Sam Parr's Anti-MBA Learning Machine

Alright, let's dive into building a website the Sam Parr way!

1. The Essence

Building a website is like crafting a killer story. It's about hooking your audience from the first click and guiding them through a journey that makes them want to stay. Think of it as your digital storefront—make it compelling, simple, and easy to navigate.

2. Game-Changing Frameworks

1. The 80/20 Rule

Focus on the 20% of your website that will get 80% of the results. Don't waste time on fancy features that few will use. Keep it lean and mean.

2. The Slippery Slope

Your website should be like a novel you can't put down. Each section should lead the visitor to the next, creating a flow that keeps them engaged. Think of it as a digital teeter-totter—once they're on, they'll stay on.

3. The Incubation Period

Just like your brain works better when you're not actively staring at a problem, your website can benefit from time away. Step back, let it marinate, and come back to it fresh. You'll find ways to make it better that you wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

3. Non-Negotiables

1. Simplicity

Keep your language and design as simple as possible. Use short sentences and paragraphs. Remember, your audience is busy and doesn't have time for fluff.

2. Keyword Research

Understand what your audience is searching for and tailor your content accordingly. It's like knowing the punchline before the joke—make sure your content delivers what people are looking for.

3. Testing

Test everything. Your headline, your content, your design. The best way to know if something works is to see how people interact with it. Use data to make decisions, not guesses.

4. Knowledge Fuel

1. "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug

This book is the bible for website usability. It's like a cheat code for making your website intuitive and user-friendly. Learn how to make your site so easy to use that it feels like second nature.

2. "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman

This book will teach you how to design for humans, not just computers. It's all about making your website feel natural and effortless. Think of it as the secret sauce for your digital storefront.

5. Level-Up Tasks

1. User Testing

Get real people to use your website and watch them. See what they like and what they hate. This will give you insights that no amount of data can provide. It's like watching a live show of your website's strengths and weaknesses.

2. A/B Testing

Test different versions of your website to see which one performs better. This is like running a science experiment on your website—find out what works and what doesn't.

6. Mastery Project

Build a website for a fictional business. Make it from scratch, including the content and design. The goal is to create a site that would make a real business owner jealous. Think of it as your digital portfolio piece.

7. Rapid-Fire Check

1. Is your website easy to navigate?
2. Does your content match what your audience is searching for?
3. Have you tested your website with real users?

8. Danger Zones

1. Overcomplicating Design Don't fall into the trap of making your website too flashy or complex. Keep it simple and functional. Remember, the goal is to guide your visitors through a smooth journey, not to win a design award.

2. Ignoring Analytics Don't build your website in a vacuum. Use data to understand how people are interacting with it. Analytics can tell you what's working and what's not, so you can make informed decisions to improve.

That's it, folks Building a website the Sam Parr way is about simplicity, strategy, and always keeping your audience in mind. Now go out there and crush it