5 entrepreneurs. a Bulgarian restaurant. a mountain village at night.

I asked at the table: "what's the one skill that changed your life?"

let me introduce you to the people I had dinner with:

Bill runs a digital nomad community. his answer: self-belief. not confidence. belief. the deep knowing that no matter what happens, you're going to make it because you keep learning.

Vitali co-runs an IT cooperative of 50 people. his answer surprised me: meditation. not a business skill. meditation. because it gave him clarity on what actually matters in life.

Naska, his partner in the cooperative, said something I'm still thinking about: the ability to make people feel heard, even when you disagree with them.

Lauren is an expert designer: dealing with adversity and keep going with enthusiasm.

me: I said talking to strangers. the only challenge I've failed so far. I talked with 24 out of 50 people, in the US. my ego got in the way. That failure taught me more than most wins.

what's the skill you're ignoring?

here's what I noticed at that table:

nobody said coding. nobody said sales. nobody said marketing.

they said meditation. listening. believing in yourself.

the skills that change your life aren't always the ones on your to-do list.

Sometimes they're the ones you keep avoiding.

what's yours?

now, something I've been working on for this week’s challenge.

I want to make something physical for us.

a clothing that represents who we are becoming.

on one side: "until death, all defeat is psychological."

this is the motto I live by. it means you never lose in life. you just decide to quit. understanding this changes everything. you can always learn. you can always improve. you can always try again.

on the other side: the list of challenges.

coding. language. music. cold approach. strength. whatever we're doing together. it's a visual memory of your progress. proof that you're someone who keeps going.

Why clothing?

because it creates conversations.

someone sees the list. they ask about it. now you're talking about how you learned guitar in a week. or how you talked to 50 strangers in Albania. or how you're building an app.

it's not just a pullover for me. It's an identity. a reminder. a conversation starter.

I'm proud to wear it. I think you will like it :)

here's the deal:

I'm making only 5 for now.

the design will change as we progress through the challenges.

this first batch is for the early believers.

colors: white or black. both look amazing.

also making a t-shirt variant if that's more your style.

want one? reply to this email. first come, first served.

quick update on this week:

challenge: go from idea to product in 7 days.

today I went to the shop. finalized the designs. got positive feedback from friends.

I’m wearing my idea! It’s so warm and looks so nice!

PROOF:

If you missed week 6, HERE are the 3 lessons to start playing music and connect with people:

Reply to this email with all your questions, comments, or tips, I will answer.

Or share with friends who want to join and grow.

- Alex