A PRESENT BOOK & FRAMEWORK
A MODERN MAKER MANIFESTO
Present Principles for Actualizing
Your Favourite Unrealized Project.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with
your one wild and precious life?” (Mary Oliver)
Based on 20+ years of experience, this is a no-bullshit guide to get you closer to a life you are excited to wake up to every day.
A battle-tested framework to make you to find, start, and ship your Thing.
Pre-order now to unlock the exclusive early bird price and lifetime access.
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⊹ The Framework
⊹ WHO this is for
⊹ WHAT the Thing is
⊹ HOW it will help you / How it works
⊹ WHY I am doing this / My background
⊹ FAQ
Based on 20+ years of experience, this is a no-bullshit guide to get you closer to a life you are excited to wake up to every day.
A battle-tested framework to make you to find, start, and ship your Thing.
Pre-order now to unlock the exclusive early bird price and lifetime access.
EARLY BIRD OFFER 29€ 49€
PRE-ORDER TO UNLOCK THE EXCLUSIVE OFFER
BUY ONCE ⊹ GET LIFETIME ACCESS
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.
BECOMING
1
FIND THE THING
How to discover what you really want:
Powerful strategies for exploring and for finding what's your Thing.
2
START THE THING
How to begin once you know what you want:
Special tools for starting your Thing, especially when you are scared.
3
FOCUS THE THING
How to stay concentrated once you have started:
Best practices on achieving flow with 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 once you have done enough:
Everything you need to release your Thing into the world.
BEYOND
⊹
NOT DOING THE THING
SUPPORTING OTHER THINGS
RESOURCES FOR THE THING
Who this is for
PRESENT’s Do The Thing Framework was created to support everyone who is struggling to make progress on their dream.
For anyone who faces the daily challenge of getting started on their most important work.
We all have a gift in us and it needs to get out.
The journey towards it can be lonely and overwhelming.
PRESENT is here to encourage, inspire and guide everyone courageous enough to give it a chance anyway.
It doesn’t matter what your background, age, profession, or skill level is. The only thing that matters is that you are willing get out of your comfort zone and accept change.
WHAT the Thing is
Your Thing is the creative project you are procrastinating on, the dream you keep putting off, the plan you keep planning, the travel on your bucket list, the life decision you are avoiding.
It's can be opening your own store, or learning something new, or starting a family, or writing your book, or building your own business.
It's maybe one of the above, but it's simply and most likely whatever you are most afraid of — and at the same time what you know will change your life for the better.
How it will help you
This book will make you understand and conquer self-doubt, procrastination, fear of failure, toomuchness, creative block, Resistance.
No matter where you are in your life and your career, this book is your companion and support system. We can all use some support.
The DTT framework will equip you to face the obstacles that keep you from starting, and finishing what you know will make you fullfilled.
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How it works
This framework is a meticulously crafted and highly curated compilation of the smartest, science-backed practices and strategies.
This is a meditation and compilation of everything I have learned in 20+ years of working as a designer and finding and building my Thing.
Learn from my mistakes: the wisdom earned along the way, all life lessons in a distilled and concise form to support you to actualize your Thing.
This is a workbook and your companion.
You can always jump to a specific chapter for your specific challenge:
Maybe you know your Thing but have trouble with starting.
Maybe you already started your Thing but struggle with consistency. Maybe you do your Thing consistently but are afraid to publish anything.
The DoTheThing framework guides you through all phases of creation. From the start to the messy middle, to the finish line—and beyond.
The goal is to make you want to close the book and make you start. Or restart. Or finish.
Why I am doing this
I believe the world is a better place with more humans being able to doing the Thing they were born to do.
I believe that every human is creative, has a unique gift and has something special to offer to the world.
I want to unblock more people from the destructive thoughts their monkey brain is telling them to hold them back.
You have everything you need already. I want to support you to realize it and and do something good with it.
Too much consuming, not building enough building. This makes us unhappy. Don’t die not having shared what you have inside you. What makes you really you.
My background
Hi! I’m Hugo, it’s great to meet you.
I founded my own design business and a clothing label in Cologne when I was 16—and I never stopped pursuing my Thing.
I studied design Switzerland, where I published my first magazine, Better Mjstakes. I built the first website for 032c, when I was 21 and started to work for big clients.
I worked for Bureau Borsche and Meiré und Meiré before I moved to NYC to work at 2x4. I gave workshops at universities and flew around the world to give talks.
Doing it all was incredibly difficult and I become obsessed with figuring out how to do all. How to achieve all my wildest dreams and stay a good person and without driving myself crazy.
I kept on running my independent studio and worked for many of the world's greatest brands including , , , , and .
I kept learning. I kept feeling the urge to share the mistakes along the way and what I've learned. That's when I started building my own Thing: .
I stayed independent. I kept learning. I kept supporting the world’s most exciting brands and at the same time building my own Thing: PRESENT.
I’m obsessed with helping people find their Thing.
Over the last years I created the Present brand with three print issues and extensive ecosystem and community support system.
I read hundreds of books ... made countless experiments ... i tried all the techniques. i listened to many members of our community over the years"
i started distilling my learnings in my blog (2008–2013) and in my present principles (2019–today) collections.
With Present and with this book I want to give back and share everything I have learned so far in work and in life.
What’s your Favourite Unrealized Project?
Which Goal scares you most, yet keeps on calling you? What’s the Dream you’ve been putting off for too long?
Are you afraid to start?
Feeling lost or isolated on your journey?
Overwhelmed about what the future holds?
Struggling to carve out time for your Thing?
Finding it hard to stay consistent and focused?
PRESENT is here to support you along the way.
Become inspired to start and empowered to keep going. Overcome overwhelm with practical steps.
Find clarity in midst of chaos and opportunities.
Live and work on your Thing.
Present is there to support you navigate the bliss and the struggles of the creative journey and make sense of this world, together.
FAQ
What is Present?
What happens after I preorder?
How is this different from presentOS?
Who is this for?
For everyone who is struggling to find, or start, or finish their Thing.
What if I know my Thing already?
Who are you? Why should I listen to you?
Where can I learn more about this?
Check out my blog/newsletter to get the vibe
Do I need to be creative?
Check out my blog/newsletter to get the vibe
Am I not too old for this? / Isn't it too late?
Check out my blog/newsletter to get the vibe