This week at Try Hard Studios - July 10, 2026
I was talking to a friend this week, trying to convince her to get more active on Twitter, and one of the things I kept coming back to is how easy it makes it to network, or make friends, in a pretty low-stakes way. Then a couple of tweets came across my feed that reinforced the same idea.
Here's what I told her: Twitter, for all its faults, is still one of the best networking places in the entire world, at least for my industry. And I have to believe it's similar in other pockets of the app.
The basic premise is this: start following people in your industry, and just casually start replying to them. After a while, you can escalate from replying to sending your first cold DM. And there's a way to send a cold DM that's immediately friendly and casual! Kind of like thinking past the sale. You've already replied to them a few times, they've liked some of your replies or tweets, they know who you are. So don't open with, "Oh my gosh, it's so nice to meet you," or, "I feel like we've been talking for a while." Just act like you're already friends.
If you see something that makes you think of them, DM it to them: "Thought you'd like this," or "This seems like your speed." And suddenly you have a one-on-one connection with somebody you didn't know before. You're a peer.
I think there's an interpersonal lesson here that expands way beyond Twitter: you can just be cool and casual and treat people like they're already your friends. In one of the tweets below, World Cup star Erling Haaland pats this kid on the shoulder like he's one of his bros. Just "sup dude." That's the move!
When I was at Laravel Live a few weeks ago, I was at one of the after-events and saw a guy standing all by himself. So I walked over and said, "What the heck are you doing over here by yourself?" He laughed and was like, "I dunno, man!" We dove straight into a conversation, and there wasn't a single awkward moment.
Just act like you're already friends.
Things I found this week
Just a heads up that each Twitter/X screenshot has a link to the original post if you want to go follow the account.
Act like you're already friends!
So I knew this quote, but I did not realize it was from a movie! It's from one of my favorite songs. Guess I'll have to see the movie now. Go listen to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKiwuWxeCvM
This has been one thousand percent true for me. (This is Erling Haaland too, btw!)
Whenever I put off little things, they just grow and grow and grow in my head. They take up background cycles until I do them. And they make me feel bad! Turns out, if you just like… do the task, you feel a lot better. Maybe I'll learn that one day.
This is the video I was talking about above. Look how he just kinda slaps the kid like he's one of his teammates. And look how happy the kid is!
Your weekly studio / workspace / office / library inspo. Death to minimalism, give me this!
The pursuit of excellence does not need justification. Hot damn. That's a line! It's universally true. It is pure, noble, and right to do things well. No further justification needed.
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That’s it for this week! I enjoy reading all of your replies, so if you see something interesting or just have a thought you want to share, please hit reply and let me know.
Talk soon,
Aaron