Most people are stuck solving the wrong problems. They obsess over pixel-perfect website tweaks, compare follower counts, and replay awkward conversations in their head while the questions that actually move the needle go unanswered. What are you building? Who is it for? Why does it matter?

In this episode, we break down why small problems shrink your life and how choosing bigger, harder problems is the fastest path to growth in business and personally. We dig into the "pick your battles" framework, why the interest graph has made followers nearly irrelevant, and the real math behind creator income. One YouTuber made $1.2M from a single video while a TikToker with 1.4M followers and 360M views couldn't cover rent.

If you want to be useful, not just famous, this one's for you.
Topics covered: vanity metrics, interest graph vs. follower graph, AI search, hyperlocal platforms, timeless marketing, and what it means to be a student of the craft.

Chapters

• (00:00) - Small Problems, Small Life
• (00:35) - What Counts as Small
• (02:18) - The Vanity Metrics Trap
• (04:10) - Small Stuff in Your Personal Life
• (06:17) - Pick Your Battles
• (09:13) - The Reset Button of Social Media
• (15:02) - Why the Interest Graph Wins
• (15:41) - Being Useful Pays
• (16:10) - AI Search Finds You
• (18:02) - TikTok vs. YouTube Money
• (18:40) - Fame vs. Freedom
• (19:02) - The Million-Dollar Video
• (19:50) - 1.4M Followers, Can't Make Rent
• (21:27) - In Service of What?
• (22:09) - The Hyperlocal Platform Model
• (23:09) - Who Should Do Marketing?
• (25:32) - Timeless Marketing Tactics
• (26:28) - Students of the Craft
• (33:18) - Big Problems Worth Solving
• (35:11) - Wrap Up

Useful Not Famous is the podcast for people who care more about making money than getting likes and subscribers.

Join our useful family at usefulnotfamous.com to get one actionable tip delivered to your inbox every Monday morning.

Follow us! Jeff Sarris | Amara Andrew

Support the Show
Readwise is the way to get the most out of what you read and is the only subscription that we find so valuable that we can imagine keeping it until the end of time. Sign up for Readwise using our special link, readwise.io/maven/, and get 60 days free!

You crave certainty, yet that need is precisely what's holding you back. This week, we talk about why building trust with a personal brand, going hyperlocal, and creating real-life experiences people want to talk about are the only left ways to thrive in the AI future that's rapidly approaching.

Chapters

• (00:00) - Certainty Quote
• (00:05) - Engagement
• (00:28) - Why We Disappeared
• (01:56) - Plane Germs And Stress
• (02:49) - Recovery And Reset
• (05:03) - Certainty And Growth
• (05:31) - Readwise And Procreate
• (06:29) - Stepping Stones Mindset
• (08:59) - Artists And AI Fear
• (14:50) - Jobs Change Over Time
• (18:29) - AI Tools And Small Teams
• (21:05) - App Gold Rush Reality
• (22:36) - AI Tools Need Skill
• (23:00) - Why AI Editing Lags
• (24:26) - Sora Shutdown Story
• (25:15) - Claude Runs Your Mac
• (29:08) - Entrepreneur Window Now
• (31:08) - Personal Brand Survival
• (35:52) - Hyperlocal Media Strategy
• (37:59) - In Person Experiences Win
• (39:23) - Miami Yogurt Viral Play
• (43:17) - Wrap Up And Plug

Useful Not Famous is the podcast for people who care more about making money than getting likes and subscribers.

Join our useful family at usefulnotfamous.com to get one actionable tip delivered to your inbox every Monday morning.

Follow us! Jeff Sarris | Amara Andrew

Support the Show
Readwise is the way to get the most out of what you read and is the only subscription that we find so valuable that we can imagine keeping it until the end of time. Sign up for Readwise using our special link, readwise.io/maven/, and get 60 days free!

We’re engaged! But before we share that story, we talk about pronoia (the opposite of paranoia), choosing to believe the universe is working in your favor. And how that simple shift changes what you notice, how you feel, and how you perform.

We also talk about a gratitude practice that’s not a reaction (“grateful for”), but surprisingly far more effective.

Plus, a wiener dog joins the show mid-episode!

So many kind strangers have randomly taken our photo and shared them with us over the past ten years. See them all here!

See our engagement photos on Instagram!

00:00 Pronoia Mindset Shift
02:10 From Funk to Optimism
04:56 Belief Creates Results
06:00 Nickelback and Perspective
07:33 Body Image Reframe
09:54 Gratitude as a Practice
10:52 A wiener dog joins us!
14:48 Strangers Taking Photos
18:59 Miami Beach Setup
19:28 Beach Stranger Approaches
20:19 Unexpected Photo Offer
21:06 Birthday Dinner Cover Plan
23:06 Staged Photo Setup
24:06 The Proposal Moment
25:43 Ring Details and Reactions
26:29 From No Marriage to Yes
28:01 Keeping Surprises Secret
29:28 Miami Favorites and Friends
32:07 Pronoia and Gratitude Mindset
34:55 Back to Work and Opportunity
35:41 Wrap Up

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Useful Not Famous is the podcast for people who care more about making money than getting likes and subscribers.

Join our useful family at usefulnotfamous.com to get one actionable tip delivered to your inbox every Monday morning.

Follow us! Jeff Sarris | Amara Andrew

Support the Show
Readwise is the way to get the most out of what you read and is the only subscription that we find so valuable that we can imagine keeping it until the end of time. Sign up for Readwise using our special link, readwise.io/maven/, and get 60 days free!