Goodbye (at least for now)

Dear friends,

When I started Work in Progress back in 2019, I was working toward the launch of my book. To make that happen, I got the chance to work with Erica Moore. Not only did she do an incredible job editing the international edition of GRIP, she’s also been the driving force behind this newsletter, adapting issues from my Dutch archive and creating new and timely editions.

And then there was Rise

The last few years, and especially the past couple of months, have turned out to be a super interesting chapter in my life. Rise, the startup I’m building, is really taking shape. We grossly underestimated how long it would take to build a quality product, but now two years in, it’s starting to feel more and more like the scheduling software—or prioritization software, really—that I always wanted.

It’s meant pushing myself mentally and I LOVE working on it. Every single minute. I’m thinking about Rise as I wake up, when I’m in bed after a long day, and like right now: when I’m sitting on the stairs as my kids fall asleep and I’m sneaking in a few words on my phone.

GRIP and this newsletter have been phenomenal, life-changing milestones for me. They both clearly resonate with folks, as my mailbox shows. And I know GRIP will continue to bring good things into people’s lives all around the world.

But sometimes you have to cut out some good stuff to make room for the next big thing. And that means that this newsletter will take a bit of a break. I know I’ll miss sharing some thoughts from time to time, so maybe that’s what I'll do here. Or perhaps I’ll write about Rise every now and then. We’ll see.

Time to do some pruning

In late 2019 I quit my job at Blendle to focus on GRIP full-time. That turned out to be a good call in a completely unexpected way:

The headspace it gave me helped me be fully present at home, caring for my youngest, who faced a challenging first two years. It also freed me up to jump on the team that launched the Dutch Covid tracing app. The app didn’t have the massive impact on the virus that we’d hoped, but it’s where Emiel and I bumped into each other again. And that led directly to Rise.

My point? Taking out even some of the pretty ok parts of a tree clears the way for new growth. It lets the sun in. It creates crucial whitespace. It unlocks the next level. And while I’m probably always going to have clear intentions about how to fill my time, turns out I’m actually not as bad at spotting new opportunities and rolling with what life throws my way as I sometimes think.

This publication would never have come this far without Erica’s help. If you liked my Monday posts, it’s thanks to her—not only translating but upgrading my Dutch posts to something worth sharing with an international audience. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride as much as I have. And if you’re ever looking for an amazing writer or editor: look her up. Here’s how to get in touch.

Rise—like GRIP—is for people who want to do great things. It’s for those who want to have a positive impact wherever they are. It’s for the first-movers, the folks who are always up for trying something new and who continue to challenge how things are done.

So here’s me putting my money where my mouth is and making more room for the next big hairy audacious thing.

Go cut some branches. Until next time,

Rick

PS Check out the Work in Progress archives sometime, with more than three years of searchable weekly issues