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DeveloPassion's Newsletter 204 - Building in Public - The Numbers, The Struggles, and My Plans for 2026

A newsletter discussing AI, Knowledge Work, Knowledge Management Systems, Zen Productivity, Personal Organization, and everything in between!

Sebastien Dubois

Sebastien Dubois

— 30 min read
DeveloPassion's Newsletter 204 - Building in Public - The Numbers, The Struggles, and My Plans for 2026

Hello everyone! I'm Sébastien Dubois, your host. You're receiving this email because you signed up for DeveloPassion's Newsletter. Thank you for being here with me ✨

If you enjoy this, please forward it to your friends 👍. If this email was forwarded to you, then don't forget to subscribe and become a supporter. You can also follow me on X, Bluesky, and Mastodon.

Introduction 

Welcome to all the new readers ❤️

Here I am, early January 2026, sitting at my desk with my left eye throbbing (because apparently breaking my front tooth in December wasn't enough 😅), reviewing everything that happened in 2025. I spent the last few days of the year and the first few days of this one doing something that's very important for me: truly looking back.

Not just at the numbers or the products launched. But at the whole picture. The wins and the wounds. The breakthroughs and the breakdowns. The moments that made me want to quit and the ones that reminded me exactly why I don't want to.

As I scrolled through my 2025 yearly note documenting every achievement, every failure, every moment of joy and frustration - the first feeling that hit me wasn't pride or disappointment. It was gratitude mixed with urgency.

Gratitude because holy hell, I did a LOT this year. I doubled my revenue. I launched the Knowii Community and saw it grow to over 300 members. I created products I'm really proud of. I many editions of this newsletter. I became a better teacher, a better creator, a better thinker.

But urgency because... I still can't pay myself. October 2023 was the last time I could. That's three years of building, hustling, sacrificing, believing - and I'm still not there yet. This isn't a sad story, though. Not even close. This is the story of what it really looks like to build something meaningful.

Behind every product you've bought, every article you've read, every newsletter like this one, there's a really humble person. Someone with a family to support, a wedding to plan (September 2026!! 🎉), health struggles to endure, and big dreams that keep me going despite everything.

I needed to process 2025, understand what worked and what didn't, and build a real strategy for 2026. Not just goals. A plan. A pivot. A path to finally achieving the financial freedom that's been eluding me.

I'm sharing all of this because I believe in building in public. Because I think you deserve to see the human behind the business. And because I need your support, your feedback, and your ideas as I navigate the biggest transformation years of my life.

Ready? Let's dive in 🚀

Before You Go Any Further 

I want to reach more people. Got 20 seconds? Then share the link with one friend/colleague who would benefit from joining us! And of course, don't forget to also mention the Knowii Community ❤️

And if you bought some of my products or courses? Then please leave a rating/review. It really helps a lot ❤️

Mission & Core Strategy 

Throughout 2025, I noticed something that became impossible to ignore. A pattern that showed up in my analytics, in my sales, in the emails I received, and most importantly, in my own mirror.

The content that resonated most wasn't my deep dives into PKM theory or knowledge work. It was the pieces about content creation systems, writing workflows, and building sustainable creative practices. When I published articles about turning notes into articles, managing content, or leveraging AI for content creation; those were the ones that sparked conversations, got shared, and drove sales.

And then there was the most obvious signal of all: I AM a creator. I've been one all along.

I publish dozens of articles and newsletters each year newsletters. I create courses, products, tools, videos, podcasts. I'm building a business by creating and sharing knowledge. I've been teaching PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) to "knowledge workers," but I've actually been building and leveraging a creator's knowledge system.

I feel like I've been teaching the right systems to a too broad audience.

So here's the pivot I'm making in 2026:

From "PKM for Knowledge Workers" to "Content & Knowledge Systems for Creators"

This isn't about abandoning my mission. It's about expanding and sharpening it. I'm still on a mission to help people escape information overload and build systems that work. But now I'm going to focus on the people who need these systems MOST, and who can create the most value with them:

Content creators, solopreneurs, course builders, writers, authors, newsletter editors, coaches, and anyone building a business by sharing their knowledge and/or building products.

The transformation I'm going to focus on is complete:

  • From chaotic content creation to reliable systems that produce consistent, high-quality output
  • From drowning in tools and ideas to using knowledge + AI to create more valuable content faster
  • From creative blocks to consistent productivity and shipping
  • From scattered efforts to sustainable creator businesses where knowledge is your competitive advantage
  • From a foggy vision to 100% clarity without doubts

Now, if you're a knowledge worker reading this and thinking, "Wait, am I being left behind?". The answer is simple: Nope!

In fact, you might already be a creator. If you write documentation, teach colleagues, create presentations, share knowledge, participate in meetings, you're creating content. These systems I'm building will serve you too. It's just better, clearer language for what you're already doing.

And the systems work for everyone. The creator-focused refinements I'm making to my products will make them even better for traditional knowledge work too. A rising tide lifts all boats.

I'll still support existing products. The Obsidian Starter Kit, Knowledge Worker Kit, and everything else you've purchased will continue to evolve and improve. But my new content, new products, and primary focus will be laser-targeted on helping creators build the knowledge systems that let them create prolifically, sustainably, and profitably.

This pivot isn't just strategic. It's also personal and self-serving. I'm building what I wish I had when I started. And in 2026, I'm bringing you along for the entire journey.

More on the specific 2026 plans later in this newsletter. First, let me show you how I got here by sharing the full story of 2025.

2025 Highlights 

Personal Highlights 

  • Ran 20KM twice - pushed my body further than I thought possible
  • Started preparing for my wedding (September 2026! 🎉)
  • Watched my kids hit major milestones - Matthieu turned 15, Amandine started high school, Raphaël turned 4
  • Finished ~30 books
  • Learned Rust and Tauri while building Knowii Voice AI
  • Got a promotion at my day job
  • Amazing vacation in France with family and friends
  • Quality time with my bride, special moments, adventures, and building our future together
  • ...

Business Highlights 

The theme? I showed up. Despite everything: the financial stress, the health challenges, the self-doubt ,... I kept building, creating, and serving this community. And you showed up too. Thank you ❤️

Health 

Let me be completely honest with you: I feel like I'm all broken.

That's not metaphorical. That's how I described myself in my December notes. Left shoulder hurting at night. Right leg and ankle still recovering from running injuries. Back aching. Broken front tooth (won't get permanently fixed until August 2026 - a month before my wedding :x). And as I'm writing this newsletter, my left eye is throbbing.

But hey, I 2025 was also the year I pushed my body further than I thought possible. I walked a ton, started running again, ran 2x20KM, ...

I just pushed too hard. My right leg gave out. I could barely walk. The pain was intense. I had to stop running for months. When I tried again in November, both my legs went numb while running and started hurting even when walking. It was depressing. The injuries kept coming. In January, my back got completely stuck. I couldn't move, couldn't walk. In September, my left shoulder started acting up. In December, I broke my front tooth. The pain lasted over 10 days. I could barely eat. The "fix" I got is temporary until August.

So what did I learn?

My body's been trying to tell me something all year: you can't hustle your way to health.

I can't push 20KM runs when I haven't built a sustainable running practice. I can't ignore sleep, nutrition, and stress management while building a business and raising a family. 2025 taught me that health isn't about heroic efforts. It's about sustainable practices.

So yes, I feel old and broken right now. But I haven't given up. I'm just learning to listen better. To respect my body's limits while working to expand them gradually. To celebrate what my body CAN do (like type this newsletter!) instead of only focusing on what it can't.

Family 

My kids are growing up so fast it's almost scary.

Matthieu turned 15 in January. Fifteen! For his birthday, I wrote him something about Capturing moments of joy because I'm realizing more and more that these years with them are fleeting. He's becoming a young man, and I'm grateful for every moment we get together.

Amandine started high school and handled the transition beautifully. At 13, she's finding her own path, developing her interests, and showing so much strength.

Raphaël turned 4 in September. He's incredibly cute, always smiling, and so awesome I can't even find the right words to describe him. He's literally a little angel. He was born when I was close to 40, so I'm watching him grow with different eyes than I had when Matthieu and Amandine were born. I feel like I pay more attention and feel more grateful for every moment I get to spend with him.

Throughout 2025, I was reminded again and again how important it is to be present. Not just physically there, but actually present. The moments I spend with my family matter more than any revenue number ever will. And I want to enjoy many more.

And then there's Stef, my bride.

We're getting married in September 2026! 🎉

2025 was the year of preparing for that commitment. Finding our wedding rings. Working on invitations together. Planning our future. Building a life together while I'm building a business. She's been my rock through all the chaos; the financial stress, the health struggles, the late nights working on products and newsletters.

Every moment with her, reminds me why I'm doing all of this.

2025 also brought loss. We said goodbye to close family members we loved. It's a reminder that time is precious and finite. That the moments we have with the people we love can't be taken for granted.

Family is the foundation everything else is built on. That's where the truly meaningful things will always be.

When the business is stressful and the money isn't there yet, when my body hurts and I'm exhausted, when I question whether any of this is worth it - my family is the answer. They're why I keep going.

Leisure 

Here's something I struggle with: taking time for leisure when the business isn't making enough money yet.

Every time I sat down to play a board game, watch a show, or just relax, there was this voice in my head saying, "You should be working. You should be creating, promoting, sharing, teaching, ... You can't afford to waste time."

But those moments of play kept me sane.

Theater visits with Stef. Watching Attack on Titan with Amandine. Playing FF16 solo. TrackMania sessions with Matthieu and Amandine. Rediscovering Daft Punk and letting music fill the space in my head that's usually occupied by work.

Leisure isn't a luxury I can't afford. It's fuel. The weekends where I completely unplugged helped me come back to work sharper and more creative.

I just can't afford NOT to rest. Burnout doesn't lead to breakthroughs. Exhaustion doesn't fuel creativity. And a life that's all hustle with no joy isn't a life worth building a business for.

Because the moments of play aren't distractions from the work. They're what make the work sustainable, and sustainability is key.

Business Challenges 

Let me tell you what it really looks like to build a bootstrapped business.

I haven't been able to pay myself since October 2023. That's over three years of working, hustling, creating, launching - and still not making enough to actually earn a living from it.

I doubled my revenue in 2025. I went from ~$10K to ~$20K. That sounds nice until you realize it's still far from enough. My business is "default dead" in startup terms. Without my day job (which I was forced to return to at 60% in January of last year), my family would be in serious trouble.

The pressure of this is constant. Every product I launch, every newsletter I write, every hour I spend creating, there's this voice asking, "Is this finally going to be enough? Is this the thing that gets me to sustainability?" So far, the answer has been no.

Here's what else didn't work in 2025:

I bet big on the Knowii Community, and at this point, it still barely pays for itself.

I invested heavily in Circle.so ($140+/month). I created the whole infrastructure. I brought in over 300 members (I actually invited almost 3000). I organized workshops and deep dives. I put my heart into building something truly valuable.

And it's barely breaking even. Worse, the community struggles to feel alive. People join, but most don't engage. The few active members are amazing, but I can't figure out how to get the other 300+ to participate. It hurts because this was my biggest bet of 2025.

The free tier was a also mistake. Many people joined but didn't really care.

I failed at marketing. Badly.

I tried running ads for the Obsidian Starter Kit, but it brought zero sales. I improved sales copy across products, tested different offers, launched birthday and summer promotions. But that brought zero sales.

Most of my marketing efforts throughout the year were vain. I still suck at this and I know it.

I didn't record nearly enough video content - my biggest regret of 2025.

I KNOW video is what I need to focus on. My YouTube channel is growing (2x subscribers). When I publish videos, they work. But I didn't do nearly enough of it.

Why? Because I keep procrastinating. I keep avoiding that work, because I'm not confident enough, because I'm scared of rejection. Because I still suffer from the Impostor syndrome. And so I focus on other things, like building the Obsidian Starter Kit v3. Because that let's me work in the shadows, not really putting myself out there.

This is the clearest failure I can point to: I knew what to do and didn't do enough of it.

The Knowledge Management for Beginners course underperformed.

I worked on it for MONTHS. 125 videos. ~10 hours of content. I poured my expertise into it. It only generated ~$3.5K total. That's very very low ROI for the time I invested. I need to market it better, but I haven't.

Product and platform experiments that flopped:

  • TikTok: Published ~30 videos/images. Almost no traction.
  • PKM Library sales crashed (48 sales vs 278 in 2024). I didn't work on it at all and it showed.
  • Podcast: Launched with excitement. Published a few episodes. Then abandoned it.
  • Obsidian Bootcamp: Planned for September, then abandoned because I was too busy with the Obsidian Starter Kit and hurt my leg.
  • Coaching: Only had a few sessions all year. Didn't promote it at all.

Newsletter revenue went DOWN (-15%) even though I continued publishing new editions. Went from $117 MRR to $77 MRR at one point.

Social media engagement is almost non-existent for most of my posts. Failed to grow meaningfully on any platform despite cross-posting to X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, LinkedIn, and Substack.

In November, I joined the Apple Developer Program ($99 a year) for Knowii Voice AI and I lost a ton of time there because of their clunky Notarization process, and issues still aren't solved to this day. I also started paying for GitHub Actions because I exploded quotas with Knowii Voice AI. I also became a Microsoft Partner, so that I can later publish the app on the Microsoft App Store. This whole cluster**** killed my momentum with that project. Bummer!

The administrative side of the Knowii Community is still a nightmare at this point. I don't have access to their admin API, and it means I have to do most of the admin work manually. It's a real PITA, and definitely something I need to fix.

Every challenge on this list is an experiment that didn't work. Some taught me valuable lessons. Some exposed skill gaps (marketing, video consistency). Some were just capacity constraints (can't do everything).

In January, I also faced a "near-cataclysm" with my notes. Luckily, I had solid backups. But I went further and created a new backup script with PowerShell: https://gist.github.com/dsebastien/dbff841a773be4ecdb61e5233e104feb. I also wrote a Obsidian 2025-01 vault issue post-mortem

But that's the thing with entrepreneurship. You're always running experiments. Many will fail. Some will not. But each and every one of those will teach you something. Also, a hard lesson to learn is that you may be doing everything "right", showing up consistently, creating quality content and products, delivering again and again, and still not make it financially.

That's where I am right now. Not failing catastrophically. But not succeeding sufficiently either.

The good news? Every failure taught me something. Every experiment that flopped gave me data. And all of it is feeding into my 2026 strategy.

I know what needs to change. I know where to focus. And I know that 2026 has to be different.

Because I can't do another year like this.

Achievements 

Now let me show you what I DID accomplish in 2025. Because despite all the challenges, I built A LOT.

Revenue & Business Growth 

  • Doubled revenue: $10K (2024) → $20K (2025)
  • Grew MRR to ~$400 (Knowii Community + DeveloPassion - Newsletter)
  • Best sales month ever: 83 sales, $3.2K (December 2025)
  • Gumroad: 679 total sales (+43% vs 2024), 23.3K views (+3K vs 2024)
  • Launched Knowii Affiliate Program with 40% commissions
    • 110 affiliates joined
    • 225 sales generated all-time
    • $1K in affiliate-driven revenue
  • Black Friday 2025: Most successful ever

Unfortunately, even though I generated $20K this year, I have ~10K of recurring costs + taxes. If I tried to pay myself, the business would be killed in a jiffy!

Products & Major Launches 

  • Obsidian Starter Kit v3 (August-October release)
    • 181 sales, $8K revenue (+$3K vs 2024)
    • Major improvements: first-class Obsidian Bases support, new systems (Action, Learning, Time Management, Health, Wisdom, Dot System, ...)
    • Completely rewrote documentation
    • 8.5K Gumroad views
    • 6.4K unique visitors to landing page
  • Knowii Voice AI (November launch)
    • Privacy-first voice-to-text app
    • 3 sales, $100 revenue (first month)
  • Knowledge Worker Kit
    • 50 sales, $5.4K revenue (+$700 vs 2024)
    • Increased price from $99 to $149
    • Added community event recordings as bonuses
  • AI Ghostwriter Guide (June launch)
    • 5 sales, $100 revenue

Courses 

  • Knowledge Management for Beginners
    • Created: 125 videos, ~10 hours of content
    • Gumroad: 62 sales, $2.4K revenue (+$2K vs 2024)
    • Udemy: 120 sales, $420 revenue (first year on platform)
    • ~200 total students by December
    • Published 10 course videos free on YouTube → contributed to 2x subscriber growth
  • Knowii Community Events, Workshops, Deep Dives & Live Streams
    • Organized and recorded multiple events:
      • AI Master Prompts (June)
      • Model Context Protocol / MCP (June)
      • Clarity 101 (June)
      • Knowledge Management 101 (July)
      • Personal Organization 101 (July)
      • Journaling Deep Dive (August)
      • Obsidian & OSK v3 (October)
      • OSK v3 Deep Dive (November)
    • Sold separately: 38 sales, $270 revenue
    • Added as bonuses to the Knowledge Worker Kit

Community Growth 

  • Launched the Knowii Community (April-May)
    • 343 members total
    • 118 active members (34% MAU)
    • 10 daily active members
    • $280 MRR
    • Hit ~$200 MRR in June
    • Made it paid-only in November (removed free tier)
    • Gumroad: 88 sales, $544
    • Circle.so infrastructure fully set up
    • Added concept cards as free bonus (December)

Content Creation 

Writing:

  • Published 20 editions of DeveloPassion's Newsletter
  • 18 new articles on dsebastien.net
  • ~12K total notes in my vault, 80% of which are published on notes.dsebastien.net
  • PKM Journal: 1K followers on Medium (x2 vs 2024)
  • Started publishing raw voice notes: https://dsebastien.voicenotes.com

Newsletter & Blog:

  • Ghost newsletter: $100 MRR, 12 paid subscribers
  • 2.3K members (+21%)
  • Website: 150K unique visitors (+33%), 270K pageviews (+40%)
  • Google Search: 2.25M impressions, 16.4K clicks
  • Google Discover: 12.7K impressions, 640 clicks
  • Ahrefs: DR 42, 1.5K organic traffic, 242 organic keywords
  • Medium: 2,358 followers (+300), $100 revenue
  • LinkedIn Newsletter: 570 members (+60)

Video & Audio:

Throughout the year, I kept improving my AI Assistant and AI Ghostwriter, listing my content pillars, my content levels, content types, templates, My communications plan, and so much more. It has really become my writing sidekick. Fully aligned with my writing style, knowing about my products and offerings, etc. Along with that, I also heavily improved My Content Strategy (e.g., based on How to create a content roadmap). I intend to develop/share more around this soon.

Tools & Open Source 

Aside from all that, in August, I proposed an improvement to add strong typing for Obsidian notes, but it got pushed back/"rejected". It's my belief that Obsidian would really benefit from providing support for strongly typed notes. Currently, the auto-completion in Bases and Properties is really weak and disappointing: https://forum.obsidian.md/t/add-support-for-type-class-files/104997. In October, I started working on the Obsidian Starter Kit plugin, enabling to define actual note types and properties, adding support through the property editor, commands, and more: Shared a thread about OSK plugin note creation: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1978746095854563497. It's still a work-in-progress, but it will be added to future releases of the Obsidian Starter Kit. I see a ton of potential for that one

Infrastructure & Technical 

  • Migrated my Website to Ghost v6 and ActivityPub support
  • Migrated OSK user guide to Obsidian vault and public notes
  • Migrated Knowledge Worker Kit content to Obsidian & public notes
  • Created master customer list (finally!)
  • Set up n8n and automation workflows (deployed own instance, $5/m Hetzner server)
    • Eliminated Zapier, reduced costs
  • Set up a Custom domain for my store: https://www.store.dsebastien.net
  • Created landing pages for free resources:
    • Knowledge Management System Checklist: 71 "sales," $5 donations
    • Beginner's Guide to Obsidian: 58 "sales," $7 donations
  • Upgraded my PC: 96GB RAM for running AI models locally
  • Switched to Omarchy (Arch Linux) in October
  • Apple Developer Program membership for Knowii Voice AI
  • Microsoft Partner Program membership
  • Created vault stats system: https://notes.dsebastien.net/50+Resources/56+Obsidian+Publish/Stats

AI & Automation 

  • Heavily improved AI Assistant and AI Ghostwriter
    • Aligned with writing style, content pillars, content types, templates
    • Fully integrated with my products and offerings
  • Became serious about Claude Code (June onward)
  • Improved AI podcast generation process
  • Learned about ElevenLabs for voice generation
  • Created Person Information Finder prompt for researching public figures
  • Explored Rust and Tauri while building Knowii Voice AI
  • Published AI SEO experiments on Concepts Website

Learning & Skill Development 

  • Learned Rust and Tauri (October-December)
  • Deep dive into Large Language Models (LLMs)
  • Explored and mastered n8n automation platform
  • Improved content strategy and communications planning
  • Created visualization of DeveloPassion value areas

Free Resources & Lead Generation 

  • Public Notes: 20K unique visitors (+210%), 88K pageviews (+160%), 3m28 avg duration (+45%)
  • Free KM workshop in July drove Knowii Community signups

What Worked 

This isn't just a list of things I shipped. These are the experiments that WORKED:

  • Turning Knowii Community into my main offer with all products included
  • Selling community events as separate products
  • Increasing Knowledge Worker Kit's price to $149
  • Capturing testimonials more systematically
  • Migrating guides to my Obsidian vault and ublic notes (better UX, connected to knowledge base)
  • Supporting Obsidian Bases in OSK
  • Publishing Knowledge Management for Beginners videos free on YouTube (drove 2x subscriber growth)
  • Automating with n8n (reduced costs, increased efficiency)
  • Black Friday 2025 strategy

The numbers don't lie: I SHIPPED. I created. I built. I published. I showed up.

Even when my body let me down. Even though the money wasn't there. Even when marketing failed and products underperformed.

I kept building.

Articles Published in 2025 

New Articles in 2025 

January:

February:

March:

May:

June:

July:

August:

November:

December:

2026 Plans 

Let me paint you a picture of where I'll be in December 2026.

I'm sitting at this same desk, but everything feels different. My business is generating over $10,000 per month, enough that I've finally reduced my employee work to just 20-40% and can focus most of my energy on creating, teaching, and serving this community. My YouTube channel has crossed 10,000 subscribers and become a sustainable growth engine, feeding everything else I build. The Knowii Community is thriving with over $1,000 in monthly recurring revenue, alive with conversations, workshops, and people genuinely helping each other grow. The Obsidian Starter Kit, Knowledge Management for Beginners course and Knowledge Worker Kit have 3-4x'd their revenue through better marketing and a clearer value proposition.

And most importantly: I'm finally paying myself. After three years of sacrifice, hustle, and belief, the business works and is default-alive.

That's the vision. Now let me explain you how I'm going to get there, and how you can be part of this journey.

The Transformation Starts Now 

First and foremost: my goal is to reach $10K+ in monthly revenue by December 2026. Not $10K total for the year. $10K per month. Consistent, recurring, sustainable.

This isn't arbitrary. It's what I need to finally achieve financial freedom with my business, support my family properly, and reduce the pressure of splitting myself between two careers. It's the number that changes everything.

I've spent the last few weeks building a real strategy to get there. Not just goals, but a complete plan with accountability built in. Every project I work on in 2026 must justify its contribution to this goal. If something isn't moving the revenue needle, I'm pausing it or killing it.

No more scattered focus. No more analysis paralysis. Just clear priorities and disciplined execution.

The Pivot 

Throughout 2025, I kept noticing a pattern. My content about content creation systems, writing workflows, and creator productivity consistently outperformed my more general Personal Knowledge Management content. The people who bought my products, engaged with my newsletter, and joined my community weren't just "knowledge workers". They were creators, solopreneurs, writers, course builders, coaches, and content creators.

Then it dawned on me: I AM a creator. I've been one all along. I publish many newsletters a year. I write articles, create courses, build products, record videos and podcasts. I'm building a business by creating and sharing knowledge. I've been teaching PKM to "knowledge workers," but I've actually been living and building a creator's knowledge system.

So here's my strategic pivot for 2026:

From "PKM for Knowledge Workers" to "Content & Knowledge Systems for Creators"

I'm still going to help people escape information overload and build systems that work. But now I'm going to focus on the people who need these systems most and who can create the most value with them: content creators, solopreneurs, course builders, writers, authors, newsletter editors, coaches, and anyone building a business by sharing knowledge.

If you're a traditional knowledge worker reading this, you're not being left behind. The creator-focused systems I'm building will work beautifully for you too. But my new content, products, and messaging will speak directly to the creator's journey. Because that's what I know best, what I'm living daily, and where I can provide the most value.

The Three Non-Negotiable Priorities 

These three things MUST happen in 2026. Everything else is secondary.

1. Build a Sustainable Video Content System 

This is my biggest priority and my biggest lesson from 2025: I need to create way more video content.

Here's what that means in practice:

  • Record and publish 1-3 hours of content every single week - no excuses, no skipping
  • Post regularly on TikTok: short-form clips and original content
  • Grow to 10,000+ YouTube subscribers by year's end (unlocking monetization along the way)

Why is this non-negotiable? Because video is the growth engine I've been ignoring for too long. When I published the free Knowledge Management for Beginners videos on YouTube, my subscriber count doubled. Every time I publish a tutorial or system showcase, engagement spikes and product sales follow.

But I didn't do nearly enough of it in 2025. I let other projects distract me. I convinced myself I was "too busy" building products to market them properly through video.

That ends now.

The content will focus on:

  • Creator systems and workflows (building the audience for the pivot)
  • Obsidian Starter Kit showcases and tutorials (driving OSK sales)
  • Knowledge management fundamentals (growing the overall audience)
  • AI usage and leverage for creators (capitalizing on trending topics)

I already have over 200 video ideas mapped out and prioritized. Now it's just about showing up consistently and executing.

2. Grow Newsletter and Community to $1,000 Monthly Recurring Revenue 

The Knowii Community and this newsletter are my recurring revenue foundation; the stability that makes everything else possible. Right now they generate around $400 MRR combined. By December, that needs to be >$1,000+.

Here's how I'm getting there:

Make the Knowii Community Actually Alive: This has been my biggest struggle. I have over 300 members, but most don't actively participate. In 2026, I'm organizing at least 10 major workshops and events (1-2 per month), creating more valuable exclusive content, and fostering the connections that make a community feel vibrant rather than dormant.

Find Newsletter Sponsors: I'm reaching out to companies whose tools and services genuinely help knowledge workers and creators. If you know of companies that might want to sponsor this newsletter or if your company is interested, please reach out.

Publish Consistently: At least 25 newsletter editions in 2026. No gaps, no excuses. This newsletter is how I stay connected with you and how I drive everything else forward.

Create More Viral and Practical Content: I have a content roadmap with 100 key articles and 200 viral content ideas mapped to my business goals.

3. Scale My Revenue Drivers Through Better Marketing 

Obsidian Starter Kit is my proven product. It works. People love it. But I've been terrible at marketing it.

In 2025, it generated around $8K. In 2026, that needs to be $24K-32K, which means 3-4x growth. Not through building more features (though OSK v4 is coming), but through actually promoting what already exists.

Same story for the Knowledge Management for Beginners course and the Knowledge Worker Kit.

Those are revenue drivers that can scale without requiring proportional time investment from me. It's leveraged. It compounds. And it deserves way more marketing attention than I gave those in 2025.

In addition, I will also spend time on improving the Knowii Affiliate Program.

4. Keep Building 

Aside from that, I intend to keep building. I will continue improving Knowii Voice AI, the Knowledge Worker Kit and other products I have launched.

I will launch the Mac and Linux versions of Knowii Voice AI, add post-processing workflows and actions support. I will also offer it to paid Knowii members who've stayed subscribed for 3+ months. This tool saves me hours weekly, and I want more creators to experience that.

The second half of 2026 is where the pivot becomes real through products built specifically for creators.

BuilderOS is the centerpiece - my flagship offering for creators building sustainable content businesses. Think of it as the Obsidian Starter Kit for creators. OSK helps you build a knowledge management system. BuilderOS helps you build a complete creator operating system: the systems for content pipelines, audience management, revenue tracking, product development, and everything else you need to run a creator business efficiently.

It's going to be built on top of everything I've learned from writing and publishing hundreds of articles, 200+ newsletters, creating dozens of products, building communities, and generating revenue as a solopreneur who's also a parent of 3 with a day job.

It's the system I wish I had when I started. And I'm building it for you in 2026.

BuilderOS will include systems, frameworks, workflows, tools, templates, documentation, video courses, training, etc. Shortly put: Everything creators need and the strategic thinking that lets creators move from chaotic hustle to systematic and sustainable productivity.

It's for the creator who's drowning in tools, scattered across platforms, and can't figure out how to turn their knowledge into consistent revenue.

Success Looks Like This 

Success means:

  • Finally paying myself consistently after three years
  • Reducing employee time to 20-40% so I can focus on creating
  • Building products I'm genuinely proud of for an audience I deeply understand
  • Showing up every week through video and newsletter
  • Creating systems that help creators avoid the struggles I've faced
  • Building a sustainable business that serves my family while serving this community

How You Can Help Me Get There 

I don't want to do this alone. I'm asking for your help in two specific ways:

1. Financial Support - If this mission resonates with you:

Every purchase, every membership, every referral gets me closer to that $10K goal. And it shows me that what I'm building actually matters to people beyond myself.

2. Content Ideas and Requests - Tell me what you want to learn:

  • What creator workflows are you struggling with?
  • What knowledge management problems keep showing up?
  • What videos would be immediately valuable to you?
  • What products or courses would you actually buy?

Reply to this email or reach out on X, Bluesky, or LinkedIn. I read everything. Your feedback directly shapes what I create.

This is the year it all comes together. The pivot is clear. The plan is solid. The priorities are set.

Now I just need to execute - and I'd love for you to be part of this journey.

Let's build something remarkable in 2026 🚀

What I'm Excited About 

I'm genuinely energized about 2026. Here's what has me fired up:

Building BuilderOS: This is the product I've been unconsciously preparing to build for three years. Every struggle with scattered tools, every system I've refined, every workflow I've documented. It's all been leading here. BuilderOS is my chance to create something truly comprehensive for creators, distilling everything I've learned into one flagship offering. The creative challenge of building this excites me more than anything else on the business side.

The AI Revolution in My Workflow. Claude Code, Agent Skills and the Model Context Protocol have fundamentally transformed how I work. In 2026, I'm pushing this even further, refining my AI Assistant to be even more aligned with my voice and strategy, scaling up the AI SEO experiments, and helping other creators leverage these tools through courses and products.

My Wedding in September - After years together, Stef and I are getting married. This is going to be a unique moment in my life 🎉

Potentially Running My First Marathon - Yeah, I know - in 2025 I could barely walk after those injuries. But that's exactly why this excites me. If I can heal properly, build sustainable running habits, and complete a marathon in 2026, it'll prove that you can come back from being "all broken." It's a parallel journey to the business transformation. Both require patience, consistency, and refusing to give up when it hurts. I'm making this an option because I don't want to hurt myself again ;-)

Watching My Kids Grow Up - Matthieu at 16, Amandine navigating high school, Raphaël turning 5... These are years I can't get back. If the business succeeds and I can reduce my employee time to 40-20% or even less, I get more of these moments. That possibility energizes me. The financial goal isn't just about paying myself. It's about being more present for the people who matter most.

The Creator Community I'm Building. As I pivot to serving creators more specifically, I'm excited to see who shows up. Who are the creators who resonate with this message? What will they build using the systems I create and share? How will BuilderOS change their businesses and lives? The Knowii Community will remain, and it will become even more valuable when it's full of creators helping each other succeed.

What excites you about 2026? Reply and tell me. I'd love to know what you're working toward this year.

Knowii Affiliate Program Reminder 

Want to help spread the word about my products while earning money? Join the Knowii Affiliate Program!

It's a mission-driven partnership for content creators, PKM practitioners, and community members who want to help others break free from information overload while earning 40% commissions on all my products.

That includes:

It's free to join. If you believe in what I'm building and want to support my work, this is a great way to do it ❤️

Join here: https://www.dsebastien.net/knowii-affiliate-program

Knowii News 

The Knowii Community celebrated its first full year in 2025, and what a foundation we've built together!

By the numbers:

  • 334 members and growing
  • 80 community posts sharing knowledge, questions, and insights
  • 415 comments and likes - real engagement from real people
  • 2,800 direct messages exchanged between members
  • 1,100 minutes of live engagement during workshops and events
  • 17 hours of live workshops and deep dives recorded and available
  • Top discussion topic: Knowledge management (of course! 🧠)

But numbers only tell part of the story. The real story is in what we created together.

8 Major Workshops & Events in 2025:

  1. AI Master Prompts (June) - Leveraging AI for knowledge work
  2. Model Context Protocol / MCP (June) - Connecting AI to your systems
  3. Clarity 101 (June) - Getting clear on goals, projects, and priorities
  4. Knowledge Management 101 (July) - The fundamentals that change everything
  5. Personal Organization 101 (July) - Systems for sustainable productivity
  6. Journaling Deep Dive (August) - Using journaling for growth and insight
  7. Obsidian & OSK v3 (October) - Complete walkthrough of the Starter Kit
  8. OSK v3 Deep Dive (November) - Advanced techniques and workflows

Every single one of these is recorded and available to members of the Knowledge Builder and Knowledge Master tiers. That's hours of premium content you can access anytime.

In December, I added something special: Free access to the Concepts Knowledge Base (1,700+ concepts about knowledge management, productivity, AI, personal development, etc) for all community members. It's a resource that keeps growing and compounds in value over time.

The core members who show up, engage, ask questions, and share their insights... You know who you are, and you're what makes this community special. Thank you for being here with me ❤️

What's coming in 2026:

  • At least 10 more workshops and events (1-2 per month)
  • More creator-focused content and discussions
  • Exclusive early access to BuilderOS and other new products
  • Direct access to me for questions, feedback, and collaboration
  • A community that becomes more alive with every member who joins

Here's what membership gets you:

  • Access to ALL my products (OSK, KWK, courses, guides - everything)
  • Exclusive workshops and recordings
  • The Concepts Knowledge Base (1,700+ concepts)
  • Direct connection with me and other knowledge enthusiasts
  • Early access to new products and beta features
  • Supporting a mission you believe in while getting incredible value

Your membership directly supports my journey to $10K/month while giving you access to everything I create. It's the foundation that makes all the other products, content, and tools possible.

If you've been on the fence about joining, 2026 is the year. The community is growing, the value keeps compounding, and I'd love to have you as part of this journey.

Join us: https://store.dsebastien.net/l/knowii

Books 

Currently Reading 

  • Deception Point by Dan Brown
  • The Mist by Stephen King
  • Le meurtre de Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
  • (and about a dozen more :p)

Read in 2025 

January:

  • Blind Spot
  • The Good Guy

February:

  • Demain j'arrête !
  • Flyover
  • Shelter

March:

  • Odd Thomas
  • Seconds Away
  • The Anomaly

April:

  • Found

June:

  • Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius

July:

  • The Street Lawyer

August:

  • Flip Thinking
  • Elevation
  • Earth in Mind

September:

  • You Like It Darker
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula
  • Le Voyageur imprudent
  • J'aurais aimé te tuer
  • Everything's Eventual

October:

  • Desperation
  • Nobody's Fool

November:

  • The Running Man

December:

  • Blaze
  • The Long Walk by Stephen King
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  • Le livre des reves interdits
  • Métaphysique des tubes by Amélie Nothomb
  • Gone for Good by Harlan Coben
  • Don't Let Go by Harlan Coben

~30 books total for 2025 - a mix of fiction, thrillers, classics, and philosophy. Reading remains one of my favorite ways to disconnect and explore ideas outside my usual domains.

About Sébastien

I'm Sébastien Dubois, and I'm on a mission to help knowledge workers escape information overload. After 20+ years in IT and seeing too many brilliant minds drowning in digital chaos, I've decided to help people build systems that actually work. Through the Knowii Community, my courses, products & services and my Website, I share practical and battle-tested systems. You can follow me on X 🐦 and on BlueSky 🦋.


I am an author, founder, and coach. I write books and articles about Knowledge Work, Personal Knowledge Management, Note-taking, Lifelong Learning, Personal Organization, and Zen Productivity. I also craft lovely digital products.



If you want to follow my work, then become a member and join our community.


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