I once stabbed my hand while cutting an avocado—and it changed my life.

Stay with me here, it'll make sense in a moment.

I was trying to remove the pit from an avocado using a knife (something I never do anymore and strongly recommend you never attempt), and unfortunately, the knife slipped right through and into my hand.

Thankfully, despite injuring my finger pretty badly, I didn't need stitches—just butterfly bandages and some healing time.

What happened next set off a chain of events that still makes me laugh to this day. It also carries lessons I often forget but always come back to.

At the time, I was a full-time indie app developer living in Dallas, TX. I had a time-tracking app available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, steadily building an audience and sales. But now, with my finger injured, typing efficiently on my keyboard was nearly impossible. Instead of using the familiar “home row” method, I had to hunt and peck awkwardly.

While struggling to type, inspiration struck. On my iPhone, I loved the shortcut that automatically added a period when hitting the spacebar twice. I thought: What if I created a document editor that did exactly that for the Mac?

Keep in mind, this was around 2010, and this feature wasn’t yet available by default on Mac. I quickly opened Xcode, started a new project, and coded the functionality. It worked!

Before I knew it, I was fully immersed in creating this minimalist writing app. I included a built-in version control feature called “snapshots” to eliminate the need for constantly renaming and saving files. I named the app "Compositions," inspired by the notebooks we used in school for essays.

The entire project took about three weeks, from idea to completion. I quickly commissioned an icon, submitted the app to the Mac App Store, and wrote a brief press release using PrMac, a popular, affordable press release distribution service for apps.

When the app was approved, I sent the press release and casually told friends and family. I felt good about my little project but had no significant expectations. It was something I had created primarily for myself, hoping others might enjoy it too.

The next morning, during my usual download-checking routine, I was genuinely shocked—the numbers were in the thousands! It seemed impossible, especially for a paid app.

I quickly investigated and discovered the press release had been picked up by major publications like Macworld and TheNextWeb. Even better, Apple's App Store editors chose "Compositions" as a “New & Noteworthy” app and emailed me (which I initially thought was fake!) to request additional promotional graphics.

The app soared to the top rankings, and positive reviews poured in. The experience was incredible and still brings me joy whenever I think about it. Later, I discovered one of my favorite tech writers named "Compositions" as his preferred writing app—what an honor!

Though I enjoyed the success, additional income, and kept updating the app for years, I eventually removed it (along with my other app) due to the increasing maintenance demands after I stopped coding full-time. However, the valuable lessons remain:

We often overcomplicate products and content by trying to guess what others might want. Even the best data can't fully capture someone else’s needs or desires. But you know what you want and what you think, so start there. Chances are, if it's important to you, it's important to others.

I created "Compositions" primarily for myself. Likewise, I write this newsletter with the same principle—I write what I need to hear, hoping it resonates and helps you too. Some of the best writing advice I've ever received is to write for my past self, saying exactly what he needed to hear during challenging moments. This approach has unlocked incredible creativity in me.

Years later, I decided to create an iPhone game—something I’d never done before, outside a high school project. I made a simple Galaga-style game called “Doodle Space Fighter,” using my own doodles and sourced sounds. I followed the same launch steps: prepared the app, wrote a press release, and announced it.

This time, however, the launch was met mostly with silence. Few downloaded or played it; it wasn't featured or promoted. But that was okay! My goal wasn't fame or fortune—it was simply to ship a game. And I did. I remain proud of that accomplishment and the skills I learned stepping into unfamiliar territory.

Usually, I'd linger in the planning stage—consulting others, researching competitors, and often talking myself out of new ideas or losing interest altogether. Planning is comfortable and feels productive. While sometimes necessary, excessive planning can halt progress.

The crucial lesson here is knowing when to just move forward. You learn infinitely more through action than planning. Real decisions drive your project ahead. Trust your instincts, step into the unknown, and embrace the discomfort. Ideas appear for a reason!

Would I have ever guessed that accidentally injuring myself while cutting an avocado would lead to creating a successful Mac app? Absolutely not. In that painful moment, I was mostly just trying not to faint.

Yet without that injury, "Compositions" never would have existed.

We can’t predict what lies ahead. We only know the present moment and must remain open to the possibility that good things can emerge from difficult situations. While cutting my finger was objectively bad, the subsequent journey was incredibly rewarding, and it only happened because I remained open to new possibilities.

Be safe with avocados—they’re deceptively dangerous!

More importantly, remain open to the world around you. Don’t let yourself stay too long in a dark place. Keep your eyes open for the light, and for the path out. It may surprise you where you find it, but if you keep searching, you will find it.

What’s an idea you’ve been sitting on for far too long?

Hit reply and tell me one thing you’re going to build for you this week—big or small. I’d love to hear.