Rick Foerster

Recovering startup guy, now writing about work (but really about meaning). My debut novel comes out soon.

Check out:

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

@p_millerd i have zero idea if anyone else is doing this, but you occupy a trusted space in the self-pub world, so could take advantage of it.

you could charge a setup fee ($100 or whatever) + 10% rake on all sales. basically Claw Mart, but for books.

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

While non-fiction deals with the truth, it’s fiction that can sometimes get closer to the truth by not being constrained by it.

I wrote about why I’ve turned more toward fiction > non-fiction here…

https://t.co/ILnT0Q3DAt

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

In 2026:

A tech company will fire you for NOT using AI.
A publisher will cancel you for using AI.

Same tool. Different sins.

Which world is right?

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

Maybe you should read less.

I have some ideas on how to be creative (when you're not a "creative person").

One example: create first, study later.

All based on my experience going from a corporate drone to a writing a post-apocalyptic fiction novel.

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

If you write (or want to), but don't want to play the old game, this is worth your time.

Thanks to @p_millerd and @jimmyasoni for pushing the frontier.

[Infinite Loops 🎙 @InfiniteL88ps]

Traditional publishing breeds cynicism at scale. Paul Millerd (@p_millerd) and Jimmy Soni (@jimmyasoni) believe the internet is changing that. Paul returns to Infinite Loops alongside Infinite Books CEO Jimmy Soni for a conversation around publishing.

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

Money is the world’s most effective way to warp your decisions. It’s the anesthetic that covers up pain and the bribe that makes bad work look really good.

But you can use money's intense effect to clarify what's the best work for you:

https://t.co/Ev6AOJ4tc2

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

Jeff is a great follow. Very wise post-success guy.

[Retired Founder @RetiredFounder]

Reintroducing myself.

Jeff Swearingen, a retired founder, exploring a post-exit world.

Originally from Minnesota, school at UT Austin where I met my beautiful wife. Proud father of 3 adult kids.

Salesman by trade, founder / entrepreneur since 1997.

Founded SecureLink (an Austin based security software company) in 2003. CEO until I retired in 2018. Had a LOT of help from home, employees, advisors, etc. Worked hard and got lucky too. Sold majority to Vista Equity Partners in 2017, then another PE firm in 2020 and finally to a Thoma Bravo company in 2022.

Weird thing happened a few years into retirement: found myself lost and confused, missing the structure, purpose and identity I had from work. Thought retiring young (49) with ample financial resources would be sunshine and roses every day, but it wasn’t. Embarrassing to admit that I was failing at success.

Realized I wasn’t alone- started this account and posted my story a few places, which led to creating a men's group for other retired founders called Beyond The Finish Line. Thanks to all of my friends there that are helping me navigate the maze.

Currently working on a few projects: managing the BTFL group, building a retreat center called Rancho Loco in Scottsdale, mentoring founders navigating an exit and slowly playing the top 100 golf courses in the US.

I plan to post here on occasion, mostly about post-exit life, but maybe some golf content or other rants as well.

Nice to be back, life is good.

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

@p_millerd im familiar with author equity. what are some other good ones (if you know)?

[Khe Hy @khemaridh]

New Claude Code course (for non-technical folks) is live.

Build yourself a chief of staff, intelligent email agents and research management systems.

Maximize your personal leverage, no-coding required https://t.co/S2gF9Jiy3k

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

@p_millerd 🔥

[Paul Millerd @p_millerd]

I can assure you that you don’t need to be in the arena. This is mostly a fictional place people working on laptops have created in their heads to avoid emotions

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

@p_millerd prob the same agents/publishers who won't sign an author unless they have a "platform"

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

@p_millerd respectfully... would Sahil have a business if he wasn't a pro at selling this drug?

[Zito @_Zeets]

The texts between Conan, Will Arnett, and Jason Bateman are hilarious. Conan lost both of his parents and somehow joking about Bateman killing them is so dark and yet such a sweet way to help a friend grieve.

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

@p_millerd Not as sexy as Sivers, but created something similar:
https://t.co/7krDNW0Z6s

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

@WGR550 Not surprised. But not the end of Coleman. They're lighting a fire under him.

The first benching is a hand slap.
The second is an existential crisis.

(i.e. "we can live without you")

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

Freedom is NOT the highest form of wealth.

We've all heard some variation of: "the highest form of wealth is the ability to wake up every morning and say, 'I can do whatever I want." @morganhousel (btw, love Morgan).

But after 2 years of freedom... I have to disagree.

It’s this deep desire and belief that if you can GET OUT of the system you’re in, you’ll live happily-ever-after.

I used to believe this, too. But then I got freedom. And I realized it wasn’t enough.

It’s not enough to have control of your time.
It’s not enough to have options.
It’s not enough to be able to “do what you want” because it’s really hard to figure out and force yourself to “do what you want.”

Freedom is nice, don't get me wrong. But when you get it, it's immediately followed by a: "Okay, so now what?"

Instead, it's like money... just another means to an end. A milestone, not the endgame.

So I now believe that meaning is the highest form of wealth.

To feel a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose in our days and activities. To feel like it all makes sense; there is a coherent narrative about the world and our place in it. This is the good stuff.

Freedom is a beautiful escape. But meaning is what makes freedom worth it.

More here if you want to debate about it: https://t.co/V6fy67O5xy

[Rick Foerster @rickfoe]

Been really thinking about this...

Just wrote a novel ~70K words, which is low-ish for trad pub, but almost feels long to me as a debut author.

Asking someone to pick up your book AND read as a brand new author is tough (esp if my audience is used to 5-10 min posts).

So I've thought about breaking it up into 3 separate shorter books (but that can creates issues for people who are immersed in the story and want to keep going, as that friction will create drop-off from book 1 to 2...).

I don't know. Still thinking about it.