#91 Halloween...OTF Style

Here’s What’s In The Goodie Bag 🍬 🎃 🍫 

🤝 Expert Advice from someone worth more than $100M

💭 A Founder’s Note on Being Honest & Transparent

🤖 Chattin With GPT

📥️ Letters We Love

Founder’s Note 💭 

The first edition of OTF was sent out on January 24th, 2023, but behind the scenes, I’d been working for months. The goal was to build a product that could last for years, and that’s not something to be taken lightly.

And for me, it was about more than defining content parameters and building an aesthetic. The most important thing I did leading up to that maiden edition was make two promises to myself, which I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you.

The first promise is that no matter what, I’d put something out every single week. Whether a full letter or a quick note, I’m going to publish every Tuesday. Consistency is key, and it’s a core value here at OTF.

The second promise is to be honest and transparent always. That means letting you know where content comes from, whether or not it was AI-generated (spoiler: 99% of it isn’t), why we’re sharing what we’re sharing (to fatten your wallet, elevate your brand, etc.), and much more. If we think it, you know it.

It is with this second promise in mind that I want to share an update with you: beginning in 2025, we are going to incorporate ads into each newsletter. They will not be plentiful or intrusive, but they will be present. Two years in, it’s finally time to start generating income to keep this letter free for you.

That said, I promise that we will NOT feature products or services that we don’t believe in or think that you’ll benefit from. We are going to remain true to our core values and to you, our wonderful readers.

Thank you for your time and, as always, for subscribing to OTF. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Expert Advice 🍫 

I am reading The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security by Scott Galloway.

The book covers a lot of topics, including:

• How to Find and Follow Your Talent (as opposed to your passion)

• How to Ride and Optimize Big Economic Waves

• Small Steps To Achieve Big Returns (diversification, tax planning, etc.)

Anyway, here’s a nugget that stuck out to me so far:

“The easiest way to make a dollar is to save a dollar.”

We often forget this simple, obvious fact - saving money means having money that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Whether you save a thousand or make a thousand, it’s the same result. That’s why we so often give you tips on how to save in Making Cents and elsewhere. I just love how clear and direct Galloway articulates it here.

WHO IS SCOTT GALLOWAY? 

• Here’s a <6 minute video that gives you everything you need to know.

Chattin’ With GPT 💀

I don’t know about you, but if a sweet’s been banned in other parts of the world, I’m trying to avoid it this Halloween. So I asked ChatGPT for some healthier, popular candy options, and this was its response:

Nothing wrong with treating yourself, but as always: everything in moderation.

PS: I am doing the 75 hard challenge and today is Day 51. So, no sweets over here…until we get closer to Thanksgiving.

Did You Hear? HALLOWEEN EDITION 📥️ 👻 

Self-Interest: Did you see these celebrity Halloween costumes? 

Human Interest: Did you know that even throwing out your pumpkins post-Halloween is bad for the environment?

Artificial Interest: Did you know you can use AI to keep your kids safe on Halloween? (If you don’t have kids, pass along to parents you know)

Before You Go

I hope you all enjoy your Halloween. Next week, we’ll be back with our first November edition, which means Making Cents, a new 2-Do, and much more.

See you then!

You are now On The Fly and In The Know.