How do you balance your time between reading and writing startup development content?

1 Set your goals

Before you dive into the endless stream of startup development blogs, podcasts, newsletters, and books, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Are you looking for inspiration, validation, feedback, or guidance? Are you trying to solve a specific problem, learn a new skill, or explore a new opportunity? Having a specific and measurable goal will help you prioritize and filter the content that is relevant and useful for you.

2 Schedule your time

Once you have your goal in mind, you need to allocate your time accordingly. Depending on your preferences and availability, you can choose to read or write in the morning, afternoon, or evening, or split your time throughout the day. The key is to be consistent and realistic. Don't try to read or write too much in one sitting, or you will lose focus and quality. Instead, set a reasonable time limit and stick to it. For example, you can read for 30 minutes and write for 30 minutes every day, or read for an hour and write for an hour every other day.

3 Choose your sources

Not all content is created equal. Some sources are more credible, authoritative, and engaging than others. You want to read and write content that is relevant, accurate, and valuable for your goal and your audience. To find the best sources, you can use tools like Google Alerts, Feedly, or Pocket to track and organize the topics and keywords that interest you. You can also follow and interact with the influencers, experts, and peers in your field on social media, forums, or communities. You can also ask for recommendations from your network or mentors.

4 Take notes and action

Reading and writing are not passive activities. They require active engagement and reflection. As you read and write content, you should take notes and action. Notes will help you remember and summarize the main points, insights, and questions that arise from the content. Action will help you apply and test what you have learned or shared. For example, you can use tools like Evernote, Notion, or Roam to capture and organize your notes. You can also use tools like Trello, Asana, or GitHub to create and track your action items.

5 Review and improve

Finally, you should review and improve your reading and writing habits regularly. You should evaluate whether the content you read and write is helping you achieve your goal and meet your audience's needs. You should also seek feedback and criticism from others who can offer you a different perspective and constructive advice. You can use tools like Grammarly, Hemingway, or ProWritingAid to check and improve your writing style, grammar, and clarity. You can also use tools like Medium, Substack, or WordPress to publish and measure your writing performance.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?