Afterward

What do I do now?

I’ve been asking myself that question every day for the last week. I made 30×30 public when I shared it with my 300-some Facebook friends last Friday, and at the time I was desperately hoping that maybe half of them would read it. My goal was 1,000 views by the end of the month and a little feedback from my friends — just enough to reassure myself that I’m not a total hack. 1,000 would be nice, I remember thinking, but how will I get that many?

Less than a week later, the30x30.com has over 800,000 views. I’ll try to get it to at least a million, sooner or later, even if I have to start begging people on the street… 1,000,000 is just too awesome of a number to give up without a fight. So hopefully I’ll make that happen. How? I’m not quite sure yet.

But I’m writing this afterward mostly to tell you what won’t happen. First, this site won’t be monetized. When I started writing 30×30, I thought about trying to get it published, or selling it somehow. But long before I put 30×30 on this site, I decided that it would be totally absurd to charge anyone for my unsolicited, unprofessional advice. I only wanted to write and be read, and this site serves that function quite well. That’s why there are no pictures or flashy design elements, and why there won’t be loud, distracting ads running up and down the site. I’ve designed this to be a quiet place to read and think, and it’ll stay that way.

30×30 will also not become a blog. I wrote it as a very short book, and like the design and layout of the site, it’ll stay that way, too. I’m sure I could create some scheme to turn this into 100×30, or blog once a day about themes in the preceding chapters.  But that would just be a ploy to keep your attention, and if you’re half as smart as I think you are, you’ll smell that greed on me like cheap cologne, and whatever respect you had for me and this site will surely wane the longer you stick around. Nope… I don’t want that. This book is finished, for better or for worse. I’ve said what I want to say, for now, and it’s time to get off the stage. I just have to hope that more people will discover 30×30, or that you’ll be inspired to read it again.

One more thing: Thank you. Even a week into this site’s existence, this has been a crazy, enjoyable, validating trip for me. I’ve tried to thank everyone who has commented on the site, shared 30×30 within their social media circles, or contacted me directly. I’m sure I’ve missed quite a few of you, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. I appreciate your feedback, good or bad, and the time you’ve taken to read and share 30×30. That’s a big deal, at least for me, so thanks.

Yours,

Ian Mathias
May 17, 2012