Crafting Content: Devlog #2 - The Q2 Report Card & What I Actually Learned Doing the Work
Devlog #2 - I am still here!
Ever feel like you're throwing your life into the infinite scroll and possibly only bots are reading your content? That was a big part of my Q2 as a creator.
Three months ago, in my first Devlog, I laid out some big plans (and a healthy dose of anxieties!). Today, I'm back to share the raw report card: what actually worked, what bombed, and the surprising lessons learned trying to build "1% Easier Workflows" for myself and others.
If you're new here, I'm Pamela Wang, PhD in AI research, specifically Multi-Agent Skills (Unsupervised Reinforcement Learning). TLDR: How to get AI to learn on it’s own.
I write about by how we can leverage technology to save human effort and time.
Topics:
Notetaking (Zettelkasten) - Write to Think
AI & Tech Automations to make our workflows easier.
Content Creation - Learning in Public
I write for other fellow creators and knowledge workers.
This devlog is all about sharing that journey, mistakes and all. My aim isn't to present a perfect, polished facade, but to share the real, often messy, process of learning and growing as a creator.
So, grab a coffee, and let's dive into how Q2 unfolded!
✨ Key Q2 Learnings & Pivots
Pivoted From X to Substack: Realized X wasn't bringing joy, despite learnings.
Short-Form Video Win: Discovered high ROI on quick, focused YouTube shorts.
Niche Down is Crucial: Content needs to be hyper-focused on audience value.
Power of Conversation: Accountability calls & creator engagement proved invaluable.
First Dollar Earned! Validated the possibility of online income.
It’s only looking back that I realized, I did so many things. I am still playing with integrating AI into my daily life, improving my writing and using my Zettelkasten to develop my ideas so I have thoughtful opinions.
📊 The Numbers Game: A Snapshot of Progress (May 2025)
Looking back at the last three months, I’m genuinely impressed with the sheer amount of doing that happened. It wasn't a perfectly consistent, linear path by any means (more on my "persistent, not consistent" mantra later!), but the dedication was there. The numbers below offer a quantitative glimpse, but the most significant transformations have been in my approach, my focus, and the systems I'm building.
Current Standings
Here’s a quick look at the stats compared to where I was in March 2025:
YouTube @PamelaWangMwaha:
Subscribers: 920 ➔ 931
A Win with Short-Form Video: I made one new video, super short (only 56 seconds!), about an Obsidian plugin I created. It got 360 views, which I was thrilled about for the effort involved! This is a fantastic return for the effort involved and has strongly nudged me towards producing more of these quick, high-value, short-form videos. It seems like "short & digestable" is a great strategy for my content going forward.
Twitter @MwahaCookie (Activity Now Paused):
Followers: 111 ➔ 138
The Big Pivot Away from X: This was a major area of activity. I posted over 700 times in the last month alone, bringing my total to 1874 posts on the platform. I learned an immense amount from this concentrated effort. However, spoiler alert: I’ve since decided to stop actively posting on X (formerly Twitter) and Threads. I'll explain why in more detail shortly.
Substack ("Actionable Notes"):
Subscribers: 3 ➔ 31 (933% increase!)
Content Production: I published 15 new long-form articles on my main Substack, "Actionable Notes," and an additional 7 articles on a smaller side publication “Relatable Sheep” (which I’m now consolidating into "Actionable Notes" to maintain a clear focus).
Engagement Metrics & Reflections: My average open rate is hovering around 22.48%. Subscriber numbers are slowly growing, which is great, but I've noticed article views sometimes dip. This tells me I need to double down on really focused, niche content and continue to refine the look and feel of "Actionable Notes."
🧪 The Great Experiment Round-Up: What Worked, What Didn't, and Why I Pivoted
In my first devlog, I outlined a series of experiments I wanted to run, especially on Twitter. Here’s a more detailed look at what actually transpired.
I post 1,893 tweets, about half of those were strategic experiments.
A. The Twitter Deep Dive: Lessons Learned Before Hitting Pause
A significant part of the last 3 months, was dedicated to understanding how to make Twitter work for me.
I experimented with everything from hook optimization and content types (problem/solution threads, tool reviews) to CTA strategies and direct engagement. I even updated my profile to look more “creator”, which felt like a good step.
The core learning? Specific niche content like my Obsidian posts resonated with my audience, and genuine engagement (long-form replies to others, not just in my niche) was the biggest driver of discovery.
Creator Takeaway: Never underestimate the power of genuine conversation. Many new creators might overlook how important it is to simply talk to people, share your thoughts, and be an active part of the community. It's not about pulling their audience to you; it's about connecting.
Why Leave Twitter After All This Effort?
So, after all these experiments and learning, why the decision to step away from Twitter?
Answer: The platform itself just wasn't bringing me any joy. As a reader. I didn’t enjoy being on X, too many fake-news style threads and aggressive click-baity content. I didn’t even want to engage on there. That’s why I quit. For this creator journey to be sustainable, I need to enjoy the process.
For me to build something sustainable in the long run, I need to find joy in the process itself. My focus is now shifting more heavily towards Substack, where I truly appreciate the community atmosphere and the reading experience.
Creator Takeaway: Ignore sunk costs. Pivot fast. Don't be afraid to abandon a platform or strategy if it's not aligning with your energy or long-term goals, even after investing time. Sustainability is deeply tied to your own well-being and enjoyment.
I'll be sharing a more detailed breakdown of my experiences and the specific data from my X experiments in an upcoming article: My Twitter Experiment: What 700 Posts Taught Me (Before I Quit).
B. Substack ("Actionable Notes") - Finding my Brand Identity
With the decision to shift focus, Substack is now my primary creative playground, and I couldn’t be happier.
Wrote so much on Substack!
I published 15 long-form articles on "Actionable Notes," diving into topics I'm passionate about like Zettelkasten guides, practical AI applications (think useful prompts), and content creation strategies.
I really like having articles because I can link to the articles as a way to explain something that that is so core to my messaging that I often come back to this topic.
A New Name and Visual Identity
I officially renamed my main Substack publication to "Actionable Notes," with the tagline "1% Easier."
The byline clarifies the mission: "Unlock Your Thinking with Zettelkasten, Automate with AI, and Build a 1% Better Creator Workflow."
Accompanying this was a complete visual overhaul – a new logo, watermark, and overall aesthetic.
My inspiration came from some of the clean, minimalistic, Notion-based accounts I admire on platforms like Threads. I love how they annotate app showcases with friendly, scribble-style arrows and clear labels.
My style incorporates a muted yellow for highlights, clean black-and-white designs, and a mix of modern and handwriting fonts.
The visuals embraces the underlying philosophy:
You don't need to aim for perfection from day one. Just get started, be prepared to get a bit messy, take notes along the way, and learn from your actions. Iterate and adjust. Start.
I want "Actionable Notes" to feel like you're receiving a set of well-organized, easy-to-understand study notes.
Understanding Engagement on Substack
This has been an interesting learning curve. I'm steadily gaining subscribers, which is fantastic and very encouraging!
However, I've noticed that direct comments on the long-form articles themselves are quite rare. I tend to get more interaction on Substack Notes, but often that engagement isn't directly related to the topics of my main articles. It's something I'm still figuring out – how to spark more discussion directly on the posts.
Reflection & Insights:
We often talk about not looking at the numbers as a small creator, because it is not statistically significant, and if you depend on external metrics for validation, you are going to quit before it gets good. This is easy to say and hard to do. I spent 2 weeks writing this post:
but it doesn’t really vibe with my audience and has a 15.38% open rate (4 opens out of 26 recipients). Feels sad.
But this is also data. I learned after these three months how crucial it is to niche down and that we really shouldn't be thinking about how much effort we put into something, but how much value our specific audience gets out of it.
It is a pivot in the way I think,
Stop stuffing information in.
Look from the POV of the reader, and cut out anything that isn’t helpful for understanding
Be a harsh editor. Make every word fight for it’s place.
C. Sharpening My Creator Toolkit: Systems & Skills I'm Building.
This quarter wasn't just about external output; it was also about investing in my own learning and building better internal systems.
Learning from Creator Education
I’ve been diligently working my way through Dan Koe's Writing Bootcamp. It's an incredibly value-packed course, so much so that I feel I'm still in the early stages, really focusing on refining my brand identity and niching down based on the insights I gained from my Twitter experiments.
I do sometimes worry if I’m procrastinating instead of just doing, but defining this foundational understanding feels critically important right now.
The most significant takeaways I’ve implemented so far are the mindsets of
actively testing your ideas rather than just expecting them to work out
recognizing the profound importance of actively engaging with other creators, both through comments and direct conversations.
I'll be sharing more specific insights from this experience in a future post: 3 Game-Changing Mindsets I Learned from Dan Koe's Writing Bootcamp (Even Before Finishing).
The Power of Accountability Calls
Initially, I was part of a few weekly accountability groups from the bootcamp. Over time, these naturally evolved or dwindled. What has proven incredibly effective now are regular weekly calls with Marc, another creator. These are usually two-hour chats.
As an introvert, I'll admit, they can sometimes feel a bit tiring, but the benefits are immense. It’s a space to get troubles off my chest, stay motivated, and analyze what’s going on in my creator journey so I can articulate it more clearly. Talking things through with someone else who gets it is a seriously beneficial form of accountability. It also gives you a great sense of perspective for whether you are growing at a reasonable speed.
I have been trying to find other people to chat with by sending out an open invite for chat over tea:
But I also plan to more actively DM other creators whose content I like (this, is really intimidating, but super important so… me try!).
Leveraging AI Tools in My Daily Workflow
Google AI Studio is still pretty much my AI workhorse. I’ve been doing a lot of experimentation with prompts and have even developed a set of Alfred snippets to make using my favorite prompts much faster.
I've also been playing with tools like Mac Whisper (for transcription), Google Gemini Live, VoicePal, and VoicePen. AI dictation, in particular, has been a game-changer for everything from my morning brain dumps to drafting initial content ideas. It helps get thoughts out of my head and onto the page much more efficiently.
I'm planning a dedicated post to walk through my AI-enabled workflows and how I use these tools to make content creation 1% easier. Let me know if that's something you'd find interesting!
Content Scheduling Approaches
When I was active on X, I used Buffer then Typefully for scheduling tweets.
For Substack Notes, I purchased a Chrome extension to help with scheduling, which I need to integrate more consistently into my workflow.
For my long-form Substack articles, however, I tend to just publish them when they’re ready, prioritizing quality and readiness over a strict schedule.
I would like to start doing a weekly newsletter, but I am going to prioritize growing my content library on Substack over other forms of writing that could take away from this endeavour.
My Content Creation Style: Embracing the "Pantser"
I’m still very much a "pantser" when it comes to content planning – meaning I tend to "fly by the seat of my pants" rather than meticulously plan everything out.
I’ve embraced that I don’t work well with rigid content plans or calendars. My style is more about intense bursts of focused energy. I try to finish whatever I’m working on within a day or two so I don’t lose inspiration or momentum. This actually works really well for my ADHD-style focus, allowing me to dive deep when inspiration strikes.
This approach even applied to my recent YouTube video – I built the Obsidian plugin in two days, then quickly filmed, edited, and posted the showcase video in that second day.
🤔 Q2 Reality Check: Wins, Lessons, and Surprising Truths.
Looking back over these three packed months, several key themes and learnings have emerged.
Biggest Wins & Moments of Pride
The Sheer Volume of Action: Honestly, just seeing how much I’ve done. I’ve been persistent, even if not always perfectly consistent. That feels like a victory in itself.
My First Dollar Online! This was a huge milestone. It came from a VoicePal referral, and while the amount was small ($1.80 USD), the feeling was incredible. It was the first tangible proof that, yes, it's possible to earn money from my efforts on the internet. This is a possible ‘career’ that can replace the dreaded 9-to-5 job; I can keep doing this.
Consistent Content Shipping that works for me: Regularly getting content out the door across Substack and X, including longer articles and even video. I worried that I would not be able to sustain a consistent output and I really cannot, but I can get enough work done and schedule it that I can have days of low energy.
Workflow Development: Creating and refining new workflows, especially with AI tools, that are genuinely making my content creation process smoother and more efficient.
The Value of Community & Learning in Public: The realization that I like engaging with other creators and openly sharing my journey, is really motivating. I am really introverted, and my ideal life is basically a hermit life. But this is doable.
Toughest Challenges & "Ouch" Moments
The Battle with Perfectionism: This is a constant struggle. If you're a creator, you probably know this battle well. If a post takes me more than a day to complete, I get this immense reluctance to publish it. I start to feel it’s not good enough, that it needs more work. Then, I get tired of looking at it and procrastinate on finishing it. For instance, my article on the 27 Writing Patterns sat in my drafts for an extra two weeks simply because I couldn’t motivate myself to finish it, convinced it wasn't good enough to be published. I finally had to just close my eyes, stop editing to finish the last part and hit publish. I try to tell myself:
Done is better than perfect
Quality only comes from iterating + learning from real world feedback.
Occasional Burnout: Some days I’m full of creative energy, and other days I feel like I have chronic fatigue. I have a lot of worry that it's not possible to make enough money by being a creator online, at least for me, because my specialty is kind of possibly in an oversaturated market, I don't know. which is why I need to test and stop worrying.
Reading 📚 Tiny Experiments & 12 Week Year to manage these feelings. The idea here is to suspend early judgment for the period of the experiments, which should be 12 Weeks.
Nailing Down My Niche: This is an ongoing process of refinement. I have a tendency to go too broad. I have a lot of things I want to try and sometimes that makes me spread out to be overly broad. For example, “Burnout recovery” was a huge part of my brand before, because I need this. But now I am shifting more towards “practical automation” and considering what my readers need.
The Quiet on Substack Articles: As mentioned, getting subscribers is wonderful, but I do wish there were more comments and direct discussion happening on the long-form posts themselves. I have checked on other creators and even those of a huge audience don't usually get a lot of comments though. People seem to like interacting on notes more.
Revisiting the "Core Problem" from Devlog #1
In my first devlog, I identified a core problem: my Twitter content wasn't resonating or being discovered as much as I'd hoped. Looking back, I did find that strategic replies were effective for discovery, and I made efforts to optimize content. However, the bigger realization was that Twitter, as a platform, just wasn't the right fit for me and my long-term enjoyment and sustainability as a creator. So, while the problem might have been partly solvable with more tweaking, I chose a different solution: focusing my energy where I feel more aligned and energized.
Surprising Insights Along the Way
The Clarity from Conversation: The power of just talking to other people (like my calls with Marc) for gaining clarity, motivation, and fresh perspectives has been unexpectedly profound.
Audience Resonance: My audience really seems to connect with practical, hands-on content about note-taking, Obsidian, and Zettelkasten. This feedback is invaluable for guiding future content.
Tech Skills as a Superpower: My technical background and skills, which I sometimes take for granted, are actually a significant asset in helping others who might be less tech-savvy. This is a core part of my "1% Easier Workflows" mission – simplifying the complex.
My Optimal Work Style: I've learned that I work best when I follow my genuine interest and have the freedom to explore, rather than trying to force myself into a rigid schedule. "Persistent, not consistent" has truly become a bit of a guiding mantra for me.
Burnout & Well-being Check-in: Adapting My Approach
My initial goal of a 2-4 hours/day commitment has evolved. I now tend to have days with 8-10 hours of highly focused work, interspersed with other days where I don’t even work. As long as I’m making tangible progress on my content creation goals, this sporadic-but-intense approach seems to suit my natural rhythms and energy levels.
I am the type of hermit that enjoys being at home instead of travelling. My personal goals are to engage with intellectual content (I have wanted to finish the Meditations and Harvard’s Justice Lectures for so long), and finding ways to improve how I think and understand the world.
Writing fiction is also a valuable way for me to de-stress. It is a huge part of my life that I don’t usually write about and this actually feels great. There is so much pressure to create content that having my own private practice, which I know is private only to me and nobody else will ever read it, is really good for just letting my mind wander and to interpret what is going on in my life through this intermediary.
Creator Takeaway: Pay attention to your own energy cycles and work styles. What works for one creator might not work for another. The key is finding a sustainable rhythm that allows you to be both productive and maintain your well-being. Don't be afraid to deviate from conventional advice if it doesn't suit you.
📚 Creator Fuel: What I've Been Consuming to Stay Inspired
To keep the ideas coming and to continuously learn, I've been diving into a variety of resources:
Books:
Tiny Experiments by Anne Laure le Cunff: The mentality to distance yourself from preliminary experiment results.
Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan: Freedom Number, How much would you need to make from your solo business in order to stop working your ‘real’ job.
Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley: For understanding how to be in demand.
Everybody Writes by Ann Handley: Recommended by another creator. I like how she approaches editting your drafts.
Video Series & Channels:
Synthesizer - Skool Classroom for a feasible path on being an educator-creator
Alex Hormozi's Sales Content: His frameworks for product validation.
Jon Youshaei: His content for YouTubers is packed with practical, actionable advice that I really appreciate. Love his video style. High production value.
Articles:
Wes Pearce: I enjoy his content about writing on Substack and his practical tips on monetization. (Have recommended him)
🚀 Charting the Course: Goals and Focus for Next Quarter (Q3 2025)
Based on all these learnings and reflections, here’s what I’m focusing on for the next three months:
Platform Focus
Twitter/X: Quit! With relief.
Substack ("Actionable Notes"): This is my primary home.
My Absolute #1 Goal for Q3: To make at least $1 from my own digital products. This isn't about the monetary value itself, but about validating that this path is viable and that I can build a sustainable creative career this way. I’m deliberately not setting a subscriber goal right now, as I don’t want to get demoralized by external metrics that I can't fully control. The focus is squarely on product validation.
Content Pillars for "Actionable Notes":
Short, readable Zettelkasten guides: I want to focus on creating content that delivers the minimum effective dose – what you really need to know to get started with Zettelkasten and see results. These guides will be easy to digest, highly accessible, and intensely practical.
Intellectual AI content: I plan to explore how to use AI in practical, everyday ways to learn more effectively, engage with books and complex ideas more deeply, and synthesize my own unique insights.
Obsidian My area of expertise. I really could share more about how I use tools like these to do knowledge work.
Exploring Digital Product Ideas: I’m currently brainstorming a few options. These include freebie PDFs (like checklists or quick guides), perhaps a short, focused e-book (I’d love to be an author!), or even a concise online course (something like a weekend workshop).
My "7-Minute Zettelkasten Kickstart" guide for Obsidian, which aims to help folks overcome implementation paralysis with a dead-simple, practical starting point, is a good example of the kind of value I want to offer.
YouTube:
I’ll continue experimenting with those super short-form, high-value videos, like the plugin showcase that performed well. The goal here is low time commitment for me, but potentially high impact and value for viewers.
I do have to say that my longer form videos, like my meta template picker are still the best videos that I've ever made. It is technical and it is highly specialized and a long form video, but it's still giving me subscribers even three years after I posted it.
Learning & Skill Development
My main focus for personal development this quarter will be on improving my visual design skills. I want to get better at creating nicely designed, aesthetically pleasing content. To that end, I’ll be making full use of my Canva free trial to push myself in this area and learn more about visual communication.
Personal Mindset & Approach for Q3
I’m not setting one specific "key habit" to build. Instead, I’m leaning into what I've learned works for me:
Interest-led work: Continuing to follow what genuinely engages and excites me, as this fuels the best work.
Learning in public: Committing to sharing my journey, including the experiments, the learnings, and even the missteps.
Writing with clarity: Prioritizing readability and understandability over just stuffing in information. My aim is to produce content that feels like clear, helpful documentation.
💖 Connecting with You: Let's Talk! Your Insights Matter!
I'm passionate about building "Actionable Notes" into a resource that genuinely helps you. Your insights, questions, and experiences are incredibly valuable to me and to our growing community.
To make this even more exciting and to thank you for your valuable input, I'm offering a free 30-minute video consult on any Obsidian topic you're interested in! Whether it's setting up a Zettelkasten, troubleshooting a plugin, or optimizing your workflow with a meta-template picker, I'm here to help. Simply answer at least one of the questions below in the comments, and I'll reach out to a selection of commenters to schedule our chat.
I'd love to hear from you:
Zettelkasten & AI Hurdles: My Q3 content will focus on practical Zettelkasten guides and leveraging AI for deeper learning. What's your single biggest question or sticking point right now when it comes to either starting/refining your Zettelkasten, or using AI for personal knowledge development?
Your "Quick Win" Guide Wishlist: If I were to create a short, super-practical guide (on Zettelkasten, AI for creators, or workflow automation), what specific problem or topic would be most immediately valuable for you to see solved or demystified?
Persistence Power-Ups: Many of us juggle creation with life's demands. What's one system, tool, or mindset shift that has genuinely helped you stay persistent (even if not always consistent!) with your creative or knowledge work?
Tech Demystified: I enjoy making complex tech accessible. Are there any specific AI tools (like the ones I mentioned, or others!), productivity workflows, or tech concepts you're curious about and would love a "1% Easier" breakdown of?
Sparking Substack Conversations: To help make the comments section here and on "Actionable Notes" more vibrant, what truly motivates you to comment on a Substack article or join a discussion? (Seriously, any preferences or pet peeves are gold!)
Your Q2 Journey: This quarter was a rollercoaster of learning for me! What was your biggest win, toughest lesson, or most surprising insight as a creator or knowledge worker in the last three months? Let's share and learn from each other!
I'm genuinely looking forward to reading your thoughts and hopefully connecting with some of you for an Obsidian deep dive!
🙏 Thank You & See You Next Quarter!
Thanks so much for following along with my journey and for taking the time to read this update! Your presence and readership means a lot. If you haven’t already, please do subscribe to Actionable Notes for regular content and more updates on my progress.
See you for Devlog #3!
Pamela this is a great overview on how things are moving forward and the little lessons that are nudging you to shape your story and life as a creator.
Looking forward to the next quarter. and wishing you all the best.
May this journey bring you great companions and joy and healthy dose of cash