#165 The Lesson Learned from OTF

Welcome back to OTF, where I, Prof Mike, wanted to quickly address you all one last time.

Though I’ve only contributed publicly to OTF for a short time, I’ve been behind the scenes for a while now. Watching OTF evolve from that vantage point has been a great learning experience, so I feel it’s only fitting to first thank you for those valuable lessons. This experience has taught me a lot about the newsletter as a medium / genre, about the state of writing and content creation in general, and about how I can use this knowledge to adapt the way I teach composition in 2026 and beyond. It’s made me both a better teacher and a more flexible writer, and it’s opened my eyes to the possibilities technology and “solopreneurship” have to offer.

I honestly couldn’t have learned any of it without you. I’ll be the first to tell whoever’s willing to listen that people can learn a lot from solitary writing (no audience needed), but I’m not sure I would’ve stuck around long enough if not motivated by the steady growth and loyal readership.

So, thank you for that, and best of luck to all of you moving forward. Continue using what you find in these editions to better yourselves. I know I will.

But I can’t end this post of appreciation and gratitude without expressing my thanks to Dan, who taught me (or reminded me?) of the most valuable lesson of all, which ironically enough is the reason I’ve chosen to deplane 🤣

Sky’s the Limit

The most impactful part of this experience for me has been watching Dan build the plane while flying it.

I know what hard work looks like. I work hard at my job. I’ve worked hard athletically and academically (well, maybe one of those). I work hard as a parent. But watching Dan, I realized I’ve never worked hard as a writer. Which was a tough realization to stomach considering A) it’s what I’ve always intended to be and B) the degree I got for it is why I’m still in debt all these years later.

I thought I had good reasons.

Well, I need to focus on this new job.

Well, I need to focus on my family.

Well, I need to focus on getting tenure.

Sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between reasons and excuses when you’re the one spouting them.

That all changed watching Dan. The care he put into the formulation of his idea. The constant brainstorming, tinkering, revising. The outreach / networking efforts. The calls, classes, books, ebooks, podcasts to learn more about his craft. All while advancing in his career and building a life with his now-wife.

Seeing him grow this thing from nothing to nearly 4,000 subscribers has inspired me to follow in his footsteps. It’s inspired me to be better with my organization and planning. It’s inspired me to stop making excuses. It’s inspired me to put it all into the pursuit of my goals, and whenever I think I’m going hard enough, go harder.

And part of all of this is not spreading yourself too thin. Making sacrifices to dedicate more time and energy to the thing you’re most passionate about.

Which is why I’m saying goodbye today.

OTF O.F.T
One Final Thought

No matter how much the world changes, how many doors are opened and closed by technology, the one thing that will never change is this: to achieve anything great - whether as a writer, content creator, entrepreneur, executive, or otherwise - you must be dedicated. You must be disciplined. You must be willing to sacrifice when others are not, to be awake while others are dreaming. You must be focused, thirsty for knowledge, hungry for constant, consistent improvement.

These are the qualities that made me want to help Dan in the first place, and they’re why I’m confident OTF will continue to grow, evolve, and improve.

They’re also qualities that I need to start embodying. The time for talk is over.

See you on the other side.

Before You Go!

Thanks again for reading, and for all your loyalty to OTF. Despite the melodrama of these last two editions, not much will change moving forward.

The content, the voice, really the product as a whole, have always been Dan’s, so you will continue to see the same sort of personal style and experiences you’ve become accustomed to.

The only difference will be no more animated professor face.

Next week, Dan will be back with a normal edition. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to him at [email protected] or his socials with any OTF-related thoughts, comments, or ideas you may have.

He’ll see you next Tuesday.

Find Dan on LinkedIn

You are now On The Fly & In The Know.