Small updates: this newsletter and my life

Three small changes!

Hello friends! It’s Budi. Here’s the TLDR:

• I publish a new article every Wednesday.

• Every month, there will be 1 free article and 3 paid articles.

• Paid subscribers can send me one question per month, and I’ll reply to it and be as helpful as possible. I’ll do this until I can’t handle the volume.

Context: I’ve been writing and sharing for 5 years. I want most of my work to be free, but I also need income to produce high-quality content to help you learn and grow as a product designer.

Since 2023, I’ve been building my own business and no longer get any steady income. Whenever I want to research and write an article, I hesitate because I could’ve done something else.

I almost decided to quit and stop this newsletter. But I love writing. Occasionally, some of you reach out and ask some questions. So, I feel it’s a bummer if I stop writing.

If you noticed, I’ve been experimenting with a new format for researching industry trends, such as how big consumer apps use modern authentication tech. Lots of you found it useful. I felt excited when I wrote that because I can do deeper research and share that with you.

Surprisingly, I got 40+ new paid subscribers to support me last month alone. This leads me to think: Maybe I should serve my supporters. I will keep writing but putting more content behind the paywall.

I’ll write soon. With a warm handshake in thought.

Best
Budi

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Now I have 2 cats! Anyways. I’ve been regularly walking and trying to hit 10,000 steps. I realized it’s therapeutic, considering I sit a lot due to my work.