Wisdom for the Modern Architect

by Global Architect

A newsletter for business-oriented architects to feed their curious minds.

Carefully curated by Aitor Arteta.

🕑 5 Minute Read

Welcome to a new episode of the Wisdom for the Modern Architect series, where I share a dose of ideas, research conclusions, principles, models, books, podcasts, tools, and other random stuff with you, personally curated by myself.

Let’s get started.

📍 Message of the week

Nowadays, being a hard-working architect is not enough.

Working as an “Employee”, you only create value for others.

If you want freedom, you’d better be a “Business Owner”, and own your assets.

📰 Story of the week

So you're an architect who knows how to put in the work.

You're up early, grinding away until late.

Because that's what you've been told is the path to success.

You're really good at what you do. Your designs are exceptional.

But let's face it, you're stuck in a loop.

You work a ton of hours, but at the end of the day, you're not seeing the rewards.

Your paycheck or salary comes in, and it's gone before you know it.

It’s hard, I get it.

It's like you're in a race, but you're running in place.

You’re putting in all the effort but not moving forward.

Bills pile up, and there's hardly anything left for yourself.

It hurts.

And why does this keep happening?

It's not because you're not talented or hardworking.

You've done what society told you to do:

Get an education, find a job, and work your butt off.

This is how you can get out of the rat-race loop:

Cashflow Quadrant Explained for an Architect

🦸‍♂️ Influencer of the week

Influencers are natural people, like you and me, who make an extraordinary job, and have the ability to inspire and lead with example.

In this episode:

Håvard Bell

Havard is not just an engineer or designer.

He operates in 'Business Owner' and 'Investor' quadrants.

He's leveraging his skills and technology to build something bigger than himself.

As architects who are open to shifting your mindset, you should pay attention to what Havard's doing.

📘 Book of the week

Reading books is like sucking other minds that have already been in your place.

Why should you reinvent the wheel when someone else is showing you the way?

The book I recommend you to read:

Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant

You might be clueless when it comes to running a successful business.

Then this book is definitely for you.

Kiyosaki lays out four main ways to earn income:

Employee
Self-Employed
Business Owner
Investor

Right now, you're probably stuck in the 'Employee' quadrant, trading time for money.

This book guides you on how to move into the 'Business Owner' quadrant, where your money works for you.

Seriously, go get this book.

📝 Posts of the week

Top-notch architects are always learning.

These publications give you direct access to my experiences, where I share my views.

Much like having a mentor to guide you through today's complex challenges.

The best posts of the week are:

Use these posts to find new relationships, engage with other people and learn new things.

♟️ Quote of the week

Quotes make you reflect and think.

The quote of the week was:

You work for others until you can work for yourself. You work for yourself until you can work for others.

As an architect, in the beginning, you often start as an “Employee”.

Maybe you're in a firm or some kind of structured business.

You're working for someone else's dream, trading your time and skill for a paycheck.

Until you learn how to make your own decisions.

Go deeper exploring the quote.

❤️ Healthy of the week

Your health is the most important thing you need to take care of.

Above anything else. Including your architectural career. It's not worth it.

Here is the highlight of the week:

I was that kind of architect, always working, always busy

It felt like there was no end to it.

Then one day, it hit me.

I was too tired, too stressed, and not happy.

I burned out.

That was my wake-up call.

💎 Business of the week

Architecture is big business, and it’s on track to becoming even bigger in the coming years.

A lot of companies are emerging to make life easier for AEC professionals by improving job site safety, streamlining project communication, opening up job access, and more.

Keep an eye on the companies that will disrupt the industry.

This most valuable business of the week is:

Material Bank

Material Bank is a digital material platform that enables architecture and design professionals to order physical samples online.

They provide quick access to materials from a wide range of manufacturers.

With over 14,000 materials from over 700 brands, Material Bank streamlines the sample ordering process for designers, making it easy to find, sample, and specify materials for their projects.

The platform also provides sustainability information for each material, helping designers make more informed choices.

I hope you get some business ideas from them.

💥 Offer of the week

Are you tired of the traditional way of being an architect?

Being stuck in that Employee box, isn’t the only way to go about it.

You can make a shift that not only increases your income but also gives you more control over your time and your life.

I’ve walked this road, and I can tell you it's a game changer.

The money's better, the stress is lower, and life just feels more enjoyable.

You just need to start.

I want to help you get there.

If you're ready, I've got something that can help you do just that.

We just released a new section named Sprints.

Sprints are actionable, on-demand lessons, carefully designed to equip you with the skill you need to make more money and grow your architecture business.

They are designed to give you the tools you need to make this shift.

I'm not just talking theory, I'm talking practical steps that I've used to transform my own life.

If you're up for it, I'm here to guide you every step of the way.

Learn more about Sprints.

❓ Quick question

I'm working on understanding our audience better so we can make more helpful content.

Help me with this question:

How much revenue does your company make each year?

We have several income streams and bill up to 500.000€/year.
We have more than one income stream, and we make up to 200.000€/year.
I only have one source of income and we make less than 50,000 euros a year.

Reply to this email and let me know.

Don’t be shy. This is how you improve your business.

🔐 Membership

For those who enjoyed this content, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

There's more value inside the Global Architect Membership, an exclusive area where you will have full access to all the content, including the Notion databases, challenges and resources to apply into your business.

Reading free stuff is ok.

But putting this concepts into practice, growing your business, making money is even greater.

That's what we do inside.

I'll let you discover it.

⏪ Previously

If you missed any of the previous episodes, don't trip over the same stone twice.

Here they are:

🎖 Sponsors

Wisdom for the Modern Architect has quickly become one of the most influential newsletters for business-oriented architects.

Each week, they receive a deep dive covering topics ranging from growth and decision making to business, financial and productivity tools.

Would you like to sponsor our newsletter and help those architects?

Let's work together.

♻️ Ps

Forward this email to someone you respect today.

Håvard Bell and Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant

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