyDoctor 21 Feb

because it?s neatly packaged and you don?t have to go look, because boomers like dead trees under the shade of a lamp (and even millenials too, sometimes), because a book can be parked on a shelf where guests can find it, because it has an order and a sequence to it that the forum entries are lacking...

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Fabs 21 Feb

The question is: why would someone care about it in the first place?

There's a long list of books I'd rather read.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @SwearyDoctor 21 Feb

I mean, I have a thousand books and read maybe 250 of them. Never underestimate the impulse "I'll buy it and get to it", and then there's the "I'll put it on my shelf to have guests start conversations" impulse

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs 21 Feb

I don't think it'll be fruitful, but y'all do whatever you want.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @OriginalSize 21 Feb

It's a great idea. The story in my bio is from a book of gold rush testimonials. I don't think the stories have to be 170 years old to be interesting.

69 sats \ 3 replies \ @Fabs 21 Feb

Testimonials of some rando's from some niche-site will create waves so mighty-fine great, that companies and even Michael Saylor himself will chime in?

Doubt it.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 21 Feb

Yup I’m a compulsive optimist haha

I don’t see Stacker News as a niche site, though. I see it as the go-to place where companies come here to give a shoutout when they wanna expand their social media presence. Apollo, Lightsats, Jippi, among others have come here. I guess the next step is to make SN so attractive that we have more companies like @Alby that cultivate their presence here.

I think a book of testimonials has value and will help us achieve this more efficiently

https://m.stacker.news/17051

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @joda 21 Feb

Yeah let's publish a book of quotes from the Honda Civic fan club forum, then everyone will see the light and convert all their dirty fiat dollars into sweet sweet Civics!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs 21 Feb

I mean I'm not looking to bash him for his initiative, but 'd at least tune the expectations in regards to the results down a bit...