Monday Mailer Survey 2016

Two weeks ago, I wrote to the Monday Mailer and asked if my readers would do me a favour and fill out a quick survey. People spend so much time and energy trying to figure out what their audience wants — I figured I’d just ask them. 130 people were kind enough to take 6 minutes (on average!) out of their busy schedules and fill it out. Their answers will help me create great content for the newsletter & podcast in the year to come.

I thought it would be interesting to share some of the results.

Job Titles

84% of respondents identified as a software developer. Of those who didn’t, the most popular job titles were variations on:

Product Manager
Student
Teacher
Writer
Soldier

Side Projects

68% are working on a side project of some kind, with 58% planning to monetize it. 8% of those who responded have already monetized a side project.

When I asked the other 32% what was holding them back from working on a side project, they said:

A lack of time/too busy
Not having any ideas
No motivation
Feeling burnt out
Having trouble deciding what to work on

Challenges

Asked what the biggest challenge they were facing in their work was, most people said:

Time management/balancing goals & timelines
Maintaining motivation
Producing good work consistently
Staying focused
Suffering from imposter syndrome

Learning

Most respondents want to learn more about:

Marketing & building an audience
Team management & leadership
Monetizing their work
Learning design skills
Improving their time management skills

Elsewhere

When asked about other sites, authors, and podcasts they liked, the most popular answers were: