Figma Sites is here?

Some cheeky user leaked Figma's new product Figma Sites. Then someone else leaked previews of real sites built with Figma Sites. Take a look.

Hey beautiful human 👋,

Holy moly, it's been a wild month in the design and no-code space!

Let's talk about something I've been predicting since mid-2023...

Back in July 2023, I had a feeling Figma was eventually going to drop a Site publishing feature. Anyone that knows a little about coding would know the launch of Auto Layout was the biggest giveaway.

And so…

Last week Jane Wong on X (who is known for leaking upcoming features by reverse-engineering a product’s code) dropped a preview of Figma Sites.

Then someone by the alias Yancymin on X dropped some leaks of sites built with Figma Sites.

Now since the sites have been removed and the feature is tight lipped, there isn't much more I can share about Figma Sites.

But it does spark some interesting conversations.

Which is... what should we learn in a world of abundance?

There are soooooo many no-code web builders now.

From Framer, Webflow, Wix, Squarespace and now Figma Sites...

Then you also have a rise of AI coding apps like v0, windsurf, lovable...

It's a crazy time to be online right now.

Design and code are both being commoditised.

I see a future with millions of niche apps that solve very specific needs.

Now this begs the question…

So what should we be learning?

Personally, I would never see the goal as to learn them all. You'd have a better chance of finding a parking spot in downtown Sydney on a Friday night. 😂

You'd be spreading yourself far too thin.

Instead, you pick the best one for a specific use case.

Then just master it.

The goal isn't to obsess over tools.

Don't hunt for the fanciest design tool — master the one that helps you actually 'complete the project' you're working on.

If it’s design, Figma still stands strong (for me).

If you're looking to launch a site, focus on the tool that helps you launch most efficiently.

For me, it would be Framer or Webflow.

I learned Webflow many years ago, and since I know Figma back to front, Framer was a no-brainer.

But what about Figma Sites?

I’m not attached to tools.

I pick whatever works best for me with the constraints I have.

Right now I have all my sites hosted with Framer.

It’s the simplest and most effective tool to launch the sites I need.

Since they’ve been around for a while, it also means they’ve been battle tested.

Instead of trying to learn everything, master one tool deeply, then use your time wisely to level up in other valuable areas.

---

Bite-sized learnings

🧠 Focus vs. FOMO: With so many tools dropping every week, it's easy to feel like you're missing out if you're not learning them all.

↳💡 Learning: The most successful creators and builders I know aren't the ones who know every tool – they're the ones who've mastered 1-2 tools and know how to deliver results with them. Pick your weapons wisely and go deep.

🔄 Tool hopping trap: I spent years jumping between design tools thinking the next one would make me better.

↳💡 Learning: Tools don't make you great. The time you spend constantly switching tools could be invested in growing your strategic mindset, experience and networks. Remember: businesses hire outcomes, not tool knowledge.

🚀 Future-proofing: With AI and no-code tools democratizing both code and design, I've been thinking about how we stay valuable.

↳💡 Learning: The differentiator will always be your interpersonal skills, creative problem-solving and strategic thinking. Focus on the skills AI can't replicate easily – deep user empathy, business acumen, and the ability to connect dots no one else sees.

---

Useful lil' links

• Google Gemini takes over UX

• AI Agents, explained clearly

• Google releases Firebase Studio

• Canva drops new creative tools

---

How can I help you?

Here are a few ways I can help you crush your career goals (just like me):

💼 Build confidence in end-to-end UX/UI design (10 hours) - You’ve mastered the tool and UX research and now you want to learn how to lead, design and manage a project end-to-end. Dive deep into every little step alongside me with a real-world project. (400+ designers)

🖥️ Master Figma (10 hours) - Become an expert in Figma so you can get more done; faster and better. This isn’t just a technical course about features, it’s an end-to-end course on how Figma fits into a real-world project. (7,900+ designers)

🔍 Dive-deep into UX Research & Strategy (10 hours) - Learn how to run UX and business research to make more strategic and data-informed decisions for larger scaled projects and improved stakeholder management. (800+ designers)

⚡️Design 10X faster with 8,000+ pre-designed components - We just launched v.2.7.1. If you’re starting every project from scratch, you’re probably wasting a lot of time. Leverage Shipfaster UI to speed up your process dramatically. (3,400+ designers)

🚀 Looking to launch a product? - At More Cursors, my team and I help founders strategise, design and launch world-class products. Feel free to book a call directly with me if this is something you need.

---

That's it for this month!

Oh and since we're on the topic of Figma, I wanted to let you know I am working hard on launching my new Figma Masterclass 3.0 in the coming weeks. I'm currently filming the last few modules.

There will be no release date, as I don't like to let people down if I miss them.

Just know that, it's coming soon!

Your boy,

— Mizko

Seeing the world in shades of grey

Uncovering the layered thinking that drives success

This month’s edition is brought to you by:

The web builder for stunning sites

Design and publish modern sites at any scale with Framer’s web builder.
Get 3 months FREE with their yearly plan 👇

---

Hey beautiful human 👋,

I know you probably got a little excited, thinking you’d get some practical 50 shades of grey type of tips…

But it’s a Monday…

A school day…

So let’s talk productivity 😅

Here’s the thing… what I’ve noticed is that some of us see everything in black and white, while others see infinite shades of grey – and the difference is huge.

I noticed this when mentoring some designers who were frustrated by their boss's feedback – they couldn't understand why their "perfect" solution wasn't getting approved.

Here’s the truth. They were missing all the layers between problem and solution that their boss was seeing.

So let's break down why seeing shades of grey will change how you understand the world (professionally and personally).

Let’s use 3 simple examples:

• Why does your client’s conversion rate suck?

• Why does a stock price move?

• Why do house prices go up?

Why does the conversion rate suck?

First layer: "The CTA button isn't visible enough." The junior designer's answer.

Second layer: "Users don't understand the value proposition before they're asked to convert."

Third layer: "The traffic sources sending visitors to the page are misaligned with the offer, creating an expectation gap that no button color can fix."

This was something I learnt very early on in my career. It’s still a VERY overlooked area when it comes to conversion rate optimisation. Many designers try optimising a landing page, without having any ‘contextual understanding’ of the experiment or situation.

Why does a stock price move?

First layer: "Company reported bad earnings, stock goes down." Black and white thinking stops here.

Second layer: "But wait, earnings were actually better than analyst expectations, which is why the stock is up despite 'bad' numbers."

Third layer: "However, guidance for next quarter was weaker than hoped, plus three major investors are selling positions to cover losses elsewhere – creating temporary downward pressure despite the positive earnings beat."

Nothing in the market is ever just one thing causing one outcome – it's always layers upon layers.

Why do house prices go up?

First layer: "Supply and demand – more buyers than sellers means prices rise." Basic, but incomplete.

Second layer: "Interest rates dropped, allowing buyers to afford more expensive homes with the same monthly payment."

Third layer: "New remote work policies increased demand for homes in this specific area, while local zoning laws prevented new construction, tightening supply exactly when demand surged."

My real estate agent friends who understand these multiple factors consistently outperform those who only see supply and demand.

Start thinking differently

The secret to this kind of thinking starts with First Principles – breaking down a situation to its fundamental truths.

Instead of immediately jumping to solutions or conclusions, ask yourself: "What are the actual facts here, stripped of assumptions?"

Then slowly build up your understanding layer by layer, asking "And then what?" at each step.

When analyzing why a project failed, don't stop at "the deadline was too tight."

Ask: "Why was the deadline set that way? What priorities led to that decision? How did team dynamics contribute? What market influences were at play?"

A well known framework is the "5 Whys" technique.

The most successful people I've worked with – whether at tech giants or startups – all share this ability to see complex chains of causation.

And I've noticed they're also the ones who tend to be most empathetic, because they understand that human behavior is rarely simple either.

---

Bite-sized learnings

🧠 Decision paralysis: The goal isn’t to overwhelm yourself with decision making. Not every decision or situation needs to be approached with a First Principles mindset.

↳💡 Learning: I found it most impactful to apply the First Principles thinking to significant moments. For example, the start of a project. More specifically questioning the strategy. Finding gaps in it. Challenging the status quo. Once the path is formed, don’t overthink the rest.

🔄 Correlation confusion: Correlation ≠ Causation. Sometimes we might think an event is the sole, direct cause of something. But there are many scenarios where there is only a correlation. Which simply means, there is a 'relationship’ between two events; not a direct cause.

↳💡 Learning: When analyzing results, always ask "what else changed at the same time?" Correlation isn't causation. Consider multiple factors before claiming victory or admitting defeat.

---

Useful lil' links

• How to launch a portfolio in 5 days — Breakdown of my own site

• Google Flash 2.0 — Google’s new image generation model

• Flux AI — Another insane image generation model

• Tempo AI — Build react products 10X faster (Thanks Chris!)

• GPT 4.o — New image generation model is cray!

• Lovable — Idea to app in seconds

---

How can I help you?

Here are a few ways I can help you crush your career goals (just like me):

💼 Build confidence in end-to-end UX/UI design (10 hours) - You’ve mastered the tool and UX research and now you want to learn how to lead, design and manage a project end-to-end. Dive deep into every little step alongside me with a real-world project. (400+ designers)

🖥️ Master Figma (10 hours) - Become an expert in Figma so you can get more done; faster and better. This isn’t just a technical course about features, it’s an end-to-end course on how Figma fits into a real-world project. (7,900+ designers)

🔍 Dive-deep into UX Research & Strategy (10 hours) - Learn how to run UX and business research to make more strategic and data-informed decisions for larger scaled projects and improved stakeholder management. (800+ designers)

⚡️Design 10X faster with 8,000+ pre-designed components - We just launched v.2.7.1. If you’re starting every project from scratch, you’re probably wasting a lot of time. Leverage Shipfaster UI to speed up your process dramatically. (3,400+ designers)

🚀 Looking to launch a product? - At More Cursors, my team and I help founders strategise, design and launch world-class products. Feel free to book a call directly with me if this is something you need.

---

That's it for this month's newsletter!

So next time you encounter a problem or situation, resist the urge to accept the first explanation.

Force yourself to find at least three layers of "why" or "how" before making a decision.

I guarantee you'll start seeing opportunities and solutions that others miss completely.

Remember, it's never black and white. The magic happens in the grey baby!

PS. If you made it this far, here’s a little secret. I’m 30-40% of the way through in updating one of my most popular courses. I’m hoping to launch this end of April! Keep your eyes peeled.

Your boy,
— Mizko

Stop designing like this

5 UX feedback strategies that saved our project (and will save yours too)

This month’s edition is brought to you by:

The web builder for stunning sites

Design and publish modern sites at any scale with Framer’s web builder.
Get 3 months FREE with their yearly plan 👇

---

Hey beautiful human 👋,

Guess what?

Quick personal update… I got married this month! I’m writing this newsletter from the slopes of Niseko, Japan 🇯🇵 I’ll be spending the next 7 days here carving it up, then off to Sapporo to wind down.

Writing this newsletter at a cafe in Niseko

Now I know you didn’t sign up for my personal life goss…

So let’s get back on-topic 😅

My team and I have been working hard on a few major projects.

For one of the projects, we went from failing first user tests to hitting 10/10 scores across the board 🎯

So let me share the exact feedback strategies that helped my designer level up…

If you want to watch the full deep-dive analysis of the points I’m about to share with you, you can watch it on YouTube! There will be visuals which will help you better understand the concepts.

(It’s already clocked in 18k views ✌️)

1. Challenge Requirements

Most designers jump straight into executing requirements without questioning them.

But here's the thing - sometimes requirements need to be challenged if we genuinely want to create great products and level up.

In our project, the client requirements wanted new users to:

• Sign up for an account

• Complete 3 steps about legal documents

• Choose their payment tier

• Sign contracts

• Complete payment during signup

And so our designer followed them.

After running some tests, we noticed the friction this created. I suggested to our designer, why not let companies sign up for free first, then promote premium features once they're actually using the platform?

The goal was to optimise for conversions, not requirements checked.

Once we tested this new optimised flow, participants vouched how seamless and effective it was.

2. Reduce Screen Count

Here's a common trap - we often design flows thinking more screens = more clarity. But actually, more screens = more drop-offs.

Every extra click is another chance for users to abandon your product.

In our initial funnel design, users had to:

• Complete 4 steps

• Land on a summary page

• Click through to a congratulations page

• Click ‘Continue to Dashboard’ to reach their dashboard

We simplified this to land users straight on their dashboard with a notification + confetti. Same impact, way fewer clicks.

Keep in mind, this was just one example of how we reduced a screen. Throughout the entire project, my designer was able to remove ~25% of unnecessary screens and streamline them with simple notifications and interactions.

3. Lower the Barrier

When designing signup flows, it's easy to get caught up in collecting ALL the information upfront. But here's the reality - every extra field reduces your completion rate.

Think about it: if you lose just 10% of users at each step of a 9-step process, by the end you've lost most of your potential users.

Our original company onboarding had 9 mandatory steps. We were essentially building walls between users and our product.

We redesigned it to 5 key steps by:

• Making payment optional

• Moving non-essential info to later

• Only keeping what's legally required for signup

After running various user tests on this, we realised the latter performed significantly better with zero friction points.

4. Visual Branding & Hierarchy

Clean, minimal design is great. But if everything looks the same, users don't know where to focus their attention.

Our first version looked nice but had two major issues:

• It could've been any platform (no distinct branding)

• Users landed on the dashboard with no clear direction where to look

We fixed this by using visual hierarchy to guide users' attention:

• Added branded elements throughout

• Created a proper header structure

• Used a green banner for important notifications

• Added visual reinforcement for completed states

5. User Testing Context

Here's a mistake I see often - we throw users into testing without proper context and then wonder why they seem lost.

It's like dropping someone in the middle of a movie and expecting them to understand the plot.

In our first test, we:

• Dropped users straight into the employees tab

• Asked them to add a member

• Gave zero context about why or what they were doing

The improved version started with clear context:

"You've now set up your company profile, it's time to add an employee to your company.

Step 1: Head to the employee section from your dashboard…"

BTW, I'm turning all these learnings into new educational content. Because that's what gets me excited - learning things in the real world and sharing them with you all 🫶

---

Bite-sized learnings

🎭 Imposter syndrome: Throughout my career, I've faced moments where I felt like I didn't belong in certain rooms. Early on, I would overcompensate by talking about my achievements or seeking validation from others.

↳💡 Learning: Overcome imposter syndrome through actions, not words. I've learned that focusing less on verbal validation and more on consistently delivering quality work naturally earns respect. When you let your work speak for itself, people notice. The most powerful antidote to feeling like an imposter isn't talking yourself up—it's showing up and doing the work so well that even your inner critic can't deny your competence.

💰 Financial freedom: I've worked bloody hard over the years. I've burnt out multiple times. I've given up on businesses. I've restarted all over again. Everything has been hard. But those grueling years set me up for where I am today.

↳💡 Learning: You can never make enough, but you should always have more than enough. Working intensively so I have 'more than enough' has brought me so much joy in the later years of my life. Today I am suuuuuuuper grateful for everything. I have the freedom to live life on my own terms. If I had to do it all over again, I would. Financial freedom isn't about having a specific dollar amount—it's about having enough runway to make decisions based on what you want, not what you need.

🧩 Skill stacking: When you hear others preaching ‘you should be stacking skills’, it’s important you understand how do actually do it.

↳💡 Learning: Stop compounding the wrong skills. Many preach the concept of compounding/stacking skills. However, it's important that you are compounding the RIGHT skills the RIGHT way. Many beginners tend to compound various skills before they've even got to a 'reasonably' good level at one. It's like trying to build a house with 100 different half-finished tools instead of 5 complete ones. No point being terrible in 100 skills. You'd rather be reasonably good at 5 relevant ones. This is where leverage happens. Trust me, being 80% good at a few complementary skills will take you further than being 20% good at everything.

---

Useful lil' links

• FujiXWeekly - Weekly Fujifilm camera recipes

• Open Alternative - Discover Open Source Alternatives to Popular Software

• Cador - Bluetooth headsets for outdoor sports

• Slopes - Take your snow days to the next level

• FocusedOS - Hide all distractions with one click

---

How can I help you?

Here are a few ways I can help you crush your career goals (just like me):

💼 Build confidence in end-to-end UX/UI design (10 hours) - You’ve mastered the tool and UX research and now you want to learn how to lead, design and manage a project end-to-end. Dive deep into every little step alongside me with a real-world project. (500+ designers)

🖥️ Master Figma (10 hours) - Become an expert in Figma so you can get more done; faster and better. This isn’t just a technical course about features, it’s an end-to-end course on how Figma fits into a real-world project. (8,000+ designers)

🔍 Dive-deep into UX Research & Strategy (10 hours) - Learn how to run UX and business research to make more strategic and data-informed decisions for larger scaled projects and improved stakeholder management. (900+ designers)

⚡️Design 10X faster with 8,000+ pre-designed components - We just launched v.2.7.1. If you’re starting every project from scratch, you’re probably wasting a lot of time. Leverage Shipfaster UI to speed up your process dramatically. (4,000+ designers)

🚀 Looking to launch a product? - At More Cursors, my team and I help founders strategise, design and launch world-class products. Feel free to book a call directly with me if this is something you need.

---

That's it for this month's newsletter!

I really hope you were able to take away something from it.

Mizko

The rise of the visible professional

Build in public, get paid in private.

Hey good looking 👋,

Let me tell you how randomly posting stuff online changed my entire life.

Back in 2008, I jumped on Twitter (man, remember when it wasn't called X? Ancient times 😂).

Mizko X (Twitter) Profile

One thing led to another – Dribbble, LinkedIn, Facebook Page – I was just collecting social profiles like Pokemon cards.

I had no gameplan. Just started sharing whatever I was working on and thinking about.

But something interesting happened when I wasn't paying attention.

All that consistent sharing? It was quietly building something powerful: a trusted audience.

Today, over 400,000 people have hit that follow button across my socials.

Wild.

My content's hit tens of millions of views globally. Still can't wrap my head around those numbers.

Here's the thing though – I've built something that most businesses dump crazy money trying to get: genuine trust.

For the last 8 years, I've used this trust to build multiple businesses that let me work exactly how I want, when I want.

The best part? With zero ad spend.

My audience is this solid mix of founders, creators, and designers – each bringing their own hustle to the table.

Founders hit up More Cursors for product strategy and design work, designers dive into my courses at Designership, and creators learn how to scale their own thing with me.

Lately, I've been helping my partner, sister, and a few mates build their own personal brands too.

My partner kicked off her journey in 2022 as a “corporate gal” and has already made over $4,000+ in her sleep (not bad for a side gig with her corporate job).

Online sales

Even my sister's starting to see her digital products take off and she JUST started last month.

In 2025 and onwards, I want you to win with us.

As one of my trusted followers, I want you to see what I see.

I've always been crazy bullish on the creator economy because I live this stuff every day.

It's given me a life I'm genuinely grateful for (and yeah, that includes having you along the ride!).

Here's what should get you pumped – with AI in the mix, becoming a visible professional is more achievable than ever.

This isn't just some trend. This is where everything's heading.

Technology is giving everyone a chance to have their unique voice heard. We're moving into a creator's world.

Look, social media is only toxic if you use it that way.

You might also be thinking… this just isn’t for me.

There are also a million excuses you can give yourself to why you shouldn’t start.

But there’s so much potential when you use it right.

Share what you know, help others level up, build your tribe – that's where real value happens.

The most important part, anyone can start today.

You don’t need to be an expert…

Remember, I use to share through the lens of a student…

When you evolve, so does your personal brand.

So… will 2025 be the year you start to build your personal brand?

Your boy,
Mizko

P.S. Hit reply and let me know what content you want to see next. Always keen to hear from you!

---

Bite-sized learnings

👥 Platform focus: I see many creators spreading themselves thin across every social platform imaginable - YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and probably MySpace too.

↳💡 Learning: Pick one platform and own it completely. It's better to be known as "that amazing TikTok person" than "that person who posts mediocre content everywhere." Quality and consistency on one platform will take you further than being a jack of all trades, master of none.

🎭 Creator impostor syndrome: I've chatted with countless talented folks who hesitate to share their journey because they don't feel "expert enough" or worry about judgment.

↳💡 Learning: Your personal brand isn't about being the ultimate guru - it's about being authentically you. Starting out? Embrace being a student. Share your struggles, victories, and everything in between. There's power in documenting your journey because you can never be wrong when you're simply sharing your truth. Plus, people relate more to someone who's figuring things out than to a "perfect" expert.

🌟 Friend circle mindset: The traditional advice about being the average of your five closest friends needs a remix. I've noticed it's less about who you currently hang out with and more about who inspires you to level up.

↳💡 Learning: You become the average of the five people you aspire to be like. Study and learn from them, even if you can't meet them in person. Your mindset and actions will naturally align with your aspirations, not just your current social circle. Choose your role models intentionally, even if they're not at your dinner table.

---

Useful lil' links

• DeepSeek: Everything you need to know about the AI chatbot app

• Atoms — An app by the author of Atomic Habits

• Strava — Community powered motivation

• Music for when you need a break from the world #2

• Blitzit — A simple to-do list

---

How can I help you?

Here are a few ways I can help you crush your career goals (just like me):

💼 Build confidence in end-to-end UX/UI design (10 hours) - You’ve mastered the tool and UX research and now you want to learn how to lead, design and manage a project end-to-end. Dive deep into every little step alongside me with a real-world project. (400+ designers)

🖥️ Master Figma (10 hours) - Become an expert in Figma so you can get more done; faster and better. This isn’t just a technical course about features, it’s an end-to-end course on how Figma fits into a real-world project. (7,900+ designers)

🔍 Dive-deep into UX Research & Strategy (10 hours) - Learn how to run UX and business research to make more strategic and data-informed decisions for larger scaled projects and improved stakeholder management. (800+ designers)

⚡️Design 10X faster with 8,000+ pre-designed components - We just launched v.2.7.1. If you’re starting every project from scratch, you’re probably wasting a lot of time. Leverage Shipfaster UI to speed up your process dramatically. (3,400+ designers)

🚀 Looking to launch a product? - At More Cursors, my team and I help founders strategise, design and launch world-class products. Feel free to book a call directly with me if this is something you need.

---

That's it for this month's newsletter!

I really hope you were able to take away something from it.

Your boy,
Mizko

24 raw truths I learned in 2024

Each year I use the “Pie of Life” or also known as the “Wheel of life” framework to guide my thoughts. In short, I reflect on 7 categories...

Hey beautiful human 👋,

First off Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!

I really do hope you are giving yourself the time to rest and re-charge for the new year.

This will be my last newsletter for 2024.

There were so many things I wanted to write and share about…

But since I couldn’t decide what to focus on…

I chose to share 24 lessons from different parts of my life this year.

Each year I use the “Pie of Life” or also known as the “Wheel of life” framework to guide my thoughts.

In short, I reflect on 7 categories:

Family, Friends, Work, Finances, Fun, Health and Self-development.

There are a few more categories in the original framework, but I prefer to focus on what’s most important to me at this point in time.

My 2024 retrospect

Here are my [summarised] 24 lessons in no particular order:

1. Family time → The best moments with family aren't planned - they happen in simple and authentic conversations over dinner.

2. Financial freedom → Calculate your total annual costs: family expenses, healthcare, education, and lifestyle needs. Multiply by 50 (using a conservative 2% withdrawal rate) to determine your target net worth. This assumes your total assets generates a 10% annual return, you spend 2% and re-invest the rest.

3. Social balance → Friendships need active maintenance, or they slowly fade into the background.

4. Retirement schedule → There is no plan to slow down until a 2% - 4% withdrawal rate covers my entire family’s living expenses.

5. Mental health → Rest isn't lazy - your brain literally needs it to stay sharp and creative.

6. Physical wellbeing → Shifted from lifting for looks to training for longevity - mobility work that will serve me well into my 70s.

7. Business margins → Stop focusing on how much you’re making, it’s about how much you’re keeping.

8. Friendship dynamics → Good friends energise you. If they drain you, something's off.

9. Time management → Slowing down isn't failure, it's strategic when done intentionally.

10. Energy levels → Your body signals problems way before your mind admits them.

11. Family support → Supporting parents financially is fulfilling when you can finally give back.

12. Social circles → Not organising meetups is a sure way to drift apart from friends.

13. Work progress → Success is choosing which opportunities to ignore.

14. Investment strategy → The stock price should be the last metric you look at when investing into a company.

15. Personal growth → Growth happens when you're slightly uncomfortable, not completely overwhelmed.

16. Life balance → Good routines aren't about perfection - they're about consistency.

17. Real relationships → The bestest friends will always turn up with no excuses.

18. Financial planning → Cash flow is like oxygen - you only notice it when it's missing.

19. Health habits → Small, consistent health choices compound over time.

20. Family bonds → Time with aging grandparents is precious and irreplaceable.

21. Mindful living → Your attention deserves to be protected as much as your time.

22. Community building → Finding your people makes everything else easier.

23. Personal development → Sometimes growth means letting go of old versions of yourself.

24. Self-awareness → Understanding what drives you changes everything else.

I hope you were able to relate to some of these learnings!

— Mizko

---

Bite-sized learnings

💰 The money paradox: While preaching "money isn't everything" is popular, I've lived both realities - from lower working class to financial freedom.

↳💡 Learning: Financial freedom isn't about being rich - it's about having options. And if you've experienced both sides like I have, you'll know that working intensely for a decade to build wealth and gain freedom of choice is worth every sacrifice. But keyword is intensely. Nothing worth having comes easy.

🎯 Expensive advice: Paid $3K per call for a business mentor who pushed me towards "scaling" - ended up spending hundreds of thousands optimising for revenue growth that didn't align with my goals.

↳💡 Learning: The most expensive advice isn't always the best advice. Before taking anyone's guidance, ensure they're optimising for YOUR definition of success, not their formula for scaling.

📚 Speed tax: This year I invested $11K in specialised courses (real estate and equities) because I realised something crucial about wealth building.

↳💡 Learning: The fast track to ‘financial or career success’ isn't grinding it out solo - it's learning proven methods from people who've already solved the problems you're facing. Think of course fees as a "speed tax" - you're paying to skip years of trial and error.

---

Useful lil' links

• Your boy Mizko is back on X

• Why are McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines always down?

• What Google’s quantam computing means for the future of bitcoin and crypto

• Google launches Gemini 2.0 (Reportedly ‘Really good’)

• Watch Boston Dynamics’ electric Atlas do a backflip

---

Things I'm vibin'

Home office

• Home office - Over the last 4 years I’ve been bouncing around different offices, wasting a lot of money. I finally found a new tenant to take over my current office lease, which means I’ll be working from home in 2025. I spent the last few weeks cleaning up my space and I’m vibing it again.

• Quick maffs - This year I’ve been spending a lot of time learning more about how to value businesses. I’ve spent many late nights studying various courses, jumping into Google Sheets projecting valuations and practicing my quick maffs. This is something I’ve been really enjoying as it helps me make better decisions in many aspects of my life.

---

How can I help you?

Here are a few ways I can help you crush your career goals (just like me):

💼 Build confidence in end-to-end UX/UI design (10 hours) - You’ve mastered the tool and UX research and now you want to learn how to lead, design and manage a project end-to-end. Dive deep into every little step alongside me with a real-world project. (400+ designers)

🖥️ Master Figma (10 hours) - Become an expert in Figma so you can get more done; faster and better. This isn’t just a technical course about features, it’s an end-to-end course on how Figma fits into a real-world project. (7,900+ designers)

🔍 Dive-deep into UX Research & Strategy (10 hours) - Learn how to run UX and business research to make more strategic and data-informed decisions for larger scaled projects and improved stakeholder management. (800+ designers)

⚡️Design 10X faster with 8,000+ pre-designed components - We just launched v.2.7.1. If you’re starting every project from scratch, you’re probably wasting a lot of time. Leverage Shipfaster UI to speed up your process dramatically. (3,400+ designers)

🚀 Looking to launch a product? - At More Cursors, my team and I help founders strategise, design and launch world-class products. Feel free to book a call directly with me if this is something you need.

---

That's it for this month's newsletter!

I really hope you were able to take away something from it.

I wish you all the best and I will see you in 2025.

Mizko