My Biggest Failure, and Success, of 2024

12/16/24 • 23 min

Streamlined Solopreneur: Tips to Help Solopreneurs Automate Their Business

2024 has been a transformative year for me. I learned a ton about myself and my business, and for the first time in a while I feel like I’m not flailing. I’ll have the clearest plan I’ve had in a long time in 2025 — one that’s reinforced by conversations I’ve had, not just hunches. So for the last episode of the year, I wanted to do a quick year in review where I talk about my biggest success, my biggest failure, and the lessons I learn.

Plus, some feedback from last week’s episode on using AI.

My Biggest Success

This was definitely ranking #1 in Google for “Podcast Coach”. It shows that my work to grow this area of my business is working out!

Biggest Failure

My Be everywhere strategy. I made a big deal about it and abandoned after 4 months, since it was very clearly not working. It was basically all downsides. It also resulted in two other outcomes:

Going to stop publishing on Medium in 2025
Shutting down my membership

Lessons

Know your niche. I thought I knew mine but it got a lot clearer the back half of the year, and I saw a positive impact because of it.
Don’t discount SEO/Google, and even ChatGPT, which is being used for search more. As social media is fracturing further,
Focus on one thing at a time. My Be Everywhere strategy left me trying to do too many things at once, and none of the succeeded.

Links

PodMatch
Maker and Moxie
Podcast Advent
My Experiment with Substack and Being “Everywhere”
My Be Everywhere Strategy was an Incredible Failure
How to be a Scrappy Researcher (to Actually Sell Products) with Becky Pierson Davidson
I’m Shutting Down my Podcast Membership
We Need AI Disclosures
Matt Medeiros
The Podcast Setup
Mike (Bagel) Barugel
(00:00) - Intro
(01:32) - My Biggest Success
(06:01) - My Biggest Failure
(09:34) - Social Media is Fracturing
(11:30) - 3 Lessons from 2024
(16:25) - Feedback on Using AI

★ Support this podcast ★

Plus, some feedback from last week’s episode on using AI.

My Biggest Success

This was definitely ranking #1 in Google for “Podcast Coach”. It shows that my work to grow this area of my business is working out!

Biggest Failure

My Be everywhere strategy. I made a big deal about it and abandoned after 4 months, since it was very clearly not working. It was basically all downsides. It also resulted in two other outcomes:

Going to stop publishing on Medium in 2025
Shutting down my membership

Lessons

Know your niche. I thought I knew mine but it got a lot clearer the back half of the year, and I saw a positive impact because of it.
Don’t discount SEO/Google, and even ChatGPT, which is being used for search more. As social media is fracturing further,
Focus on one thing at a time. My Be Everywhere strategy left me trying to do too many things at once, and none of the succeeded.

Links

PodMatch
Maker and Moxie
Podcast Advent
My Experiment with Substack and Being “Everywhere”
My Be Everywhere Strategy was an Incredible Failure
How to be a Scrappy Researcher (to Actually Sell Products) with Becky Pierson Davidson
I’m Shutting Down my Podcast Membership
We Need AI Disclosures
Matt Medeiros
The Podcast Setup
Mike (Bagel) Barugel
(00:00) - Intro
(01:32) - My Biggest Success
(06:01) - My Biggest Failure
(09:34) - Social Media is Fracturing
(11:30) - 3 Lessons from 2024
(16:25) - Feedback on Using AI

★ Support this podcast ★

Previous Episode

It’s Been 2 Years Since ChatGPT Came Out. How do Solopreneurs Use It?

It’s been two years since ChatGPT went mainstream, and AI has completely transformed how we work. While I maintain some hesitancy and skepticism in using AI, it has made it’s way into my daily life for certain tasks. While I’ll tell you all about that, I also talk about why the human touch will always matter, no matter how advanced these tools get.

So strap in (yes, I wrote these words without any intervention from AI) for a look into how I’ve been using AI as a solopreneur. And don’t worry — I’ve mostly edited out the rambling rants.

Top Takeaways

AI tools like ChatGPT have improved significantly, especially with features like custom GPTs and web-connected capabilities, but there’s room for growth in personalization.
AI has become an essential tool in my workflows, particularly for providing fresh perspectives during ideation and research, and “rubber ducking.”
As we move forward, it’s important to balance efficiency with authenticity, using AI for support while ensuring it doesn’t replace meaningful human interactions and creativity.

Links

Apple's Definition of a Photo
The Coming Wave
I'm on Bluesky
Send your feedback
(00:00) - Intro
(01:52) - I'm AI Hesitant
(05:49) - How I'm Using AI
(09:41) - ChatGPT is Replacing Google
(12:48) - My Thoughts on Apple Intelligence
(13:58) - What is a Photo?
(18:53) - Feedback — How You're Using AI!
(22:31) - The Future of AI
(25:41) - Wrapping Up

★ Support this podcast ★

Next Episode

Generosity and the Future: My Favorite Christmas Story

I knew from a young age, I wanted to play the drums. I got my first small kit when I was five and when my friends and I started a "band," heavy quotes, I played paint buckets. When I was 15 years old, I knew I needed a real kit.

This is the story of how I got it, and how one man's incredible kindness had a profound effect on me.

Show Notes