2024: A Year of Burnout, Reflection, and Change
review
January 7, 2025
This year hit differently.
Since I set out to build my own business sharing what I know in 2021, I was growing every year, and it was looking like 2024 would be my best year ever.
But as I look back on 2024, it’s clear this year wasn’t about breakthroughs or big wins. It was a year that tested my resilience and pushed me to redefine my priorities.
In the spirit of transparency, like I always do, I want to talk about what happened, what I learned, and how I’m approaching 2025 with a clearer head and a lighter heart.
What Actually Happened in 2024
2024 started off strong, but things started going downhill in April. My signature program, Building Public Mastery, didn’t sell well, which triggered a spiral of doubt. I decided to rebrand and reconfigure my focus, hoping to bring back growth. Instead, I lost direction.
I thought “building in public” was too generic of a term to focus on and that demand for it had died down. So I rebranded from Public Lab to Small School. I wanted to cover everything around productizing your knowledge to scale your influence.
I quickly poured my energy into the rebrand project but soon I found out it was a huge distraction. I headed into a low period.
Finally, in November, I hit pause. It was time to make a drastic change. I began exploring service work with my expertise and built a course for a big-name creator who has 6 million YouTube subscribers and runs a multi-million business (when it is ready, I’ll share more).
He was able to 10X the fee he paid me in only two days. This was a turning point — it reminded me how energizing it is to work with real people, brainstorm ideas, and create something impactful together.
On the personal side, I also tried a few fun projects, like a daddy-daughter project. I organized a few pairs of daddy-daughter teams to do a supermarket challenge. It was fun, but I didn’t see a future with such labor-intensive activities. While it didn’t pan out, it brought me back to the early-day joy of experimenting which was super important.
The Highs
Despite the challenges, there were a few bright spots:
Lots of Time with Family
This year, I spent more time with my family than ever before. My daughters, now two and four years old, are at such a magical age. Being present with them during this time is something I’ll always treasure. In a year full of lows, this compensated for it.
I also had time to meet up with Javier and his family who were visiting Hong Kong. Not only he has been learning from my book and courses all these years, he has also been an active community member. It was awesome finally meeting him in person!
Better Investing
I’ve been dabbling in stock investing since I was 16, but I didn’t feel like I got the game in the last 18 years. 2024 was the year I finally grasped it.
Well, I’m not a day trader, so what I mean is that I knew and improved on the art of patience. It’s one thing to know “buy low, sell high” in theory; it’s another to practice it consistently. This year, I finally started executing it better, and I’m proud of that growth.
The Lows
The lows of 2024 were significant, and they taught me hard but necessary lessons:
I Was Burned Out
I was burned out for much of the year. Solopreneurship felt isolating, and I wasn’t innovating or learning. I am part of Jay Clouse’s private community, and he often says, “Your business growth is tied to your enthusiasm,” and it’s no wonder my business didn’t do too well in 2024.
I Was Biased to Product Revenue
After four years in business, I was caught in the content-to-product revenue model — spending most of my time creating content and funneling the attention to product sales. The good side is that this is massively scalable, but the downside is that you can’t predict what will happen. This helped me realize I needed a more sustainable business model.
I Was Stubborn
I was stuck in doing business my way — I avoided promoting myself too much or repeating ideas, thinking it felt inauthentic. But in reality, successful entrepreneurs know how to push through that discomfort and focus on what the audience wants. It is a balance, but you’ve got to have that ability if you want more success.
Key Lessons from 2024
1. Your Calendar Drives Your Business
I used to think having an empty calendar meant freedom (so many people still promote this on social media), but this year showed me otherwise. The blank days felt liberating at first, but they quickly turned into aimlessness. I’d find myself filling the time with family activities or small errands, which, while meaningful, didn’t push the business forward.
When I worked with the big-name creator on his course, I’ve learned that a thoughtfully filled calendar creates accountability and momentum. I had 4 weeks to deliver. I got to work. I showed up. I listened. I consulted. I made it happen. It was beautiful.
2. The Dark Side of Diversification
I spread myself too thin this year. After focusing primarily on Twitter/X and email in previous years, I decided to experiment with YouTube, podcasts, Threads, and BlueSky. On paper, it seemed like a good move—be everywhere, build a wider audience.
In practice, it was chaos.
I didn’t have a clear purpose for each channel or a system to manage them effectively. The result? Fragmented energy and, of course, lack of results. It’s always better to dominate one platform and build a steady flow of new connections. By then, it might still not be a good idea to expand. You can double down to make that channel return more. For 2025, I’ll be returning to a simpler, more focused strategy.
3. Services Are Underrated
For years, I was only focusing on the content-to-product revenue model: create content, turn it into a product, and sell it. This approach works well until it is not.
Working with clients was a revelation. For the first time in a while, I felt energized by collaborating with someone, tackling their unique challenges, and building something together.
It reminded me that services can provide stable income while offering opportunities to learn and grow. For people, e.g. new parents, who need a bit more stability, this is good. More importantly, what you learn from offering services can help you build better products too.
4. Collaboration Fuels Energy
As a solopreneur, burnout hit me hard in 2024. I realized I was too isolated, spending most of my time alone at my desk. Bouncing ideas off someone else, solving problems together, and sharing the wins brought a level of energy I hadn’t felt in months.
Collaboration doesn’t have to be massive to make an impact. It can be small partnerships, like a cross-promotional guest post. At least you get to discuss goals with a partner. I’ve learned that it’s not just about the work—it’s about staying connected to others.
5. Personal Brand > Business Brand
Lots of people debate building on top of a personal brand or a business brand.
Today, I know the answer — for what we do (sharing knowledge), personal brand all the way.
For years, I’ve juggled multiple brands—Public Lab, then Small School—but 2024 reminded me that my personal brand, Kevon Cheung, is always the anchor. Business brands evolve or fade based on my changing interest, but a personal brand endures because it’s tied to who you are.
This shift in thinking came late in the year as I reflected on why I felt disconnected from my work. I’d diluted my efforts by trying to maintain separate brands, but when I leaned into just being me, things started to click. Moving forward, my personal brand will be my focus.
6. Repetition is the Key to Recognition
One of my biggest mistakes this year was moving away from my core message. When I rebranded from Public Lab to Small School, I lost the clear anchor that connected me to my audience.
I’ve watched creators repeat their core ideas over and over. On the outside, it might seem like they are becoming boring. In reality, that’s just what’s needed for that channel. I realized that repetition isn’t a flaw; it’s a strategy. People need to hear your core idea many times before it sticks.
I don’t think I’ll return to having “building in public” as my core idea, but I’ll for sure come up with one and then repeat it creatively.
7. Offline Presence Drives Online Impact
For most of the last few years, I was working quietly in my home or studio. I am a father of two young girls, so a quiet lifestyle extended from the COVID period suited me. I wasn’t attending events, meeting new people, or creating offline opportunities. This isolation not only drained my energy but also limited the sparks of inspiration that come from real-world interactions.
Until I realized how much I was missing out.
I started going to more events, gatherings, and coffee chats near the end of 2024, and I can say that things are already happening a lot more, and I can turn that into content to build on my online presence.
Don’t build an online business. Build a business.
Other Lessons from 2024
Optimize for fun. Try to stay away from recurring commitments (e.g., I was running a membership) because you’ll have a hard time experimenting with new things.
Focus on the vision, not the tiny details. I’m too organized and disciplined and often want things to be pixel perfect. This is not what drives business growth. Vision, strategy, and sales drive it.
Work on the future, forget about the past. I regretted my decision to rebrand, which took four weeks of my time. People often buy because of what they see in front of them — the copy of a new offer, not the brand name. If I had spent those four weeks experimenting and creating fun and in-demand offers, I’d probably have grown the business more.
Plans for 2025
2024 was tough but it reminded me how much I thrive on collaborating closely with people, which is why I’m shifting my focus:
Reconstruct My Business
I’ll simplify my offerings and create a clear “window display” for what I stand for.
Start a Service Offering
I’ll leverage my expertise to help founders and creators build crazy-good courses. This is my bread and butter, and if I can help a big-name creator generate a 10x return over a weekend (not even counting future sales), I could help others do the same.
If you want to chat about this, you can email me at kevon[at]smallschool.is.Embrace AI
I started picking up AI seriously at the end of 2024. I realized AI isn’t replacing me—it’s collaborating with me. I can’t stop using AI now.
It is a big part of our future, and I can already see how it will be changing the education and knowledge-sharing space. I'm keen to explore opportunities here.Collaborate More
I’ll prioritize working with others to keep my energy and creativity high!
Get Offline
I’ll attend events, meet people, and build relationships offline. These interactions often spark the best ideas and actions. I’ll build my online and offline presence in parallel.
2025, let's go!