Idea? Experiment. Just Start. (story behind the book)

JUST START — THE BOOK IS LIVE FOR PRE-ORDER
It’s here.
For the person who knows they’re called to more but keeps delaying the first step.
Just Start launches June 4. Kindle link and zoom launch party linked below.

Dear Andre, (4 min read)

“Let me guess, you’re a guy in your twenties. (or you know and love someone who is) You have ambitions. You may want to start a business, travel the world, or marry the girl of your dreams.” - Just start

Why do I start the book with that?

Well, because I was that guy. And I’m most perfectly positioned to serve the person I once was.

Four Years of Thinking. Nine Weeks of Doing.

The dream lived in the back of my mind for 4 years.
But writing a whole book? That felt… impossible.

So I started with something smaller. This newsletter.
And in the beginning it was really hard.
As of today, this is my 75th. (Thank you to all of you from the early days!)

The writing wasn’t about racking up numbers.
It was about building the muscle.
Training in public.
And being able to remember these moments years from now.

Writing a newsletter was never the finish line.
It was the runway.

At the Start of This Year, I Thought I Was Ready

I finally decided to begin.
But then something happened that doesn’t happen often. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to do it yet. I had a tug that said “not yet.”

And because that’s so rare for me, I actually listened.
I waited.
Then, late March hit. And I felt a shift, like something unlocked.
Now I was tugged TO write the book.

So I texted the person I knew could help me bring it to life.
Someone I’d been learning from quietly already.

And I had an idea, so I wanted to experiment: (which is the whole premise of just start)
Can I turn 8–10 months of progress into two, if I’m willing to invest in the right wisdom, systems, and structure?

We started March 26.

In april I had moments of doubt. Can I actually do this? While detailing? While flying to Hawaii to visit a friend? But here’s what I didn’t expect.

Today’s May 31.
The book is written.
The manuscript is uploaded.
Launch party is in a few days.
This is actually happening. (I’m SO excited)

Why This Book? Why Now?

Because I couldn’t find it anywhere else.

There are books on this life stage.
There are books that unpack wisdom from iconic people.
There are books about decision-making, clarity, courage.

But I couldn’t find a book that does all three…
…written by someone still in their 20s
…who’s still in the trenches of building
…and who’s been testing these principles in real-time.

I wanted to write about the the 20’s.
That time where no one is forcing growth anymore.
Where your friends are on totally different timelines.
Where comfort is easy but vision and action costs something.

This isn’t a passive season.
It’s one where you have to choose growth.
And if you don’t?
No one’s coming to make you.

That’s what this book is about.

Originally, It Was Called The Age of Choice

That name hit me like a freight train after a one-day event in LA.
I was sitting with friends. Coffee in hand. Blue sky. cars honking as they drove by.
And I said the phrase out loud.
I knew instantly: That’s the title. (and I wrote it down)

But over time, something felt off.
It had to be explained.
It didn’t pass the “I want ___” test.

So I kept listening.
Kept refining.

And then I saw it.
This book isn’t about choosing.

It’s about starting.

The Unlock: Don’t Just Tell My Story. Share Theirs Too.

I started by outlining the principles I’d learned.
Simple, honest reflections from my 20s.
But it still felt incomplete.

Then a better idea emerged.
What if I paired each chapter with the story of someone iconic—Oprah, Elon, Joan of Arc, Benjamin Franklin—and zoomed in on their 20s?

What were they building before the world was watching?
What did they risk?
What did they say yes to—when they had no certainty?

That’s when everything clicked.
Because that’s what I’ve always looked for.

Every podcast I’ve listened to.
Every audiobook I’ve replayed.
I’m not looking for entertainment.
I’m studying.

I’m asking, How did they start? What did they see? How do I not waste this window of my life?

This book became my answer to that question.

If You’ve Been Waiting…

To write something.
To launch something.
To say something.
To become something.

Let this be your sign.

I wrote this book while running my business.
In two months.
Before age 29.

Not because I had it all figured out.

But because I followed the one rule of just start.

When you have an idea, experiment.

Just start.

Pre-order the book here:

Just Start Book Launch

Date: Wednesday: June 4

Time: 5:30 PM Pacific

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88939895905?pwd=Mdx2HGO2OynJSpkOFzQPj1PCULwLZI.1

Passcode: start

If this reminded you of someone who’s been putting off a dream, forward it to them.

Grateful for you reading this every week.
—Daniel