The Most Impactful Don't Just Create Opportunities, They Follow Conviction
10 thoughts, ideas & creative finds on on trusting your path, refining your lens, and building what the world hasn’t caught up to yet.
🔥 CHECK OUT THE APPAREL - CLICK HERE
New here? Click HERE for why I write weekly letters & essays.
Need to catch up?
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
The Rundown 28: Substance is the Signal in a Noisy World
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 trusting the lane that was made for you — Trust your lane. If you were given a vision… a blueprint… a burden to build something specific… then it’s your responsibility to stay faithful to it — even when there’s no spotlight, no validation, no guarantee of speed.” (—Matt Gottesman) — We’re living in a time where visibility is mistaken for progress. The world will try to pull you into faster lanes — paths that look more proven, more public, more polished. But not every lane is meant for you to run. Faithfulness to your calling will always look slower on the outside… but that’s because it’s building something deeper on the inside. It’s not your job to chase the spotlight. It’s your job to carry the blueprint you were given — and trust that the right harvest always follows obedience.
On trusting your gut as the ultimate strategist — “The gut is what decides. The head is kinda what rationalizes it afterwards... The gut is refined judgment.." (—Naval Ravikant on Modern Wisdom Podcast) — In a world obsessed with data, logic, and rationalization, it’s easy to forget that your gut isn’t just intuition — it’s intelligence, refined over time. It’s a quiet knowing shaped by your lived experiences, patterns you’ve internalized, and truths you can’t always explain but deeply understand. Naval reminds us that your mind can weigh options, but your gut makes the call. Especially with hard decisions — the ones that require soul, not spreadsheets. The more you live, build, and create, the faster your instincts sharpen. And once they’re formed, trust them. Because going against your gut might win the argument… but lose the alignment.
On the simplest things having the biggest impact — “In a world racing to innovate, sometimes the biggest opportunities live in the quietest ideas.” (—Matt Gottesman) — Vinay Menda and Isam Freyja didn’t try to out-coffee Starbucks — they simply reimagined what a coffee experience could be: smaller, faster, more intentional. A few electric carts, an app, and a strategy that blended specialty quality with operational precision. What looks simple on the surface was built with brutal clarity underneath. It’s a reminder that you don’t need a revolutionary idea — just a sharp lens, strong execution, and the courage to rethink what others take for granted. (video via @theventure on Instagram)
On building something people can belong to — "Every athlete becomes their own media channel. Founder led, format first, content powered, and built to make snowboarding, like, really watchable." (—Tatum Brandt) — What Shaun White just did with Snow League isn’t just a format shift — it’s a paradigm shift. Legacy sports weren’t built for athletes, fans, or creators. This one is. It flips the model: athletes become the media, fans get access, and content becomes the currency. It’s Drive to Survive energy meets direct distribution. Personality, stakes, storytelling — all built in. It’s not just about snowboarding anymore. It’s about designing a league people feel part of — not just tune into.
On how you present your gifts to the world — “Your gift isn’t just what you do, it’s how you do it.” — In a recent podcast I talked about our presence speaking for itself, how our energy you carry when you create, build, or serve is just part of your offering, how both execution and embodiment are equally important, why people come to you for your skill but stay because of how you deliver it and more — My latest podcast on this can be found here (APPLE, SPOTIFY)
On remembering why you started — "The plateau is not telling you to stop. It’s asking you why you started." (—Jack Butcher) — Most people mistake the plateau for failure. But the plateau is sacred. It’s the space between early momentum and real mastery. It’s where results stall — not because you're doing it wrong, but because you're being invited to deepen your why. To ask: Did I start this to be seen? Or did I start because I believed in the work itself? Consistency without clarity burns you out. But consistency with conviction? That’s what builds legacy. Don’t quit when things get quiet — that’s when the most important work begins.
On living life on your own terms — “You're gonna find a lot of fulfillment out of life by just doing what you want to do… not what others expect of you” (—Naval Ravikant) — This isn’t about rebellion. It’s about reconnection. Naval’s reminder isn’t a permission slip to be reckless — it’s a call to be real. The more time you spend building things that please everyone else, the further you drift from the life you're actually meant to live. The irony? The people we admire most are the ones who had the courage to be unapologetically themselves. To say no when it didn’t align. To go inward when everyone else said “go faster.” The world doesn’t need more conformers. It needs more people living so honestly that it reminds the rest of us what alignment actually looks like.
On having the belief before you have the abilities — “Elon didn’t wait for permission. When Russia laughed him out of the room, he didn’t lower his vision — he raised his standards. He realized no one was coming to hand him the blueprint… so he built one.” (—David Senra) — That’s the paradox most people miss: ability doesn’t give you belief — belief gives you the ability to begin.
Before success, before results, before proof — there’s conviction. And while the world waits for evidence, visionaries move with intention. Believe first. Build second. That’s how ideas launch.
On thinking differently when the rules don’t serve you — “They were told it was illegal to put up posters… so they started cleaning the streets with stencils.” (—via ExcelBranding on IG) — That’s what I call strategy born from soul and constraint. Most would’ve accepted the limitation. These creators turned it into leverage. No budget? No problem. No permission? Find a smarter way. When you’re rooted in purpose, creativity isn’t optional — it’s necessary. And the best ideas aren’t always loud or expensive… they’re precise, aligned, and unforgettable. Don’t fight the system. Out-think it.
Playlist — Chill House Music Mix & Outdoor Cooking In Nature — Another great playlist from Flavour Trip on YouTube @flavourtrip of Chill House to work to… great for creating, designing, writing, computer work.
The Most Impactful Don't Just Create Opportunities, They Follow Conviction…
They trust the lane they were given, even when it’s quiet.
They move before the world claps, because clarity always comes before validation.
This week reminded me:
— You don’t need everyone to get it.
— You don’t need all the proof up front.
— You don’t even need a perfect plan.
You just need the courage to keep listening to what’s been placed inside you — and the discipline to build like it’s already working.
The world will catch up.
But your alignment can’t wait.
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. ↙️
🔐 Consider becoming a paid subscriber…
My Substack is a “reader supported” publication. Please consider becoming a “paid subscriber” which will give you access to 1.) exclusive subscriber-only content, 2.) podcast episodes, 3.) membership in a creative community, 4.) access to our private community chat feature, 5.) Q&A’s & LIVEs, 6.) Quarterly workshops, and 7.) early access & discounts to books, apparel, events, workshops & more.
I am truly grateful for you supporting my journey while I support yours.
Not a reader? Follow along below:
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign Up
Connect With Me…
☼ Podcast
☼ Apparel
☼ Text Me
☼ Instagram
☼ Twitter
In the meantime, tell your friends!
Proud. Inspired. Grateful. 🩶
I love what you say about "trusting your gut as the ultimate strategist." I'm an emerging manager in venture, and a large portion of the job is about developing your conviction and refined judgement. It's about having taste and developing your point of view around investing and around people. I'm learning more and more each day about trusting my gut!
I appreciated this read and the way you mix media in with your writing!