the bravest thing you can do this 4th of july

if america is so bold, why aren't you?

While everyone else is taking the day off for BBQs and fireworks, I asked my entire team to come in today.

Not for busy work. Not for overtime. For something extraordinary.

At 9 AM sharp, I gathered everyone in our conference room and said: "The founding fathers didn't ask permission to build something revolutionary. Today, neither will you."

Here's what happened next:

🇺🇸 Sarah from marketing just launched her own agency—taking three of our biggest clients with my blessing

🇺🇸 James from engineering announced his fintech startup—I'm writing the first check

🇺🇸 Maria from sales is spinning off our entire West Coast division as her own company

🇺🇸 The entire dev team? They're building something so disruptive I can't even talk about it yet

Some people will think I'm crazy. "Why would you help your employees leave?"

Because THAT'S what real leadership looks like.

The founding fathers could have stayed comfortable under British rule. Instead, they burned the ships and built something that changed the world forever.

As of this writing, I have no employees left.

I've also just gotten word that my wife took me up on my offer to do something bold and brave and has filed for divorce (proud of you honey!!)

I am alone.

And just like America, I am Free.

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don’t leave yet, there are cool america gifs below

no but for real - wanna join a cool group of ppl writing where no one has to share or anything

July 4th is here which means it’s definitely July! And that means a whole new month of BATWRITE cowriting days are upon us for the lucky members of the BATCAVE.

Here’s the schedule this month! Paid subscribers will be getting an email on Sunday with all the lu.ma RSVP links!

• Wednesday, July 9, 4:00p-6:00p EST - BATWRITE

• Saturday, July 12, 10:00a-12:00p EST - BATWRITE

• Tuesday, July 15, 4:00p-6:00p EST - BATWRITE

• Wednesday, July 16, 10:30a-12:30p EST - BATWRITE

• Tuesday, July 22, 4:00p-6:00p EST - BATWRITE

• Thursday, July 24, 9:00a-11:00a EST - BATWRITE

• Saturday, July 26, 10:00a-12:00p EST - BATWRITE

• Tuesday, July 29, 4:00p-6:00p EST - BATWRITE

• Thursday, July 31, 10:00a-12:00p EST - BATWRITE

BATCAVE Q&A: Answered by People Who've Actually Done It

A lot of you asked questions about how things go in the BATCAVE and that you want to join but had some questions first. I GET THAT.

Here are answers to your questions from people who are already in the BATCAVE:

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Q: Is it worth the time investment?

• "I participate in a large number of co-working groups, and have systematically left all but this one" - Marcas O'Dea

Q: What actually happens during a session?

• "We chat and then we write, and then we chat and then we write again" - Neha

• "Alex opened with a prompt and some interesting insights, and then we broke off to write on our own" - Anon

• "Intensive periods of writing interspersed with strange Powerpoint slides and even stranger humor" - Marcas O'Dea

• "It's like coworking with a little reminder to relax at the beginning because good writing doesn't just flow out like a river of perfect words" - Beth Spencer

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Q: Is it structured or free-form?

• "no rules about what your creative activity needs to be--although emphasis is on writing...fiction, non-fiction, emails, posts" - Mary Louisa Locke

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Q: Is it intimidating or judgmental?

• "A place you can trauma dump a little AND talk openly about farts (with only a mild vulnerability hangover after)" - Anon

• "you can bring your messiness and grumpiness and joy and fart jokes to it and somehow manage to be productive" - Seth Werkheiser

• "Alex is so authentic that he forces authenticity in others" - Bagel

• "Safe, creative space" - Debbie Weil

Q: What if I'm shy or nervous?

• "instantly feel like the guard is down and you can be you with others" - Bagel

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Q: Will I actually be productive?

• "I not only finished my revision, I submitted it to a literary mag for reconsideration!" - Mansi

• "THINK I FINALLY FINISHED THE TOILET STORY!" - Beth Spencer

• "I had a productive editing session for my latest story" - Maliha Mannan

• "Was an important reminder that I work more productively with some external commitment" - Mary Louisa Locke

Q: What about accountability?

• "being accountable in front of people--real people, not nameless, faceless followers--is good for me" - Mansi

• "I do better in terms of writing if I think someone else might notice if I stop writing and start checking my phone!" - Mary Louisa Locke

• "accountability eyeballs watching me seems to help" - Christine

Q: What about the prompts?

• "I loved the prompts, especially the apology one, and how that pulls up vulnerable writing quickly" - Michael Curry

• "write about the thing that's blocking you from writing" was a great lesson in resourcefulness" - Harrison Moore

• "Best Prompts and Most Inspiring Acronyms ever" - Christine

Q: Will I actually connect with people?

• "Great group of people" - Seth Werkheiser

• "cool peeps with cool ideas to hang with makes me wanna write more" - Christine

• "I am finding it fascinating to see all the very different people this co-writing is attracting" - Mary Louisa Locke

• "love seeing familiar faces" - Debbie Weil

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Q: Is it actually supportive?

• "Chill, supportive, productive" - Anonymous participant

• "Kind, friendly folks who are all there to get creative and help each other!" - Beth Spencer

• "really useful feedback from the group" - Debbie Weil

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Q: Will I actually improve as a writer?

• "maybe I write better when I'm in a space with other folks who are trying to do the same thing" - Seth Werkheiser

• "I can lighten up and not be so serious" - Harrison Moore

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Q: What about personal growth?

• "I connected with a piece of my identity that had been dormant" - Kathryn Hatheway

• "everyone's shit is basically the same as mine in a different costume" - Carly Valancy

• "I cannot clearly see mySelf by my self, just like how none of us has ever seen our own face, only reflections of it" - Anon

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Q: What if I can't make every session?

• "I came late, wrote a little and then got distracted and ghosted the ending - but it feels like a cool spot to hang" - Anne Marie

• "I wished I could have stayed for the full 2 hours. But I plan on it eventually" - Eri

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