Stop postponing yourself:
Stop postponing yourself:
Stop postponing yourself:
A MODERN MAKER MANIFESTO
A MODERN MAKER MANIFESTO
A MODERN MAKER MANIFESTO
From Overwhelm
to Clarity
From Starting
to Shipping
From Overwhelm
to Clarity
From Starting
to Shipping
From Overwhelm
to Clarity
From Starting
to Shipping
Present Principles
for Unlocking
Your Favourite
Unrealized Project
Present Principles
for Unlocking
Your Favourite
Unrealized Project
Present Principles
for Unlocking
Your Favourite
Unrealized Project
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”Mary Oliver
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”Mary Oliver
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”Mary Oliver
Based on 20+ years of experience, Do The Thing is a battle-tested
framework, no-bullshit guide to help you find, start, and release your Thing.
And get closer to a life you are excited to wake up to every day.
Based on 20+ years of experience, Do The Thing is a battle-tested framework, no-bullshit guide to help you find, start, and launch your Thing.
And get closer to a life you are excited to wake up to every day.
ONLY 100 SPOTS AT THIS PRICE.
PRE-ORDER NOW TO SUPPORT & LOCK IN THE LIMITED OFFER WITH LIFETIME ACCESS: Buy once, Own forever.
ONLY 100 SPOTS AT THIS PRICE.
PRE-ORDER NOW TO SUPPORT & LOCK IN THE LIMITED OFFER WITH LIFETIME ACCESS: Buy once, Own forever.
The Framework
INTRO
Why your Thing matters and why most people never do theirs:
A personal note on resistance, presence, and what this book hopes to spark
1
FIND THE THING
How to discover what you really want:
Powerful strategies for exploring and finding out what’s your Thing
2
START THE THING
How to begin once you know your Thing:
Tools and strategies for starting, especially when you are scared
3
FOCUS THE THING
How to stay concentrated once you have started:
Best practices for achieving flow in a world of mass distractions
4
CULTIVATE THE THING
How to stay consistent once you have motion:
Practical habits to keep momentum when you feel like giving up
5
SHIP THE THING
How to finish before you feel ready, but when it is time to let go:
Everything you need to release your Thing into the world
⊹
What is the Thing
The Thing is the project you are procrastinating on, the dream you keep putting off, the business you keep planning, the life decision you keep avoiding.
Maybe it’s opening your own store, or writing your book, or learning what you’ve been putting off for years, or finally going independent.
Your Thing is the project you’re most afraid to start—and the one you know will change your life for the better.
⊹
Who this is for
What’s your Favourite Unrealized Project? The goal that scares you most, yet keeps on calling you. The heart project you’ve been putting off for too long.
Maybe you’ve started but can’t stay consistent. Maybe you’re ready to ship but terrified to put it out there. Maybe you haven’t started yet—but you know exactly what you’re avoiding.
It doesn’t matter what your background, age, profession, or skill level is. If you have something inside you that needs to get out, this book is for you.
Do The Thing was built to meet you exactly where you are, move you forward, and help you pursue what you dream of—without losing yourself in the process.
⊹
“I was born with something inside me that refuses to settle for average. I don’t know what it is, but I’m grateful I have it. I’m done trying to quiet it or apologise for listening to it. This year, I choose to honour it.” (Oladimeji Ajegbile)
“I was born with something inside me that refuses to settle for average. I don’t know what it is, but I’m grateful I have it. I’m done trying to quiet it or apologise for listening to it. This year, I choose to honour it.” (Oladimeji Ajegbile)
⊹
How this works
This book is the friend who shows up with a plan.
You’ll go from stuck to motion, from scattered to focused, from afraid to release to finally shipping your Thing.
No matter where you are in your life or work, Do The Thing equips you to face the obstacles that keep you from starting, and finishing, what you know you need to do.
Each chapter stands on its own, so you can follow the full journey or jump straight to your current challenge.
The goal of this book is to make you want to close it—to give you the fuel to go and do your Thing.
Why I’m doing this
I believe the world is a better place when more people do the Thing they were born to do. I believe every human is creative and has a unique gift to offer. Don’t die without sharing yours.
This book is a carefully curated compilation of everything I’ve learned in 20+ years of working as a designer and finding, creating, and living my Thing.
I’m Hugo. I founded my own design business and a clothing label in Cologne when I was 16—and never stopped pursuing my Thing. I had to learn early that our one life should not be taken for granted. I became obsessed with making the best of it.
I studied at ECAL in Switzerland, where I published my first magazine, Better Mjstakes. I built 032c’s first website at 21. I worked for Bureau Borsche and Meiré und Meiré, then moved to New York to work at 2x4.
I gave workshops at universities and traveled the world to give talks all the while continuing to run my independent design studio, working with Apple, Salomon, Nike, Prada, Carhartt, Mugler, and many more.
Through all of it, I kept asking the same question: how can we manage it all, pursue our wildest dreams without driving ourselves crazy? How can we do our Thing and still stay whole?
That question became PRESENT: three print issues, a growing community, and an ecosystem to support makers and creators worldwide. And now it's become this book.
Hundreds of books, countless experiments, years of feedback from friends and our global community of makers, distilled into one framework.
I built it so you can learn from my mistakes, the fears I had to push through, and the life lessons I collected along the way.
I believe the world is a better place when more people do the Thing they were born to do. I believe every human is creative and has a unique gift to offer. Don’t die without sharing yours.
This book is a carefully curated compilation of everything I’ve learned in 20+ years of working as a designer and finding, creating, and living my Thing.
I’m Hugo. I founded my own design business and a clothing label in Cologne when I was 16—and never stopped pursuing my Thing. I had to learn early that our one life should not be taken for granted. I became obsessed with making the best of it.
I studied at ECAL in Switzerland, where I published my first magazine, Better Mjstakes. I built 032c’s first website at 21. I worked for Bureau Borsche and Meiré und Meiré, and lived in New York to work at 2x4.
I gave workshops at universities and traveled the world to give talks all the while continuing to run my independent design studio, working with Apple, Salomon, Nike, Prada, Carhartt, Mugler, and many more.
Through all of it, I kept asking the same question: how can we manage it all, pursue our wildest dreams without driving ourselves crazy? How can we do our Thing and still stay whole?
That question became PRESENT: three print issues, a growing community, and an ecosystem to support makers and creators worldwide. And now it's become this book.
Hundreds of books, countless experiments, years of feedback from friends and our global community of makers, distilled into one framework.
I built this so you can learn from my mistakes, the fears I had to push through, and the life lessons I collected along the way.
What makes this special:
What makes this special:
⊹ Specific, transparent, and radically honest about the work
⊹ Based on 20+ years of professional experience, not theory
⊹ A workbook plus framework that meets you in any creative phase
⊹ Practical tools you can build on, adapt, and make your own
⊹ An international community of makers who have your back
⊹ A living project that evolves over time, and so does your access
ONLY 100 SPOTS AT THIS PRICE.
PRE-ORDER NOW TO SUPPORT & LOCK IN THE LIMITED OFFER WITH LIFETIME ACCESS: Buy once, Own forever.
ONLY 100 SPOTS AT THIS PRICE.
PRE-ORDER NOW TO SUPPORT & LOCK IN THE LIMITED OFFER WITH LIFETIME ACCESS: Buy once, Own forever.
“The truest form of intelligence is designing the life you want to live.”—Graham Weaver
“The truest form of intelligence is designing the life you want to live.”—Graham Weaver
FAQ
What do I get when I pre-order?
You lock in the exclusive early bird price and lifetime access: every future update, bonus, and improvement at no extra cost.
You’ll get preview chapters as they’re written, an invitation to our private community, access to our Consistency Club calls, and you’ll be included in the supporter hall of fame.
The full digital book and printed edition are coming soon: you’ll have full transparency on the process and progress along the way.
How is this different from other productivity books?
This isn’t about productivity hacks. It’s a personal, effective framework based on 20+ years of actually doing and shipping creative work—not theorizing about it. No fluff, no guru energy, just what actually works.
How much experience do I need to benefit from this?
This book and framework is designed to be valuable at any stage of your career. If you care about craft and improving, you’ll find something here.
Is it too late for me to start?
No. The only time it’s too late is when you stop trying. This book exists precisely because "too late" is a lie your brain tells you.
Who is this for?
For everyone who is struggling to find, or start, or finish their Thing. Anyone stuck between wanting to create and actually creating. It doesn't matter your age, background, or skill level. If you have something inside you that needs to get out, this is for you.
How is this different from presentOS?
Do The Thing is an integral part of OS. Its digital version will live inside the OS, alongside additional tools, content library, and resources.
What do I get when I pre-order?
You lock in the exclusive early bird price and lifetime access: every future update, bonus, and improvement at no extra cost. As a pre-order member, you'll get preview chapters as they're written, an invitation to our private community, and access to our Consistency Club calls, so you can start doing your Thing before the book even drops. The full digital book and printed edition are coming soon. You'll get full transparency on the process and progress along the way.
How is this different from other productivity books?
This isn't about productivity hacks. It's a personal, brutally honest framework based on 20+ years of actually doing and shipping creative work—not theorizing about it. No fluff, no guru energy, just what actually works.
How much experience do I need to benefit from this?
This book and framework is designed to be valuable at any stage of your career. If you care about craft, you’ll find something here.
Is it too late for me to start?
No. The only time it's too late is when you stop trying. This book exists precisely because "too late" is a lie your brain tells you.
Who is this for?
For everyone who is struggling to find, or start, or finish their Thing. Anyone stuck between wanting to create and actually creating. It doesn't matter your age, background, or skill level. If you have something inside you that needs to get out, this is for you.
How is this different from presentOS?
Do The Thing is an integral part of OS. Its digital version will live inside the OS, alongside additional tools, content library, and resources.
What do I get when I pre-order?
You lock in the exclusive early bird price and lifetime access: every future update, bonus, and improvement at no extra cost.
You’ll get preview chapters as they’re written, an invitation to our private community, access to our Consistency Club calls, and you’ll be included in the supporter hall of fame.
The full digital book and printed edition are coming soon: you’ll have full transparency on the process and progress along the way.
How is this different from other productivity books?
This isn’t about productivity hacks. It’s a personal, effective framework based on 20+ years of actually doing and shipping creative work—not theorizing about it. No fluff, no guru energy, just what actually works.
How much experience do I need to benefit from this?
This book and framework is designed to be valuable at any stage of your career. If you care about craft and improving, you’ll find something here.
Is it too late for me to start?
No. The only time it’s too late is when you stop trying. This book exists precisely because "too late" is a lie your brain tells you.
Who is this for?
For everyone who is struggling to find, or start, or finish their Thing. Anyone stuck between wanting to create and actually creating. It doesn't matter your age, background, or skill level. If you have something inside you that needs to get out, this is for you.
How is this different from presentOS?
Do The Thing is an integral part of OS. Its digital version will live inside the OS, alongside additional tools, content library, and resources.