What do Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Marie Curie, Ben Franklin, and Virginia Woolf all have in common? They all created long-lasting, humanity-impacting work…without the use of AI.See, there are lots of people who will tell you that you need to use AI or get left behind. Those people are wrong.In fact, I think the way to stand out is to not use AI. At least, not in the way everyone else is using it. While most people are using it to create for them…trying to get ChatGPT to “sound just like” them, I think you what you really need to do is create time and space to do good work.AI can help you do that. I talk about how in this episode.Looking to create even more time and space? Check out my free tools audit so you can make sure the apps and gear you use to run your business are actually helping you, not hurting you: https://streamlinedsolopreneur.com/tools/What do you think? Leave feedback at https://streamlinedfeedback.comAnd finally, if you need Girl Scout Cookies and haven’t had someone come to your door, check out the video Teresa made for you at https://teresacasabona.com

It's the end of January and my Year of Digital Detox is in full swing. Here's how I'm doing with it so far. Read about The Year of Digital Detox: https://casabona.org/2026/01/2026-yearly-theme-digital-detox/Subscribe to Paper & Smoke: https://paperandsmoke.comSubmit feedback: https://streamlinedfeedback.com

I was recently trying to do something that should have been simple: sharing my work calendar with my wife so she knows when I'm actually free for family time. I found myself digging through "secret" settings pages, checking her phone, then mine, and getting increasingly frustrated.It made me realize how often we settle for "fighting" our tools instead of letting them support us.You’ve probably heard me say that gear doesn’t matter. If you’re a new podcaster trying to drop $2,000 before you’ve hit "record," I stand by that. But when it comes to the daily operations of your business, the right gear—both hardware and software—matters immensely.Every minute you spend wrestling with a slow laptop, a glitchy hosting provider, or a manual process is a minute taken away from your family or your core mission.In this episode, I’m breaking down the "Gear" pillar of my GAPS framework. I'll share the specific tools that save me hours every week and give you a practical framework to audit your own toolbox.It’s time to stop letting bad systems eat your time so you can finally focus on your important work.Stop guessing which tools you need and start streamlining. Download my free Tools Audit at streamlined.fm/toolsShow NotesWhen is it Time to Switch Tools?TodoistMy Stream DeckRodeCaster Pro 2Ecamm LiveTella.tvHave a question or a favorite tool? Share it with me at streamlinedfeedback.com.

I’m deeply worried about humanity losing our critical thinking skills. We’ve seen it degrade in the social media era, and now we’re seeing people wholesale outsource it in the AI era. But what if we can actually enhance our critical thinking with AI? I’m too much of a skeptic to tackle this topic on my own, which is why I brought in Christian Ulstrup, who’s doing some truly interesting things in the AI space. We talk about how AI is changing the education space, how we work, and why we should look to classic philosophers, like Aristotle, for the answers to how we should approach AI.The Walk and Talk FrameworkWant a great way to use AI? Use Christian’s Walk and Talk Framework: Gather Your "Digital Exhaust": First, collect the raw data you've already produced. The AI Prompt: Copy and paste your text into a large-context model (like Google AI Studio) and use this specific prompt:"I want you to pose to me three extremely precise, very hard-hitting questions, all of which are independent and have different coverage, that if sufficiently answered, would yield some kind of transformative, genuinely novel, impactful insight. Please make reference to the primary source material where appropriate in the context of the question."The "Thinking" PhaseDon't look at the questions yet.Copy them into a mobile notes app and go for a wayRead only the first question. Open a Voice Memo and monologue your answer. Don't worry about being polished—mumble, ask yourself follow-up questions, and grapple with the idea until you feel you've reached a breakthrough. Repeat for the remaining questions. Distill the InsightLinksChristian Ulstrup on LinkedInThe First Draft is Where the Magic HappensHow Much is AI Harming Our Ability to Connect?Deep Questions Ep. 380: ChatGPT is Not AliveAristotle's Four CausesGSD at WorkRadiant Meeting RecorderGoogle AI StudioMailmeteorWhat do you think? Send your feedback to streamlinedfeedback.com

“What’s your exit strategy?” Someone actually asked me this when I was starting my business. I didn’t have one. I’m not in it for the exit. But the question went to something deeper: how are you going to make actual money? Because the problem is most solo business owners charge hourly. Or they need to hire to scale. OR they need to sell the business. But there’s a better way: Value-Based Pricing. And Jonathan Stark is here today to tell us about it. Want to see how you’re spending your time so you can do more value-based pricing? Download my solopreneur self-assessment: https://streamlined.fm/impact LinksJonathan StarkValue Pricing BootcampHourly Billing is NutsWhat do you think? Send your feedback to streamlinedfeedback.com