10x Your Mindset with Machete Mindset.
Achieve UNPARALLELED SUCCESS. Cleave YOUR OWN PATH.
True greatness is not about power, fame, or money. All of these are irrelevant at the end of the day. Achieving greatness is more about stretching the limits of your life, unlocking your potentials and embarking on a journey to self-discovery.
Machete Mindset is a 10 chapter self improvement business success book written by real people from fiverr one chapter at a time. I co-ordinated it's creation during a time before the wide availability of language AI models, and my audacious goal was to try to get other people to write a book for me in a two weeks. This is the story of it's creation.
The Pitch - Project Machete
The images above are real reviews from some of the ghost writers I hired via fiverr.com. I approached these writers and more asking them to take part in Project Machete using the following message:
This book is about applying the way of the machete to achieve success in life and business. The power and versatility of the machete has shaped history. A machete allows the person who wields it to use large motion - like an ax - to create big cuts The machete can also be used for smaller cuts like a knife. In order to succeed, one must use large and small motions in concert.
The modern world is a jungle. The machete mindset provides wisdom to those trying to cut their way through it. Carving through the modern jungle of business and life can only be achieved using bold big actions, and being ready to adapt at a moments notice. This is the Machete Mindset.
The book is targeted at people who know they can achieve more than they currently do. It is for people who want to make BOLD MOVES and achieve PERSONAL GREATNESS.
Scalpels may keep a ship afloat, but a machete can change direction and put strong wind in their sails. True change comes when you are no longer fearful. Carry the machete inside you and know that you can DO ANYTHING.
Erasing fear and acting decisively at work and in life can lead to IMMENSE PERSONAL GREATNESS.
I want the book to have a feel like it is revealing an ancient practice that is shrouded in secrecy. Learn to wield the power of the Machete Mindset - create change that cannot be stopped or denied.
The chapters should be short and punchy. Repetition is fine, and breaking things into sections is great. I am interested more in timeline than number of words. How many chapters do you think you could accomplish in three days?
If they seemed interested, I would send them this list of chapter titles and ask that they choose their favourite(s) to contribute 200-1000 words.
Enter the Machete - Be a Knife AND An Axe
Identify the Warrior - Use Your Machetes Wisely
Become the Machete. Become Steel
The Modern Office Is a Jungle - Pack a Blade
Be Fearless - Change requires a Sharp Knife
Think Big - The Revolution Starts with One Cleave
Chop Down Obstacles - Slash Your Todo List FastUltimately, I ended up hiring 13 writers and a graphic designer and together we produced the first edition of the Machete Mindset.
The Chase
Messaging and following up with this many people became time consuming but it was fun. I tried to just let the writing happen and be as hands off as possible, but occasionally had to nudge authors to use the phrase "Machete Mindset" at all in their writing. Some ghosted straight after reading The Pitch. The following are some excerpts from conversations and chapter proposals that I sent to the prospective authors. At one point I got desperate and hired a children's book author to tell "a supernatural fable" about a "machete warrior" - a fish out of water learning to survive. I boldly requested that "part of it (was) set in space".
LateNite was fun to work with - responsive and worked quickly. He wrote the stories of Machete that introduce each chapter
When Liz said that The Machete represented the story of her own life it was inspiring. Become Steel, Liz. Become Steel.
A small tool, utilized properly can chop down an entire jungle. Apply the philosophy of the machete mindset to the interactions in your life. In any interaction there is always a machete. Pull the levers of social interactions and CLEAVE YOUR OWN PATH.
Some were in right off the hop, and some were more skeptical or would 👻 after hearing the idea.
History holds the secret lessons of how you can BECOME THE MACHETE and master business and life. Achieve UNPARALLELED SUCCESS in all of your endeavours by applying the wisdom of years of real history and living the Machete Mindset.
Maria made up her own chapter title that wasn't in the list, but I let her roll with it anyways. It seemed like this spoke to her.
The Machete Chapters
The prices ranged from $17 - $75. You could certainly spend more than this, but I wanted quick turnaround and a medley of voices. My goal with each author was a to get as close to 1000 words in three days as possible. I wanted the work done fast because my goal was a book in two weeks, but I also wanted them to fire from the hip and write without over-thinking it.
The chapters have started arriving. I have the first three now. From zynalty_writers, 'The Modern Office Is a Jungle - Pack a Blade', also God of Words Title – 'Be Fearless - Change requires a Sharp Knife'. This one was the most expensive of this batch, and the quality is much higher. Right now it is my leading candidate for chapter one. maria_aslam's chapter about the history of the knife and how that relates to modern success is pretty good.
Up to six chapters at time of this writing. The new ones are a lot longer, but I'm not sure I like them more. The number of times the author uses the word machete seems like a good indicator of whether I like the chapter or not. Authors who don't ever say machete seem to submit more coherent chapters, but it's just less fun to read for me.
After two weeks, we had produced enough Machete content for 10 chapters of timeless wisdom , a short story interlude that ends in space 🚀 , and a weird DnD character backstory for my "About the Author" 🧌 section. Sure, this is basically a book.
Machete Mindset
With chapters in hand, the final touch was to hire one last fiverr.com artist to make a cover and some slick 3D renderings of the book. I wanted it to turn out great so I also purchased some stock photos I found of a man in a business suit holding a brief case and a machete and included them with my request. I give you, Machete Mindset:
