A Better Lemonade Stand #308

Insights, trends & tools to build a better online business.

Author

Richard Lazazzera
October 01, 2024

Thanks for joining me for another week of insights, trends, tools, and opportunities to help you build a better online business.

Entrepreneurship has its challenges, and last week threw me a curveball.

I woke up to an email report monitoring my domain for malicious activity—something I set up seven years ago with a free “set it and forget it” tool.

Normally, it’s an email I glance at on Monday mornings and then immediately delete.

But this time was different.

I send this weekly email to 20,000 subscribers, and the report usually reflects that. But the previous week, nearly 800,000 emails were sent from my domain.

This report wasn’t one to ignore.

I spent the next two days investigating, consulting experts, and eventually hiring a specialist. By the end of the week, we discovered my domain had been spoofed and used to send out hundreds of thousands of spam emails.

Fortunately, we shut it down—though it cost me nearly a week of productivity.

A nightmare, but at least it was manageable and caught early.

For those with established brands, I strongly recommend setting up a strict DMARC policy and using a free tool like Postmark to monitor your domain.

It’s a simple way to stay ahead of issues and act fast when needed.

Over the next few weeks, this newsletter might come from either my usual address ([email protected]) or ([email protected]) as I re-warm my sending domain.

Shifting gears, I have a great edition for you this week. Here’s what’s new and noteworthy:

  • 1️⃣ Trend: 🔍 Discover how to utilize Reddit and AI tools to turn unmet needs into profitable business ideas.

  • 2️⃣ Insight: 💵 Learn monetization strategies for your blog to maximize engagement and revenue.

  • 3️⃣ Insight: 🎨 Understand the growing importance of curation skills in the age of AI.

  • 4️⃣ Opportunity: 🛠️ Learn the core components of no-code app development using Bubble’s features.

Let’s Connect! I’m always interested in hearing from subscribers. Whether you want to say hi or share your latest project, just hit reply—I’m always up for a chat, and there are no VAs or AIs in this inbox.

Or, use the poll at the bottom of the newsletter to share your thoughts on this issue.

💛 Sponsor

📧 Get Bigger Sales from Email & SMS

Omnisend’s email & SMS platform helps 115,000+ merchants like you make more sales and reach more people than they ever thought possible.

📈 Trends

💡 Insights

💵 Turn Your Blog Into a Money Maker

Here’s how to monetize your blog effectively with ad placements, impressions, and clicks.

  • CPM vs. CPA: CPM pays per 1,000 ad views, making it ideal for high-traffic blogs, while CPA offers higher payouts for specific user actions (like clicks or sign-ups), which works best with more engaged audiences.

  • Custom Ad Relationships: Build personal relationships with advertisers to create hand-curated ad placements specifically for the blog's audience, offering the potential for better deals and implementations.

🎨 The Future of Creativity: From Generation to Curation

As AI is reshaping how we think about creativity, It’s no longer just about creating fresh content but curating it..

  • Why It's Trending: You can spit out hundreds of ideas in minutes. But here’s the thing: not all those ideas are winners. The real skill lies in curating, choosing, polishing, and pushing forward the most viable concepts.

  • What It Means for You: AI may be better at generating ideas, but humans still excel at picking the best ones. As curation grows in importance, new opportunities like Curation as a Service continue to emerge, streamlining content discovery and providing maximum value.

🤝 Opportunity

🛠️ Build Apps Without Code Using Bubble

Bubble lets you create powerful apps without writing a single line of code. Get to know the three core parts to master app development as a beginner:

  • Database: The heart of your app where all the data is stored and managed to pull and organize data to keep your app running smoothly.

  • Workflow: Set up your app’s functionality by automating tasks and making buttons and forms interactive. It's like adding JavaScript to your app but without the code.

  • Design: Bring your app to life visually with Bubble’s drag-and-drop editor. Customize the layout, user interface, and overall aesthetic to create an engaging front end.

🧰 Apps & Tools

📊 30+ Free Automation Tools: Automate tasks and save time with these 30+ automation tools for workflows, browsers, and desktops, with no coding needed.

🛠️ Bootstrapped: Resource hub for no-code developers and freelancers, featuring tutorials for platforms like Adalo, Webflow, and Bubble.

👥 Subreddit Traffic: Keep track of the best time to post content in your subreddits for maximum content reach.

🔍 XRay.Tools: Search engine for automation platforms, helping you discover and compare tools like Zapier, Workato, and Power Automate.

🤔 Lumona: Get answers to queries based on common answers from social media discussions.

🤖 Product Updates

🗣️ ChatGPT’s Voice Upgrade

ChatGPT just got a major voice boost. You can have natural, engaging conversations with accents, emotions, and sound effects.

  • Why It’s Cool: Five new voices, enhanced accents, and the ability to express emotions, ChatGPT feels more human than ever by cracking jokes or reacting to stories with emotion.

  • It Means for You: The upgrade brings more realistic, engaging chats, perfect for experimenting with new tech or enhancing your experience with devices like Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses.

🔫 WordPress vs. WP Engine: Open Source Battle

Tensions are high in the WordPress community as cofounder Matt Mullenweg calls out WP Engine for exploiting WordPress’ open-source ecosystem without giving back.

  • The Battle: WP Engine, a major hosting provider, faces accusations of "strip-mining" WordPress’ open-source code without contributing enough back to the project.

  • What’s at Stake: WordPress.org is blocking WP Engine's access to its servers, impacting thousands of websites, while legal threats and trademark disputes escalate the conflict.

  • The Open-Source Dilemma: The core issue is whether companies profiting from free software should be obligated to support their development or risk being sidelined.

🖇️ Everything Else

📘 A NotebookLM Alternative: Check out this open-source alternative to Google’s NotebookLM, built in just one afternoon. (🔗Insights)

🏢 AI-Powered Organizations: How companies like Alaska Airlines and Best Buy use AI agents to streamline customer service and boost productivity. (🔗Insights)

A Private Community for… you. 🚀

Are you enjoying these emails? If so, I am building a private community that you might be interested in.

“Space” is a community I'm creating for entrepreneurs, creators, and digital explorers who are passionate about pushing the boundaries of what's possible online and preparing for what’s next.

After over a decade in the digital business world, I've seen firsthand the power of connecting with like-minded individuals.

In Space, we'll be building a community focusing on:

  • Leveraging AI, no-code, and automation in our businesses

  • Creating and launching impactful digital products

  • Building sustainable online business models

  • Developing strong personal brands in the digital age

This community is for those who are always looking ahead, ready to adapt and innovate as the digital landscape evolves.

I'm curating this group carefully to ensure we build something truly valuable.

If you're intrigued by Space and what we'll be exploring together, you can sign up for the waitlist here 👇🏼

SPACE: A private community for digital entrepreneurs, creators, and explorers.

Have questions? Don’t hesitate to hit reply, even if it’s just to say hi—I’m always up for a chat, and I personally handle all responses. No VAs or AIs here!

Or, use the poll below to share your thoughts on this issue.

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