Selim in Essen, Germany
Hi {{ first_name | friend}},
It's been almost five months since my last email. No dramatic reason. Life got busy, and this newsletter slipped down the list.
But I'm back, and I want to keep this short.
What's Been Going On
Work:
Still at TELUS Digital as a trainer. It's been over a year now. This job gave me stability and the documentation I needed to stay in Germany. The irony: I switched from humanitarian work to tech because of funding cuts. Now I'm watching similar patterns in tech. Cycles everywhere.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn!
Thesis:
I'm finally wrapping up my master's thesis on localization in humanitarian action. Years in the making. Almost there.
Walking:
Almost every day for the last 6 months, averaging 13,115 steps. I missed only 3-4 days when I was sick. Still going to the gym 2-3 times a week.
Duolingo: 126 days streak.
Learning&speaking English was one of the few things that changed the trajectory of my life.
However, it’s the first time in my life I've been this consistent with language learning app. The secret? Screen limits. I can't open WhatsApp or LinkedIn until I finish my German exercises. My German hasn't improved dramatically, but it's better than doing nothing.
Reading:
Re-listening to Naval Ravikant's Almanack. If you haven't read or listened to it, strongly recommend. It's one of those books you come back to.
You can read or listen it for free here: navalmanack.com
New Projects
I've been working on a few things with LeadShark.
MCP Explorer - exploring MCP tools and integrations
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that gives AI models a universal way to connect to your local files, databases, and external tools. Think of it like a USB-C port for AI: instead of writing custom code to connect an AI to every single app, you just plug it in.
AI for Lead Generation - using AI for finding and nurturing leads
🔗 apex.new - free APEX MCP trial
🔗 leadmagnet.top - list of top free LinkedIn lead magnets
If you're on LinkedIn, I'd appreciate a follow on either page. Posts and newsletters coming soon.
One Event Worth Mentioning
beehiiv is running their Summer Release event on July 16th. They're showing what's shipping next for creators.
If you're into newsletters or thinking about starting one, this is worth checking out:
Going Forward
I want to write here weekly again. Every Tuesday.
Short updates. Things I'm learning. What's working, what's not.
No grand promises. Just showing up.
A Question for You
I'm exploring ways to help people in a few areas:
Humanitarian careers - navigating the sector, career transitions, what's changing
Digital writing - newsletters, lead magnets, monetizing your writing skills
Habits and productivity - building systems, tool stacks, AI workflows
If any of these sound useful, or if you have questions, hit reply. I'm genuinely curious what would be helpful.
See you next Tuesday,
Selim
P.S. The Duolingo screen limit trick is simple: I set my phone so certain apps don't open until I complete my daily lesson. It's a small constraint that changed everything. If you're struggling with a habit, try making it a gatekeeper for something you already do.
P.P.S. If you need external accountability to stay consistent with something, reply to this email. I'm a certified coach and I'm exploring ways to help people build better habits and systems.