Reinvention

Hey friends,

This week, the rug got pulled out from under me. In a good way.

I’ve been experimenting with this newsletter for the last few weeks, trying to write useful, structured essays about business frameworks like last week’s "5 Levels of Real Profit."

But something didn’t feel quite right.

This format—the formal, once-a-week newsletter style—is actually slowing me down. I’m doing research every day. I’m learning, thinking, iterating constantly. But almost none of those ideas have made it out into the world beyond talking to my friends and family about what I’m up to. And most of what I’m doing actually never makes it into the newsletter itself.

And I only realized that yesterday when the email service provider I use to send these suddenly broke my setup (in case you don’t follow me on LinkedIn, you can see my angry and confused rant here, which surprisingly got a helpful response from the CEO of the company himself).

The breaking of my setup helped me see that I’ve been distilling instead of documenting—trying to pre-polish ideas for a specific type of reader, without knowing for sure who that even is or what they want. I’ve been trying to create something valuable, but separate from my own current goals and expertise.

So today I paused and asked myself:
Is this really the right strategy?

Where I’m Headed Now

I realized the most honest version of this newsletter is this:

I’m building five things right now:

1. 2 software products to solve real problems that will help myself and others

2. A media brand that shares what I’m learning and creating as I go

3. A business acquisition strategy to become an owner of a living, breathing business

4. A new landscaping business (or other related service business) my uncle wants to start. I’ll help with the strategy, planning and operations management.

But I’ve barely shared any of it, even though I’m super excited about all of them!

Why?

A mix of privacy concerns, perfectionism, and maybe fear. But mostly because I felt that most people wouldn’t care to hear about it if I don’t have a finished product to show with results or fancy numbers and revenue.

Now I’m pivoting.

I’m turning this newsletter (and future content) into what it should have been all along:
a living record of my real entrepreneurial journey—wins, stumbles, questions, results, and all.

From “Writing For” to “Writing With”

There are 32 of you currently on the email list (small but mighty!). Thank you so much for being here at the start. As you probably know, new beginnings can be pretty messy. And whether this list stays small or not, I want it to reflect what’s really happening.

So going forward:

• I’ll be posting more often, across different platforms, and not just once a week

• I’ll be shifting to Substack, where I can write faster and less formally

• I’ll be experimenting with more content for LinkedIn and YouTube as well

What is “New Game”, really?

At the outset, “New Game” intentionally had two meanings. The first meaning was that the game of business has changed drastically from how it used to be. There are more players than ever before, more access, more opportunity— and higher expectations.

We’re now playing a new game with new rules, and I wanted to uncover and learn the rules of that new game together. The standard format is increasingly digital— not in-person or phone-based. And technology has changed the game in a way that now one person can handle business and operate at a scale that previously took a team of at least 15 to execute. That’s actually where my expertise lies. 

The second meaning was that I was a new player entering the game myself, learning the world of entrepreneurship for the first time. I don’t know the rules of business like I do technology and coding. I have a lot to learn, and this tension between my knowledge of technology and my newness to the business world has led me to think and rethink what it is I want to express to the world and how I can achieve my goals at the same time.

Going forward, I’m going to focus on playing my version of the game, learning, growing, and writing about what I learn. The new content will be a natural, conversational byproduct of my journey across various aspects of business.

Where I Am on the Ladder

Last week I introduced the 5 levels of entrepreneurial profit:
Financial → Time → Ambition → Leisure → Purpose.

And what hit me after I wrote it last week is that this idea doesn’t just apply to business.
It applies to life.

• 1. Financial— I’m set. My W2 income covers me.

• 2. Time— I’ve created space in my schedule.

• 3. Ambition— That’s where the tension is. That’s what’s driving me now.

• 4. Leisure— Available, but secondary.

• 5. Purpose— Still to come. And that’s okay. I’ve been focusing hard on this, but I’ve been skipping steps in the process— and feeling the pain because it.

I’m between Level 3 and Level 4—not just as an entrepreneur, but as a person.

This Week’s Theme: Constant Evolution

Nothing is fixed. We as individuals, entrepreneurs, creators… we are not trapped.

Every few days, I find myself asking:

And that’s not failure. That’s evolution. And I will continue to evolve until I reach the target. Then I’ll rest a while, and start the next journey.

This newsletter is evolving too—from a classroom to an adventure.
A record of constant re-evaluation. Reimagining. Reinvention. Evolution.

If you want to keep getting these emails, you’ll hear from me again soon (likely on Substack).
If you’re not interested, no pressure—this list will stay personal for now.

But if you’ve ever wanted to watch someone figure it all out from scratch—this is that. I plan to chart my entire journey while building my empire, bringing along anybody who wants to join me.

See you on the path.

— Elgin
Founder, New Game