The end of an era
Highlights from my time writing Fact of the Day 1
Dear Readers,
It is time for me to conclude this chapter and begin a new one.
As I embark on new adventures, it is time to bid farewell to my role as author of Fact of the Day 1. I am grateful for the opportunity to have shared my writing with you. I look back fondly on the relationships I've formed as my readership has grown from a small group of 10 people in 2018 to an audience of 95,000 today.
Reflecting on the joy I experienced from Fact of the Day 1, I picked five highlights to share with you.
Highlight #1: The original whiteboard at Amazon
It was on the 11th floor of the Amazon Amelia building in South Lake Union. Shout out to the OG readers from Amazon Marketplace.
Highlight #2: Featured in “Bring Your Parents to Work Day”
In September 2019, Amazon welcomed 7,000 parents to the Seattle campus. Attendees got a welcome packet featuring my most popular facts!
Highlight #3: The “April Fools” Viral Fact
I wrote a joke on April 1, 2020 featuring my dog Markley. It was a HIT and went viral, quickly spreading from email list to email list around Amazon. With 1.3M employees, that’s a lot of impressions for Markley! 🐶
Thanks to my brothers—Jacob, Max, and Nate—for helping me workshop the idea!
Highlight #4: One-on-ones with Jeff Wilke
Wilke was the CEO of Worldwide Consumer at Amazon (a business with ~1M employees). In March 2021, we collaborated on writing down lessons he learned at Amazon as he prepared to leave the company.
Highlight #5: Publishing my first book!
Writing a book is fun; I highly recommend it. I’m grateful for having sold 2,000 copies shipped to 30 countries worldwide. The reviews are epic—thanks to everyone who supported me during my January 2021 book launch.
Obligatory hat tip to Kindle Direct Publishing and Amazon’s global logistics network.
What’s next?
I won’t be sending you new facts. The website and LinkedIn pages will remain available with an archive of the 600 facts I’ve published.
In the coming weeks, I’ll send another note sharing details about my next adventure! (Hint: it’s entrepreneurial.)
Thank you for supporting my passion project,
Danny
Thank You’s
Jennifer: for being the creative artist behind the scenes. Your whiteboard art touched the lives of tens of thousands of people!
Dave: for giving me the freedom to do this “daily fact on a whiteboard” thing in our office. And for encouraging me to just do it.
Todd: for encouraging me to continue my passion project of Fact of the Day 1 even as our work in Project Kuiper intensified. Your book recommendations will make me a bookworm for a very long time.
Mom: for instilling integrity as a foundational component of my self-image from a young age. Dad: for picking Mom as a life partner.
Katie: for being my proofreader, confidant, and biggest supporter. I look forward to saying “I do” come June!
I have enjoyed reading and corresponding with you since the beginning. Congratulations on a great run and making the big decision to turn the page. Doing big things demands smart allocation of your finite energy. Deciding to end this successful creation of yours and divert the energy elsewhere had to be tough. Best wishes! Can't wait to see what you do next! Good luck Danny!
Good luck, Danny!