Coffee With Cole: The Digital Writing Podcast

Episode: Want To Make Money Online? Be A Digital Writer

Host: Nicolas Cole
Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Nicolas Cole delivers a high-energy, in-depth crash course on why digital writing is the most critical skill for making money online in the age of AI, and how it fundamentally differs from traditional (legacy) writing. The episode explores the practical steps, mindsets, and frameworks that anyone—from beginners to seasoned experts—can use to start building an audience, monetize their expertise, and scale their impact through digital writing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Digital Writing vs. Legacy Writing

[00:00–07:00]

• Main Argument:
  “Writing is the new software engineering. It's the most valuable skill you can have in the age of AI…” – Cole [00:34]

• Legacy Writing is characterized by:

  • “Practice in private”—the image of the isolated genius working solo.
  • Long, slow feedback loops (sometimes taking years for feedback via publishing and reviews).
  • Waiting for outside permission (publishers, gatekeepers).
  • Writing for readers, assuming you know best.

• Digital Writing is characterized by:

  • “Practice in public”—writing with your audience, publishing ideas rapidly.
  • Immediate feedback via social platforms (X, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.).
  • Self-permission—to write, publish, iterate.
  • Writing with readers—adapting content based on real-time audience reactions.

• Memorable Quote:
  “Legacy writing is what I like to call practice in private… Digital writing is what I like to call practice in public.” – Cole [02:21]

2. The Lean Writing Framework

[07:00–14:00]

• Adapting The Lean Startup to Writing:

  • Start with atomic, minimal pieces (tweets, short posts) instead of full books.
  • Test ideas, expand and repurpose content that resonates.

• Examples in Practice:

  • The Tipping Point started as a New Yorker article.
  • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F** started as a viral blog post.*
  • Viral fiction (like Twilight) emerged from online fan fiction.

• Cole’s Own Book:
  Every chapter and idea was previously tested as “Quora answers, Medium articles, tweets, threads, carousels, essays, newsletters.” – Cole [13:50]

• Why People Buy the Book:
  Not for unique content, but for “the compressed, cleaner version” in one place. – Cole [14:25]

• Memorable Quote:
  “You should start with writing and creating all of this content first, and then realize that you can repurpose all of this content into a book…” – Cole [15:20]

3. The Myth of Starting from Zero

[16:00–19:00]

• Democratized Access:

  • “Everyone starts at zero.” – Cole [16:25]
  • Online writing is a “lottery game” where every piece is a new ticket.

• How Algorithms Really Work:

  • Followers matter less than people think. Most social platform feeds are from the “For You” algorithm, not those you follow.
  • Consistency and output—“The only thing that matters is whether or not you keep hitting publish.” – Cole [18:10]

• Cole’s Experience:
  “Just the other day, I quote-tweeted someone else's meme… one sentence… that post… got 6 million views on X.” – Cole [19:05]

  • Contrasted with much longer pieces often getting far fewer views.

4. The True Benefit: Scaling Yourself

[20:00–25:00]

• Beyond Monetization:

  • The deepest value of digital writing is “scaling yourself.”

• What Scaling Yourself Means:

  • Every coffee conversation, intro call, or meeting—in person—you repeat the same stories, experiences, and ideas.
  • By turning those into content, you free up your time and establish trust, familiarity, and authority before you even speak with someone.

• Practical Impact:
  “You don’t realize how powerful this is until you… get on the call with someone… and they start repeating your stories and your experiences and your ideas back to you.” – Cole [23:05]

5. Are You Ever Done?

[26:00–End]

• “When are you done? You are never done.” – Cole [26:40]
• Continuous growth and learning mean you always have new insights to share.
• “If you want to build the most leverage for yourself in any industry, in any niche, in any business, you have to start writing online, and you are never done.” – Cole [27:45]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Writing is the new software engineering.” – Cole [00:34]
• “You can't be hemming away with a chapeau, lighting candles, smoking your corn cob pipe. You have to be a digital writer.” – Cole [00:41]
• “Legacy writing is… practice in private. Digital writing is… practice in public.” – Cole [02:21]
• “You don’t have to ask for anyone’s permission to write on X or LinkedIn or create shorts on TikTok…” – Cole [04:30]
• “Lean writing is everywhere.” – Cole [13:10]
• “Every time you hit publish, you are buying a little lottery ticket.” – Cole [17:15]
• “You are never done. At what point would you want to stop? If writing online is how you scale yourself, why would you stop that process?” – Cole [26:40]
• “You have to build the skill of writing. And if you want to build the most leverage for yourself in any industry, in any niche, in any business, you have to start writing online and you are never done.” – Cole [27:45]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] — Introduction: Why digital writing matters
• [01:30] — Legacy writing vs. digital writing
• [03:00] — Practice in private vs. practice in public
• [05:00] — Waiting for permission vs. self-publishing
• [07:20] — Writing for readers vs. writing with readers
• [08:30] — Lean Writing 101 and the MVP content approach
• [10:50] — Real-world examples (Gladwell, Manson, Twilight)
• [13:00] — Cole’s book as a lean writing case study
• [16:25] — The myth of starting at zero & the lottery analogy
• [19:05] — Cole’s viral one-sentence post story
• [20:30] — What does it mean to “scale yourself”?
• [26:00] — Are you ever done? The infinite writing journey
• [27:45] — Final takeaway: You are never done; keep writing online

Key Takeaways

• Digital writing is essential for anyone looking to monetize online, build an audience, or launch products in the age of AI.
• The path to success is rapid creation, testing, and iteration, not perfection behind closed doors.
• Immediate feedback loops and democratized distribution make it possible for anyone, regardless of initial platform or audience.
• The deepest value of digital writing is “scaling yourself”—turning your stories, expertise, and frameworks into evergreen content that reaches far more people than traditional face-to-face exchanges.
• You are never done: growth and content creation are permanent, evolving assets that continually build your leverage and impact.

This episode serves as both an inspiration and tactical guide for aspiring digital writers and entrepreneurs who want to maximize their impact and earnings by mastering the art of writing online.