Hard Work Smart

About Hard Work Smart

22 years running operations & technology at a global law firm. Walked away. Now hosting Use More Paper → the show about the analog revival and why millions are going back to vinyl, film, paper, and real life. www.usemorepaper.com (https://www.usemorepaper.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Analog productivity, PKM, and designing a life on purpose by a Legal Head of Operations and IT Director from top-tier international law firm

Category

society & culture · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Jun 2024

Latest episode

15 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

32 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Jan 2026

   Use More Paper: Why 2026 Is the Year of Analog Productivity

   Hello there, wonderful people. Happy 2026! Now, if you want to change something in your life, don’t wait for January 1st. Just change it right away. You can do it today. Start running every day, for example. It will make your life better. I’m actually running right now as I’m telling you this. A quick public service announcement: some of you were subscribed to my Digital Pragmatism Substack. I have sent one email to all of you with some secret info about a new project that I will not announce here. It’s a secret project. If you were subscribed, you will know which project it is. Please check your spam folders, because today most email goes to spam. Reply to my email or act accordingly - there is a button you have to click. Use More Paper is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Forget Goals, Set a Direction Instead Since it’s the beginning of the year and people love to make plans and set goals, I wanted to ask you to not make plans. Don’t set goals. Actually, if you want to really set some goals, there’s a better thing to do: you can set a direction for your life. Direction is enough. If you are fairly motivated and you know you have a connection with yourself - so you pretty much know what you hate and what you like - then direction is sufficient. You will make extreme progress. Whereas if you set goals, you can be disappointed in not reaching those goals, even if the direction would be right. So I wanted to ask you not to make plans, but rather to choose one thing you will change. One thing you will do differently in 2026. This way you will have far more chances to actually reach this one thing you want to change. You are minimizing the chances of being disappointed. Welcome to the Year of Analog Productivity 2026 will be the year of analog productivity, and this is what you will find here. I will tell you how I ditched my electronic devices and replaced them with paper notebooks and notepads. I will show you some of my favorite pens. This will be the leitmotif for this channel throughout the year. I will also post more interviews with people. I’ve got two of them which are being produced already. But I will also make more interviews and talk “analog” with interesting people. So, welcome. Happy 2026. Why “Use More Paper” Is the New Name New year, new brand. But don’t worry, I will explain everything. Two months ago I was explaining to you why Amenotes is the better brand. And then, closer to one week ago, I started examining all the domains I have purchased over time. And I saw that I have an excellent domain that I completely forgot about. This domain is usemorepaper.com. Just how cool would it be to have a t-shirt with that! And then I started analyzing whether Amenotes is not a better, more fancy word. And actually came to the conclusion that no - everything I’ve been doing on this channel was leading me to saying, “Hey, use less your phone, use more paper.” I get it, of course, that there are a lot of stationery content out there. And this one will not be a stationery website (or newsletter). You can treat it as a philosophy website, maybe a lifestyle blog? I will not post reviews of notebooks. Well, I will post some of them, of course - those that I judge are excellent. But most of the time I will just share my ideas like I did until now. Use More Paper is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. What’s Coming Next What is also very important is that with my wife we will actually in the future want to open a physical store that will sell notebooks - excellent quality Japanese notebooks and pens. And so it makes sense to rebrand as Use More Paper. New year, new brand. Welcome. And remember: pick one thing to change this year. Just one. Set a direction, not a goal. And maybe, just maybe, consider putting down your phone and picking up a pen instead. Get full access to Use More Paper at www.usemorepaper.com/subscribe (https://www.usemorepaper.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   14 Mar 2025

   Digital Minimalist Youtuber Regrets

   You know what? Today I will share with you what are my regrets as a 10 year youtuber (https://youtube.com/@digitalpragmatism). I'm doing YouTube for 10 years. Wow! When I look back at this journey, I realize I've made some mistakes that significantly slowed down my progress. 1 - Haters You know what is my number one regret? My number one regret is that I thought that I should deal somehow with the haters. And actually it slowed me down in my progress for at least several years. Because I thought that I cannot just block and delete haters. I have to respond to them, address their issues somehow. And the reality is of course no. The best way to deal with haters is to delete their comments and to block them from your channel. And on YouTube there is an excellent option that is "hide user from this channel". And so basically you are hiding the comments from everybody else. But the hater can write those comments indefinitely. And so the hater thinks that everybody else is seeing his or her comments. But actually nobody else is seeing it. 2 - Perfectionism Another regret is that I thought that my videos have to be perfect from a technical standpoint. And this is a 50/50 regret because it allowed me to learn how to make excellent videos, very well produced. But it actually also slowed me at least several years. And YouTube doesn't care about your quality or the quality of your video. You don't make a filmmaker channel. You don't have to have an excellent technical quality of your videos. What matters is the message that you are transmitting and the story you are telling. If you want to invest in something at the beginning, it's far better to invest in your storytelling skills and to prepare a recording of your videos and to know what you want to tell to people than to actually work on getting a better camera, better lens and learn how to use them. Because of course it will make a difference. If your stories are not interesting or are bad, the quality of your videos will not improve that and people will not watch your channel. 3 - Branding And the last regret of mine is that I attached too much of importance to branding. This is because I love branding. I just did what I liked to do, you know. But actually branding on YouTube is completely unimportant. What is important is that you know whom you are talking to. And so I am talking to people who want to become digital minimalists, who want to live a fulfilling day-to-day life and not wait for 30 years being addicted to technology and to wage slavery before retiring and maybe it will happen or maybe you will die before that. So I know who I am talking to. Whereas the branding is secondary and I have changed too many times channels, channel names, domain names, platforms where I was hosting my website. And it's completely unimportant actually. You should just choose who are you talking to and then do it and the name of the channel is secondary. You can do it under your name. I didn't want to because I have a very difficult name. So my story is similar to the story of Gary Vaynerchuk who is known as Gary V. But the point remains - focus on your audience, not your name or logo. Conclusions? Looking back, I wish someone had told me to ignore the haters completely from day one. They're not your audience, and engaging with them only drains your energy and creativity. Use that block button liberally and focus on the people who actually want to hear what you have to say. The technical quality will improve naturally over time. Start with what you have, focus on delivering value, and upgrade your equipment gradually as you grow. The most successful YouTubers didn't wait for perfect conditions - they started creating and improved along the way. Consistency beats perfection every time. I've seen channels with basic equipment outperform technically perfect videos simply because they showed up regularly with valuable content. Your audience cares more about what you say than how polished it looks. Remember that YouTube is about connection, not perfection. People subscribe to channels because they connect with the creator and the message, not because the lighting is perfect or the intro is professionally animated. So if you're just starting out, or even if you've been at it for a while, learn from my mistakes. Don't waste years like I did worrying about haters, obsessing over technical perfection, or constantly rebranding. Know your audience, deliver value consistently, and everything else will fall into place. The truth is, most of us overthink everything when we start on YouTube. We worry about what others will think, if our videos are good enough, or if our branding makes sense. But none of that matters as much as simply starting and staying consistent. If I could go back and do it all again, I would focus exclusively on creating content for my target audience from day one. I would ignore the haters completely, use whatever equipment I had available, and stick with a simple, consistent brand identity. So that's my advice to you after 10 years on this platform. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Get full access to Digital Pragmatism at www.digitalpragmatism.com/subscribe (https://www.digitalpragmatism.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   11 Mar 2025

   The truth about job hunting

   Hello there, wonderful people. I want to share one of my strongest opinions about job hunting today: if you have to job hunt, a far better strategy is just to build a business. And I will explain to you why. I'm very good at spotting patterns, seeing things that repeat, and noticing changes in trends. I'm also an avid learner - I love acquiring new skills, reading books, and testing new concepts. At almost 50, I've learned how to produce world-class quality podcasts and cinematic videos, and this passion for learning extends to other areas of my life as well. This learning ability has helped me spot things that are often overlooked today. One of those things is how we actually learn. You might think learning happens by repeating something over and over, and that's partially true. But real learning requires something more crucial: iteration. The True Nature of Learning What does it mean to learn by iterating? It means you need to try different approaches and test various concepts to truly learn. If you're just repeating the same thing over and over, you'll become proficient at that specific task, but you won't actually learn in the broader sense. This is precisely why I believe looking for a job today is stupid. If you've lost your job or resigned from a toxic workplace, don't look for a new job. Build a business instead. Why shouldn't you be looking for a new job? Because the job search process doesn't allow for iteration, which means you can't learn or improve. You'll just apply through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), get rejected without feedback, then apply again with slight changes to your CV or cover letter, only to be rejected again without explanation. The Broken Job Search System Do you spot the pattern? Yes - it's the complete absence of feedback. And why is there no feedback? Because rejections are often not communicated at all (ghosting), or they come from no-reply email addresses, giving you zero chance to ask questions or request feedback. You're actively blocked from being able to iterate. You'll never get better at job searching because you have no opportunity to learn from your mistakes or understand what employers are actually looking for. Some LinkedIn gurus will tell you, "Just post articles on LinkedIn, comment on others' posts, and network so you can apply through a real person." But that's not really true. While you might gain more visibility on LinkedIn, the person who gives you a job lead will ultimately redirect you to the same ATS, where you'll get rejected without feedback. Why Building a Business Is Different How is building a business different? You'll have to put in exactly the same amount of effort. You'll still need to network, refine your offerings many times, and face rejection. But there's one crucial difference: every time you take action, you'll receive feedback. Every time you make a sales call, you'll learn why a prospect didn't buy. You'll be able to identify where in the conversation things went wrong, or you can simply ask them directly, "Why didn't you buy my offer?" They'll tell you their reasons. Maybe their feedback won't be completely honest or precise, but at least it will exist. You'll have something to work with, something that allows you to iterate. The next time you make a sales call, send an email, or meet someone at a networking event, you'll know what to do differently to avoid rejection and make the sale. The Power of Iteration This opportunity to iterate is what makes building a business so much more valuable than job hunting in today's environment. With each interaction, you're learning, adapting, and improving your approach based on real feedback. In business building, rejection isn't a dead end - it's a signpost showing you where to go next. Every "no" brings you closer to understanding what will generate a "yes." This is the fundamental difference that makes entrepreneurship a more effective use of your time and energy. The job search system is fundamentally broken. It's designed to process applications efficiently for employers, not to help job seekers improve. You can submit hundreds of applications and never understand why you're not getting interviews or offers. When you build a business, the market gives you immediate, honest feedback. If your product doesn't sell, you know something needs to change. If your marketing doesn't resonate, you'll see it in your metrics. If your sales pitch falls flat, you'll hear it directly from potential customers. Taking Control of Your Future This feedback loop is invaluable. It puts you in control of your professional development rather than leaving you at the mercy of opaque hiring systems. You become the architect of your own success rather than a passive applicant hoping to be chosen. Building a business also allows you to leverage your unique skills and experiences in ways that traditional employment often doesn't. You can create something that perfectly aligns with your strengths and passions rather than trying to fit yourself into someone else's predefined role. The truth is, the traditional job market is increasingly failing talented people. The systems designed to "efficiently" process applications are actually preventing meaningful connections between skilled workers and the companies that need them. By building a business, you're stepping outside this broken system entirely. So if you find yourself needing to job hunt, consider this alternative path. The effort required is similar, but the potential for growth, learning, and ultimately success is dramatically different. Get full access to Digital Pragmatism at www.digitalpragmatism.com/subscribe (https://www.digitalpragmatism.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

102,720

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

50

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

0

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