This is a page where I transparently share a bunch of information about how I work on my little projects, the tools I use, and how things are going financially with them.
Last updated: 2025-01-03
tools
writing, marketing & admin
This site is built with Blot in plain text and Markdown, hosted in a private Dropbox folder.
- The newsletter is powered by RSS and Buttondown.
- I use Clicky for simple, privacy-focused site analytics.
- I use Carrd to run the Kid Lightbulbs landing site and spin up landing pages for random ideas and friends of mine.
- I use Bandcamp, Ampwall and LANDR to distribute my music.
- I capture my thoughts in Apple Notes, flesh them out in IA Writer, and repurpose them for social promotion with Buffer.
music production tools
I make music on a MacBook Pro w/ M2 Max, primarily using the stock capabilities of Logic Pro & Reason 12. I consider Logic Pro (purchased in 2013 for $200) the single best value purchase of everything noted on this page.
I record (& occasionally perform) with:
- a Lauten Audio LA-220 FET mic
- a MXL 990 condenser mic
- a Shure SM-58 mic
- a Yamaha P-115 digital piano
- a Behringer FCB1010 MIDI foot controller
- a G&L L-1000 bass I inherited from a family friend
- a Schecter Stiletto Studio 5-string bass
- a PRS SE Custom 24 guitar
- JBL 104 reference monitors
- Sony MDR-7506 reference headphones
- Apple AirPods Pro 2
I mostly browse the internet on said MacBook Pro & an iPhone 16 Pro.
finances
I aim to my hobbies and creative endeavors to be self-funding. That is, my goal is for every dollar spent on the tools here to be paid for by the stuff I make with the tools.
income
Outside of my Buffer salary, I make money via my side projects in the following ways:
- Bandcamp subscriptions (6 subscribers, $196 ARR)
- Bandcamp sales (in 2024: $1352.73 gross, $1114.83 net)
- Occasional small royalty checks from ASCAP (last one: 11.18.2024, $1.10)
expenses
Here is a table of everything I’ve spent money on since establishing this goal in mid-2023 (excluding taxes):
| product/service | category | cost |
|---|---|---|
| blot | website | $55/year |
| carrd pro | website | $19/year |
| clicky | analytics | $0/year |
| dropbox | storage | $120/year |
| landr | distribution | $45/year |
| bandcamp | distribution | $0/year + 15% of sales |
| ampwall | distribution | $10/year + 5% of sales |
| buttondown | marketing | $90/year |
| buffer | marketing | $0/year1 |
| zapier | marketing | $0/year |
| ia writer | software | $49.99 |
| JBL reference monitors | hardware | $149.99 |
| AirPods Pro 2 | hardware | $2492 |
| Lauten Audio LA-220 mic | hardware | $359.993 |
