Backend SQL and PHP developer with an infusion of technical writing and entrepreneurial dreams. Working towards paving my own way in the creator economy with lessons learned and more importantly, those yet still to come.
What is a Techpreneur?
Some housekeeping.
I originally had 2 different forms for this email list before re-branding it to the current iteration. If you signed up here or here and no longer wish to receive these emails, please opt out at the bottom of this newsletter. No hard feelings at all.
Um, I know what you are thinking.
Is Techpreneur even a word?
Apparently, it is a word. Although I didn't know that (or what it meant) when I first had the idea for this newsletter.
(There I go, trying to be all original and stuff. π)
So what is a Techpreneur?
This is how I think of and define a Techpreneur, in my context.
A Techpreneur is someone (like me) who uses programming and code, no-code solutions, and existing technologies in order to gain:
- Financial freedom
- Location-independent work
- Creative expressiveness
Here is a solid definition I found online in the article, Technopreneurship: New Breed of Entrepreneurship:
"techpreneurs are entrepreneurs who start and manage their own technology business"
I like the sound of "Company of One" (from the book by Paul Jarvis) way better. And, that is very well my goal instead of some massive business or corporation. I want to stay small and not deal with or manage several employees.
Essentially my goals as a Techpreneur Developer are:
- Be my own boss.
- Working on those projects I find meaningful and rewarding.
- Own my time.
In fact, this concept I have envisioned for myself is nothing new.
You may actually recognize it as any of the below (but not limited to) common names in the online digital landscape and tech world π:
- Web developer
- Freelance writer
- Digital nomad
- Email marketer
- Micro-SaaS founder
- WordPress professional
- And many, many others
I most certainly am not the first person to work towards such a goal.
Nor will I be the last.
In the next several emails, I'll shed some light on why I'm beginning to now share my journey as a self-branded Techpreneur Developer (I think I've finally discovered this is what I want).
I'm also trying the "Build in public" approach and plan on being as transparent about my path as possible.
The fact of the matter is, I have no idea what I'm doing.π‘
And I'm okay with admitting that. We all have to start and learn from somewhere.
In the meantime, I'll leave you with these 3 links to sources I've read this week and learned something from:
- β5 Reasons No One is Reading Your Contentβ
- βThe Future of Substackβ
- βHow I Got Happier & More Productive: Actionable Tips for Busy WordPress Entrepreneursβ
(Cover photo credits: Image by πMORE ON π https://melovess.com π from Pixabay)
Hi! I'm Joshua Otwell.
Backend SQL and PHP developer with an infusion of technical writing and entrepreneurial dreams. Working towards paving my own way in the creator economy with lessons learned and more importantly, those yet still to come.
Read in browser I've noticed an interesting metric that I believe deserves some attention (from me at least). In 4+ years of weekly blogging on my Digital Owl's Prose developer blog, I have approximately 180 readers who receive an email every time I publish an article. To be fair, this isn't necessarily the same thing as an email list but, is instead a WordPress(dot)com thing. However, in 6+ months of publishing my weekly OpenLampTech Substack newsletter, I have amassed approximately 132 (at...
Some housekeeping. I originally had 2 different forms for this email list before re-branding it to the current iteration. If you signed up here or here and no longer wish to receive these emails, please opt out at the bottom of this newsletter. No hard feelings at all. Read in browser I notice 2 specific skills that have stuck with me over the last couple of years that are intertwined together: Writing Programming and Code Writing about programming and code Oops. Yeah, I know. That's 3...
Some housekeeping. I originally had 2 different forms for this email list before re-branding it to the current iteration. If you signed up here or here and no longer wish to receive these emails, please opt out at the bottom of this newsletter. No hard feelings at all. I believe goal setting is essential in order to track progress or regression. My short-term goal is to consistently make $50/month combined from any of my side hustles. Seems reasonable right? Not too overly ambitious. I'll...