38 episodes
How I Write David Perell
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- Education
How I Write is about helping you find what works best for your own writing. You can read what an author writes anywhere, but only on this show will you hear how they write. This show isn’t just about methods and styles, though. It’s also about what it means to be a writer today. How can you earn a living? What about building an audience? Should you use GPT? How I Write is your compass for navigating these changes. It’s a show by writers, for writers, built for the age of the Internet.
New episodes of the How I Write show go live every week on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.com/DavidPerellChannel.
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Sam Corcos: How Writing Helped This CEO Build a $300m+ Company
This is business writing like you’ve never seen it before.
Sam Corcos is the founder of a $300 million company called Levels. He’s built a culture of intellectual rigor by hiring excellent writers and giving them time to think on paper. But don’t get it twisted — a successful “writing-first work culture” is far more than grammatically correct Slack messages and the occasional memo.
“95% of people would not be happy working in the culture that we’ve built. And the 5% who would be have been looking for this their entire lives.” – Sam
In this episode, we go deep (and I mean, deep) into what makes business writing work. Sam reveals how to use writing to:
Create strategic memos
Solve specific problems
Make better decisions
And work twice as fast.
If you’re interested in learning how to use writing to scale businesses, this one’s for you.
SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: http://corcos.io/
Company: https://www.levelshealth.com/
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/samcorcos
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcorcos
WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?
Click here: https://writeofpassage.com/
PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
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Paul Millerd: Why Writing Is The Path For Self Discovery
“I’m not writing for you.”
This was Paul’s response to a scathing critique that came early in his writing career. Since then, Paul’s book, The Pathless Path, has sold over 50,000 copies and has spurred thousands of writers to forge their own path forward — scathing critiques and all.
Writing isn’t about building the biggest readership possible. It’s about connecting with the readers who care. It’s about broadcasting a signal for the kinds of people you want to attract. And in this episode, you’ll learn how to find these people.
Paul shares his story from corporate cog to free-spirited wanderer, from blogger to author, from intellectual loner to leader of a thousands-strong community. Flow. Space. Surprise. The joy of finding out. These are just a few phrases Paul uses to describe how he writes.
So, what about you? Who are you writing for? If you’re ready to write with a heart on fire and find the people who care, this episode is for you.
SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://pmillerd.com
Twitter: https://x.com/p_millerd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pathlesspaul
Substack: https://substack.com/@paulmillerd
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmillerd/
Book: https://amzn.to/4aBxEUZ
WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?
https://writeofpassage.com
PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
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Steph Smith: How to Make Your Writing Stand Out
There is an intrinsic interestingness inside of you. But, you’re probably suppressing it. Welcome to 96-minutes of learning how to use your interestingness to stand out online.
Speaking of standing out, Steph Smith:
Hosts a16z, a top five technology podcast
Taught herself to code and launched multiple websites that hit #1 on Product Hunt
Sold over $220k in her book launch for Doing Content Right
Grew The Hustle’s Trends product to millions
And led HubSpot’s Creator Program.
(Safe to say that she knows what she’s talking about.) And now, Steph reveals everything she’s learned about creating unforgettable work on the Internet.
Millions of people mirror what you do — your job, hobbies, routines — but how you do it is another story. Come learn how to follow your compass of interestingness and stand out online.
SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://stephsmith.io/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio
Blog: https://blog.stephsmith.io/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniesmith93
WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?
Click here: https://writeofpassage.com
PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.school/how-i-write/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
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Brie Wolfson: How Writing Builds Billion-Dollar Companies | How I Write Podcast
Writing is thinking, which means it’s like lighter fluid for business growth.
Brie has played major roles at writing-rich companies like Stripe, and her expertise on writing-first culture is now used by giants like Amazon and Basecamp.
As she says: “Reality has a surprising amount of detail.” Writing illuminates all the interesting details worth pursuing. And as a result, companies who prioritize writing operate with impressive speed, intention, and rigor.
In this episode, Brie shares years of hard-won wisdom to expose how great writing sets companies apart. She explores the balance of writing vs. taking action; she breaks down the editing process better than a modern-day Maxwell Perkins; and she sheds light on the secret to great writing: your zone of obsession.
If you want to learn how to do the best writing of your life, and grow your company while you’re at it, this episode is for you.
SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://www.briewolfson.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zebriez
Stripe Press: https://press.stripe.com/
WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?
Click here: https://writeofpassage.com/
PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
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10 Lessons from the Best Writer in Tech | Paul Graham | How I Write Podcast
Paul Graham is one of the most successful writers and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.
Sure, he sold a company to Yahoo and co-founded Y Combinator, which has created hundreds of billions of dollars in value. But more than that, Paul is a renowned essayist and his thoughts on what makes good writing are worth paying attention to.
So, how has writing led to Paul Graham's success? I've deconstructed 11 of his best lessons and we're going to go through them one by one. Ultimately, you’ll learn the writing secrets behind this mega-successful investor, how he engages and delights his audience, and how you can, too.
Also, if you listen until the end, I have an unreleased goodie in here about what Sam Altman learned from Paul Graham. And I'm not going to share that anywhere else.
LINKS FOR PAUL GRAHAM:
Website: https://www.paulgraham.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulg
Book: https://www.paulgraham.com/books.html
WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?
Click here: https://writeofpassage.com/
PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
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Neil Strauss: Writing With Brutal Honesty | How I Write Podcast
Neil writes about all the icky, taboo things you’re not supposed to say out loud. As the author of ten New York Times Bestselling books, he’s built his career on getting celebrities like Rick Rubin, Kevin Hart, and Jenna Jameson to open up in a way that most writers are too afraid to do.
But don’t get it twisted — “being vulnerable” doesn’t mean “word-vomit your deepest, darkest secrets to the world.” It means sharing who you truly are in a way that’s interesting to other people.
In this episode, Neil reveals how to be vulnerable in your work, the right way. He breaks down story structures that hook your reader. He reveals how to cultivate your life to support your writing. And he shows you how to say things in public that most people would be too scared to share with their closest friends.
If you’re scared of sharing your work in public, this episode is for you. Come learn how to synthesize your vulnerability in a way that resonates with other people.
SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://www.neilstrauss.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/neilstrauss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neil_strauss
Books: https://www.amazon.com/Neil-Strauss/e/B001H6NT1I
WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?
Click here: https://writeofpassage.com/enroll
PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.school/how-i-write/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices