Hi! Welcome to our 12th newsletter! 💡learnshiv is here to make learning easy for you, whether it’s tech, social justice, or self-improvement content. In this constantly changing world, the only way to future-proof yourself is diversification, and that’s what I’m here to help you do.

PS. What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing right now? In life, at work or with the state of the world? Reply to this email, and let’s see what we can do to point you toward the right resources.

💡 GLOSSARY OF GROWTH

Here’s a new section where I’ll define three terms in each of our verticals: tech/career, politics/social justice and mindset/self-development.

TECH — Product Sprint: A product sprint is a time-constrained process used to rapidly design, prototype, and test new ideas within a week, typically to solve specific problems and validate concepts before extensive development. It involves a collaborative team effort that cycles through stages of ideation, decision-making, prototyping, and user testing to accelerate product innovation.

SOCIAL JUSTICE — Limitarianism: Limitarianism is a philosophical concept that advocates imposing limits on wealth accumulation, proposing that resources beyond a certain level should be redistributed for the greater social good. The term was coined by Ingrid Robeyns, a philosopher and economist, to address issues of excessive wealth and social inequality.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT — Habit Stacking: Habit stacking is a method where you link new habits with existing ones to form a routine, making it easier to adopt and maintain new behaviours. This strategy, which helps enhance productivity and well-being, was popularized by S.J. Scott in his book "Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less."

💡 LESSON LEARNED

Here are three lessons I learned from the worst boss I ever had. For reference, this was at a b2b SaaS company, and it got so bad that I went to therapy.

1. Always communicate very clearly and methodically. — This boss was so all over the place that I wanted to ensure I wasn’t. I adopted a structured communication approach to ensure no ambiguity in our interactions. I always outlined what I was working on, the challenges I faced, and my strategies for addressing these issues, and I sought her feedback to confirm if I was on the right track. This method not only kept her well-informed but also preemptively addressed any potential misunderstandings or claims of insufficient communication on my part. Remember, leaving nothing unsaid is crucial; clarity in your updates ensures that your supervisor cannot claim ignorance of your activities or challenges.

2. Track your work + screenshot EVERYTHING. — There were frequent layoffs, so I diligently documented my work to safeguard against doubts about my performance. To have tangible evidence of my proactive efforts, I had screenshots of my requests for guidance, which often went unanswered. Ultimately, my position was eliminated—a decision reflecting their own confusion, as they realized they had hired the wrong type of marketer. Still, I kept screenshots of all my critical conversations and used a Notion tracker to meticulously log every project I handled, with links to working documents and published pieces. This thorough documentation offered me peace of mind amidst the company's chaos, ensuring I could back up my claims and efforts if ever challenged.

3. Keep your head up. — Dealing with a poor boss was incredibly tough—I spent countless days crying, nights plagued by anxiety attacks, and hours in therapy trying to rebuild my confidence. The support from my friends and co-workers during that period was crucial in helping me persevere. Ultimately, I held on until the company recognized they had hired for the wrong skillset. Realizing that the issues weren’t my fault—evidenced by the subsequent layoffs of many others—allowed me to move on, reassured that I had done everything I could. Through every tear, I continued to deliver my work to the best of my ability. This experience has now equipped me with the knowledge to handle any challenges that come with a crappy boss in the future.

If you’re dealing with a less-than-stellar boss right now, I feel for you. Reply to this email if you need someone to talk to, and I’ll see if I can help you. Sending good vibes!

💡 F R E E B I E

If you're a digital solopreneur, check out this simple productivity journal and planner template. Designed to streamline your daily tasks and keep them accessible, these tools enable you to record your tasks, track accomplishments, and plan future actions. With features like goal-setting, daily planning prompts, and reflections on your successes, you'll be well-prepared to meet business and personal challenges.

💡 LEARNSHIV CONTENT

• ✏️ NOTES

  • Steal my notes from Brad Smith’s SEO Course here.

• 🎥 WEBINAR RECAPS

  • Here’s a recap of LOI Accelerator’s webinar with Wes Cao.

• 🎙️ PODCAST RECAPS

  • Here’s a recap of Citations Needed’s episode of Crybullyism.

• 📝 FREE DOWNLOADS

  • Grab my digital marketing assignment here.

Don’t forget, for all of my content above, I do video content, breaking it down as well! Next week, I’ll dive into more content about the Brad Smith course and what I learned. So stay tuned if you want to learn more about SEO.

Thanks for reading our 12th newsletter. I want you to be prepared for the ways in which our world may change and affect our lives, careers, relationships, and more in the future. 💡learnshiv is meant to share my three passions with you, share what I learn, and make your life easier by helping you learn, too, in a digestible way.

If you have suggestions for improvements, please reply and send them my way. (Seriously, reply!! I’ve only had two replies ever!)

Have a great week, and stay curious,

Shiv 💁🏽‍♀️