You know what they say about progress, right? Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. The musician Frank Zappa stated this, and the more we think about it, the more it makes sense.

What does progress mean to you? We hope you pause whatever you’re doing and ponder over this. 💭

On that note, let’s begin today’s Going Solo with:

• Vera Nazarian on creativity
• How Naval Ravikant prioritised creativity
• TikTok’s trying to get back in India
• Rex Woodbury on cultural transmission in the internet age

Vera Nazarian on Creativity

Vera Nazarian is a Russian-American writer who writes science and fantasy fiction. Having written nearly 20 books and over 20 short stories, she is also quite active on TikTok, where she shares tips on writing.

Her book The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration has nuggets of wisdom that inspire hundreds of creators out there, but these lines struck a chord with us. 👇🏼

How Naval Ravikant Prioritised Creativity & Became Successful

Let’s be honest — Naval Ravikant really needs no introduction! We’ve all either sought inspiration or just enjoyed his posts. Naval moved to New York from India when he was nine, and in New York, he dabbled in many gigs before joining Dartmouth. 🔥

Later, he floated Angellist, which is now a unicorn worth $4.1B. We wrote a Twitter thread about him, and it also covers how he also prioritised creativity. 👇🏼

Naval’s Journey in a Twitter Thread

TikTok Is Trying to Get Back in India

It’s best to admit we all miss TikTok, and most of us have gotten through the initial weeks of the pandemic and lockdown through TikTok. And now, we hear TikTok is trying to get back in India.

What does this mean? Well, only good things! Tier-2 and tier-3 creators or even middle-class creators have found a voice, audience, and a greater reach, thanks to TikTok. Which means, if TikTok is back, creators will definitely have an opportunity maximise their revenue and reach.

According to a report by Business Insider, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is having a conversation with Hiranandani Group to find its way back.

To know more about this move, read this.

Rex Woodbury on Cultural Transmission in the Internet Age

Rex Woodbury writes Digital Native — a weekly newsletter, and one of his latest features talks about how cultural transmission happens in the internet age. Quoting Top Gun: Maverick and how the 1986 original led to a 500% increase in the US Navy enrolments, this article also talks about the effect that The Queen’s Gambit created. ♟️

If there’s one thing you should read on the internet today, let is be this.

Cultural Transmission in the Internet Age

Drumroll! We've Dropped a New Video Series

Folks, we've just dropped a new video series — Frontrunners Show hosted by Dharmesh Ba and Rajesh Raghavan. In this weekly video podcast, you'll find us analysing the creator economy and its diverse themes.

In the first video, we talk about horizontal vs. vertical content creators. Watch the video right here, right now. 👇🏼