Substance is the Signal in a Noisy World
10 thoughts, ideas & creative finds on building with clarity, creating with conviction, and standing out through depth, not volume.
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The Rundown 25: The Most Powerful Choice You’ll Ever Make Isn’t Between Success & Failure… But Conformity & Authenticity
The Rundown 26: Your Greatest Advantage Isn’t What You Make, It’s Who You Are
The Rundown 27: The Game Isn’t Speed… It’s Depth
Hey Everyone,
Before I begin this week’s Rundown…
**I’m currently developing an All-in-One Notion Dashboard to help you streamline your creativity, productivity and income — so you can manage the technical, creative and financial aspect of your work easier. it's not just another project management tool or content calendar, but a complete operating system for the modern creative professional who needs to be both artistically fulfilled and commercially successful. You can join the waitlist here.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program…
The Rundown — Here’s what I found over the course of this week that has helped me, inspired me or gave me some creative pushes…
On taste being the new currency — "In this new era, success won’t be measured by volume, but by the clarity of your signal… foundation of an economy where taste – not just technical skill or production capacity – becomes the most valuable currency. This isn't a passive trend — it's an invitation… to slow down, refine your inputs, and honor what truly resonates… to become a curator of your own experience, rather than a consumer of someone else's algorithm. (—Matt Gottesman) — We’re moving into a creator economy that values discernment over noise. Where your perspective — not your productivity — becomes the differentiator. The future won’t belong to those who can post the most, but to those who craft with clarity, filter with intention, and design with depth. Taste isn’t about aesthetic alone — it’s your ability to recognize what’s worth amplifying. What stands out. What lasts. The more you trust your lens, the more magnetic your work becomes. In a world built on curation, your signal becomes your edge. »READ THE ESSAY ON TASTE HERE«
On escaping competition through authenticity — "Find what feels like play to you, but looks like work to others. So it looks like work to them, but to you, it feels like play. It's not work. So you're gonna out compete them because you're doing it effortlessly… You escape competition through authenticity and by being your own self." (—Naval Ravikant video via @designedbystellar) — When you find the work that feels like play — the thing that energizes you, even when no one’s watching — you automatically pull away from the pack. Not because you’re louder, faster, or better — but because no one else can compete with your lived experience and unique lens. The moment you stop trying to be seen and start simply being seen as yourself, the game shifts. Competition becomes irrelevant when the niche… is you.
On curation being the future of influence — “The actual influence is rooted in taste, not in volume… Taste is the new trust.” (—Sam Ogborn) — We’ve reached a turning point in the digital space. People aren’t overwhelmed by content itself — they’re exhausted by the endless sifting. The scroll has lost its novelty. Now, value lies in what’s chosen — not just what’s created. Sam nails the shift: in a saturated world, curators become signal-makers. They're not just posting, they're filtering the noise, aligning with relevance, and delivering resonance. That’s real influence. The question isn’t, “Can I go viral?” — it’s “Will I be chosen?” And being chosen requires taste, not tricks. Presence, not performance. Selection, not scale. In many ways, The Rundown is a living example of this — a weekly exercise in choosing what matters most, not what simply makes the most noise. Because in this new digital economy, curation is clarity — and clarity is a superpower.
On selling stories, not just products — "Products inform, but stories inspire. Products sell benefits, but stories sell beliefs. Businesses sell products, but brands sell stories." (—Jeevan, Advertigo Design) — This hits at the heart of modern entrepreneurship. Selling a product is about what it does — features, specs, performance. But telling a story? That’s about how it makes people feel. One builds awareness. The other builds belonging. The more saturated the market becomes, the less people are looking for utility (although important) — they’re searching for resonance, for meaning, for something they can connect with and carry. A commodity gets bought. A story gets remembered. So if you’re building something that matters, don’t just list what it is. Show them what it means. Stories create loyalty, and loyalty is the rarest currency in the digital world.
On honoring the evolution of your work — “What you make today, isn’t what you return to tomorrow.” — In a recent podcast I talked about how our relationship with our creations constantly evolves, how clinging to past versions of our work limits current potential, releasing perfectionism, using time as part of our creative process, how embracing constant states of change deepen our authentic work, the continuous cycle of creation, reflection and renewal and more — My latest podcast on this can be found here (APPLE, SPOTIFY)
On trading status for substance — "The status games are inherently limited… they’re always combative. Wealth creation games, on the other hand, are positive-sum — they create real value and real returns.”." (—Naval Ravikant) — Naval reminds us that status is a zero-sum game — it depends on comparison, competition, and climbing someone else's invisible ladder. But wealth creation? That’s different. It’s collaborative. Expansive. You’re not fighting — you’re building. You don’t need to beat anyone to create something that moves the needle for your life and the lives of others. Status feeds ego. Wealth (when rooted in value) feeds freedom. One is loud. The other is legacy. So ask yourself — are you chasing validation or building value? Are you measuring worth by perception… or by impact? There’s never been a better time to build something real — but it will require you to play a different game entirely.
On mastering presence as your greatest advantage — “Most people live in fear because we project the past into the future… Michael is a mystic. He was never anywhere else.” (—via David Senra, Founders Podcast) — The real edge isn't talent — it's presence. Jordan’s greatness wasn’t just physical — it was mental, spiritual. He wasn’t focused on outcomes, approval, or hypothetical failure. He was locked into now. Most of us get caught in loops — replaying what happened, worrying about what might happen — and we miss the only thing that ever really matters: what’s happening right now. That’s the difference between momentum and hesitation. Between fear and flow. Between potential and power. Presence isn’t just a mindset — it’s a strategy. It’s the decision to trust the moment over the memory… and over the fear. Why fear a shot you haven’t even taken yet?
On loving the craft more than the outcome — “To be able to touch the ball perfectly once, you need to have touched it a hundred thousand times in training… If you don’t love it, you won’t do it all the time. And if you don’t do it a lot, you’ll never master it.” (—Johan Cruyff: A Life of Total Football via Founders Podcast) — Passion isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s the prerequisite for mastery. The best aren’t just talented — they’re obsessed. They fall in love with the rhythm of repetition, the subtleties of improvement, the art of showing up whether or not anyone is watching. Cruyff reminds us: you can’t fake this. There’s always someone out there who does love it, and if you don’t, they’ll pass you. Mastery isn’t born from pressure — it’s born from play. From joy. From that inner pull that keeps you coming back long after the novelty fades. So find the work that feels like play — because that’s the only kind worth doing for a lifetime.
On staying calm while others chase chaos — “Napoleon’s definition of a military genius was ‘The man who can do the average thing when everyone else around him is losing his mind.’” (—via @morganhousel) — Most people think mastery requires bold moves or dramatic reactions. But true strength lies in steadiness — in doing the right thing when it’s hardest to do so. The same is true in investing, creativity, business, and leadership. Your edge isn’t found in noise, speed, or spectacle — it’s found in your ability to remain rooted in truth when everyone else is chasing trends. When the world gets chaotic, those who stay calm create clarity. And clarity always wins in the long run.
Playlist — Chillout Afterwork Lounge Set | Relaxing Sunset Dinnerr Playlist — Another great playlist from Flavour Trip on YouTube @flavourtrip of Chill House to work to… great for creating, designing, writing, computer work.
Substance is the Signal in a Noisy World…
In a world addicted to noise, the rarest asset is clarity.
Not louder. Not faster. Not more.
But deeper. Truer. More intentional.
Real influence comes from people who lead with taste, tell stories that matter, and show up not to impress — but to express what’s true to them.
They’re not trying to keep up.
They’re tuned in.
Presence is their strategy. Authenticity is their edge.
Substance is their signal.
So whether you're designing a product, sharing your voice, refining your art, or iterating on your mission — remember this:
What you make today will evolve.
What you value will shape what you attract.
And who you become while creating will always be more important than what you create.
The niche is you.
Until next week,
– Matt
P.S. If you found value in this week's insights, consider sharing this post with someone who might need this reminder about the power of individuality. ↙️
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A fantastic written dyasporitic fandom of the progressive Matt Gottesman. Led with a blanket and forwarn against a problematic base (jump) to the grounded youth again.
Сцчоска цук сасчка! (As they say in Minsk) The good will out. {Idiom}
- Rich