Valentin Manaila, Glassdoor and The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management

Table of Contents

Wisdom for the Modern Architect

by Global Architect

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

Carefully curated by Aitor Arteta.

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🕑 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.

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📍 Message of the week

Being employed and earning a salary is not bad.

But you should know the average salaries around the world.

Would you like to earn more?

Learn new business skills or move to another location.

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📰 Story of the week

My friend.

We already know that you are a first class architect.

You dedicate all the time in the world to your projects.

You master all kinds of design programs and produce plans like a machine.

But when payday comes, you look at your paycheck and think:

"What is this shit?"

I feel you. You're not alone.

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The pay-check fight isn't just about you. It's a global thing.

In some places, architects are pushing just as hard and making a lot less. A hell of a lot less.

But why should I care?

Because your great design skills are not longer enough.

You need to learn about business and start making more money.

It's time to look at the big picture and change your strategy.

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This is what I discovered:

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🦸‍♂️ 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:

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A lot of us take paths that seemed right at the time but don't make us happy later.

Valentin went through that, broke out of it, and now is committed to helping others do the same.

He's got the first-hand experience to prove it.

Valentin not only teaches you the skills needed to switch careers but also gives you the essential toolkit to maintain your mental well-being during the transition.

If you're eyeing a career change, particularly into tech, this is the guy you want in your corner.

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🛠️ Tool of the week

Digital tools that will make you a more productive architect, producing more using less effort.

The tool I reviewed this week:

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You might be a great architect, and good at design.

But maybe you're not happy with your job and want to do better.

Glassdoor can help you with that.

You can see what people say about the place you work at or want to work at.

You'll know about pay, what the bosses are like, and much more.

This helps you make smarter choices for your job and future.

Try it, use it, and let me know what you think.

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📘 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:

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Considering your interest in architect salaries and the business side of things, I'd recommend "The Architect's Guide to Small Firm Management: Making Chaos Work for Your Small Firm" by Rena M. Klein.

If you're an architect who wants to do more than just design cool stuff, this book is for you.

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📝 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:

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

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♟️ Quote of the week

Quotes make you reflect and think.

The quote of the week was:

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Building a profitable architecture business is hard. And it takes time.

If you are not willing to work and dedicate yourself to the business of architecture for at least 3 YEARS, don't bother trying.

Don't start something unless you are willing to practice, learn and dedicate yourself to it for the next 1000 days.

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🎧 Song of the week

⚡️ Let's energize your day with a little bit of music.

The song of the week is:

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I still remember when I met these guys.

It was FIFA 2004 Intro Soundtrack, with their Red Morning Light track.

Since then, I’m a huge fan of their art.

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❤️ 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:

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Working long hours on tight deadlines can fry your brain and your well-being.

To top it off, salaries often don't match the effort, and fear of job loss adds more worry.

This cycle can lead to real mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

It's time to address this problem openly.

And find ways to balance work, pay, and mental health.

Let's start the conversation.

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💎 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:

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As a construction management software, Capmo’s primary offering is to smoothen the construction process.

They function as an end-to-end partner for the design and construction of any project they work on.

The projects can range from homeowners to industrial designs.

Currently, Capmo has over 10,000 active projects in Germany.

Let's see what business ideas you get out of them.

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💥 Offer of the week

Say Hello to Newsletter+

Look, we've been hammering away at growing our newsletter.

And our subscribers gave us a lot of feedback.

One of them was that the value they were getting from this newsletter was so awesome, they felt guilty for not paying for it.

So we decided to upgrade and monetize our content with Newsletter+.

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What is the difference with the actual Newsletter?

So starting January 1st 2024, we will launch a second newsletter.

The classical Newsletter will be delivered on Mondays and will be Free.

The Newsletter+, will be delivered on Saturdays and will be for Paid subscribers.

The goal is to make these emails shorter and easier to read.

And at the same time to provide more targeted value to those who are really interested in growing their architecture business.

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Do you like our free content?

Wait till you see the stuff we've got hidden behind the curtain:

  • Unlock hidden content for Paid Subscribers: Influencer of the Week, Book of the Week, Tool of the Week and so much more in our Notion databases.
  • 4x Weekly Long-Form Articles that’ll blow your mind.
  • BONUS: Unlock "30 Ways to Monetize Your Architecture Expertise" (Valued at 49€)
  • VIP Sprints: Reserve your seat for our next Sprint and get a whopping 50% OFF, saving up to 400€ every month.

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Yours for just 15€/month or 90€/annual.

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If you’re already a subscriber, you don’t have to worry.

You'll be automatically upgraded to Newsletter+.

Let your friends know that we are upgrading soon.

They have until January 1st 2024 to join for free.

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❓ Quick question

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

Help me with this question:

How do you differ from your local competitors?

  • We sell the same product or service as our competitors
  • I have no competitor
  • I have no idea..
  • We offer differentiated and specialized products or services.

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Reply to this email and let me know.

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🔐 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.

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⏪ Previously

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

Here they are:

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🎖 Sponsors

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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.

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♻️ Ps

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