David Kadavy

David Kadavy is author of Mind Management, Not Time Management; Digital Zettelkasten; & Design for Hackers.

100-Word Writing Habit 99¢ on Kindle

June 25, 2026

For the first time ever, I have marked down the Amazon Kindle edition of 100-Word Writing Habit to 99¢.

The Kindle edition has been carefully coded to mimic the experience of the paperback as closely as possible.

The only way I’ve personally been able to keep up a writing habit is by choosing a ridiculously easy goal (such as 100 words). This short book is there to help inspire you to try it out. It adds up more quickly than you expect and leads to more growth as a writer than you expect.

I plan to mark it back up soon so grab it now.

Buy 100-Word Writing Habit on Amazon Kindle »

Why there’s too much to do (it’s YOUR birthday, too?)

June 05, 2026

This article originally appeared on Maximum Reverie »

Two questions that don’t seem related, but are:

  1. Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed, like there’s too much to do?
  2. How many people do you need before two have the same birthday?

keep on reading »

Why the Curious Peak Late

May 21, 2026

This article originally appeared on Maximum Reverie »

In 1513, Raphael was making a fortune essentially as a more-reliable Leonardo. At thirty, Raphael had already done his best work. Leonardo, in his sixties, was just across the courtyard, still working on the Mona Lisa. keep on reading »

Not finishing what you start is actually pretty smart

May 15, 2026

This article originally appeared on Maximum Reverie »

The man who published 500 left 150 unfinished – and that’s just the beginning. His unique paper trail provides clues on how creative works get done (or don’t).

keep on reading »

3 new articles this week

May 07, 2026

I published three new articles on Substack this week:

  1. Why the Curious Peak Late: When you’re curious it takes longer to build your foundation.
  2. Not finishing what you start is actually pretty smart: The unique paper trail of the man who published 500 – and left 150 unfinished – tells us a lot about how creative work gets done (or doesn’t).
  3. 47 lessons from 47 years: self-explanatory.

keep on reading »

47 lessons from 47 years

May 04, 2026

As of today, I have been alive for 47 years. Here is everything I’ve learned:

keep on reading »

1st Quarter 2026 Income Report

May 01, 2026

To listen to an audio version of this report, join the Patreon »

Revenue for the first quarter of 2026 was:

Q4 2025’s revenue was $11,883.

Q1 2026 profits were:

Q4 2025’s profit was $7,724.

keep on reading »

Hours left, stretch goal reached (audiobook included!)

April 02, 2026

Just a quick post to let you know that the stretch goal has been reached for the briefly re-opened Finish What Matters Preview Edition.

keep on reading »

Finish What Matters Preview Edition (briefly) re-opened

March 24, 2026

After a couple months of extra-focused writing I’ve re-opened the Preview Edition of Finish What Matters. keep on reading »

The hidden cost of Shiny Object Syndrome

February 01, 2026

Just a few days left to join the Finish What Matters Preview Edition »

What’s the harm in taking on one more project? We can get some idea by asking the question, How many people need to be in a room before two have the same birthday? keep on reading »