The Koe Cast — Episode Summary
Episode: The 2 Hour Morning Routine (That Has Made Me $10 Million)
Date: September 21, 2025
Host: Dan Koe
Overview
In this episode, Dan Koe breaks down the simple yet highly effective two-hour morning routine responsible for generating over $10 million throughout his entrepreneurial journey. Moving far beyond productivity hacks, Dan discusses the philosophy, practical structure, and underlying psychology of his process. He illustrates why writing and walking, when done daily, can be the foundation for creativity, personal growth, and scalable business success—especially for solo creators and ambitious professionals.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The 2-Hour Morning Routine: Structure and Impact
Routine Breakdown:
- 30 minutes walking
- 90 minutes writing (split between social posts and newsletter/content creation)
“Here’s my exact morning routine. First, I go on a walk for 30 minutes and then I start writing for 90 minutes.” — Dan Koe [00:00]
- This simple habit is at the core of Dan’s financial and creative success.
- Dan notes that sharing exact numbers, like the $10M he’s earned through this approach, is to demonstrate the tangible power of focused routines—not just to flex.
- “To some that’s a big number, right? $10 million is obviously a lot of money… The thing here is this may sound out of bounds for a lot of people, but you have to understand the power of this routine.” — Dan Koe [02:50]
2. Why Most Routines Fail
- Many people’s routines are accidental or copied from “random habits that someone on YouTube told them to do,” leading to hidden procrastination and lack of focus.
- Purposeful routines automate decisions, reduce cognitive load, and direct energy towards one true priority (e.g., writing, business, creativity, health).
- “Most routines are unintentional, hidden forms of procrastination. A powerful routine, no matter how long, decreases cognitive load and allows you to streamline achieving your one true priority.” — Dan Koe [04:40]
3. The Philosophy: Humans Are Natural Creators
- Dan’s condensed philosophy: true fulfillment comes from solving your own problems and sharing the solution with others.
- “Humans are creators. Not content creators per se, but people who leverage the tools and technology available to them to solve problems, build solutions, and attract a group of people who can benefit from those creations.” — Dan Koe [06:10]
- The internet democratizes opportunity — anyone can build and monetize creative assets if they develop taste, agency, and responsibility.
4. Why Writing Is Central
- Writing is the backbone of modern creative work:
- It’s meditative and clarifies thinking.
- It builds credibility and authority in public via social media.
- It’s the source material for all other media—videos, courses, websites, etc.
- Dan’s writing is distinct from traditional “good writing”; it’s about clearly articulating ideas and consistently practicing thinking in public.
- “Writing is a meditative process. Writing is how you practice thinking. Writing is how you document your growth. Writing is how you attract supporters to your work.” — Dan Koe [11:24]
5. Digital Assets > Traditional Assets
- Dan emphasizes the importance of cultivating skill-based, digital assets (e.g., newsletters, videos, code) over old-school assets like real estate or gold.
- Anyone can start building these today without capital, connections, or credentials.
- Media is seen as the most accessible and highest-leverage digital asset, especially for solo creators.
6. Walking: The Power Habit Few Take Seriously
- Walking is a low-friction way to wake up, get sunlight, prompt creativity, and double as research time (via audiobooks or podcasts).
- Walking reduces stress and primes the mind for ideation.
- “Walking, as stupid as it sounds, is such a holistic habit. It’s writing and walking… you cover all bases without filling your morning with all these disjointed little habits.” — Dan Koe [22:15]
7. The Work Behind the Routine: Ideation & Research
- Dan uses walks for ideation, listening to lectures/audiobooks, and jotting down notes or ideas for writing.
- The routine's structure:
- 30 min walk: ideation and note-taking
- 30 min writing social posts: short-form, quick drafts
- 60 min newsletter writing: long-form, deep dives
- Writing flows directly from research done during the walk—a continuous feedback loop.
8. The Newsletter Secret, and Why Email Still Matters
- Email newsletters are “the new audience” because they provide direct access, not subject to social algorithms.
- Long-form content via newsletters builds trust and enables deeper, more valuable conversations.
- “Contrary to popular belief, you can capture attention and be helpful at the same time. In fact, you can’t be helpful unless you capture attention.” — Dan Koe [32:40]
- Newsletters are repurposed: they feed YouTube scripts, social posts, and more.
- “Every single thing I publish online leads back to my newsletter… my newsletter is where I pitch my products or services.” — Dan Koe [44:12]
9. Playing the Shallow & Deep Game
- Growth comes from balancing “shallow” (social media, to attract new audience) and “deep” (newsletter, podcasts, YouTube, to nurture core fans and clients) content channels.
- Social posts drive traffic to newsletters, which in turn build trust and monetize.
10. How This Routine Directly Makes Money
- Audience growth through writing increases the leverage of product and service sales.
- Most monetization from social platforms is minimal—real income comes from selling products, services, courses, or coaching directly to your engaged audience.
- Dan shares practical conversion metrics: aim for $0.50–$1 per follower per month to gauge product-market fit.
- “If you have a product or service and most of your audience sees that you can make 10x to 50x more than any platform would ever think of paying you…” — Dan Koe [59:10]
11. The Long Game vs. Hype Tactics
- Dan’s anti-hype, value-first approach: Avoid selling on every social post; focus on building trust via newsletter, then make low-pressure offers inside it.
- Distribution, not just creation, is critical—daily promotion of newsletter across all platforms is necessary for growth.
12. Productizing & Scaling Without More Work
- As audience grows, shift from 1:1 services (coaching, freelancing) to scalable offerings (courses, communities, software) to reclaim time and multiply income without multiplying effort.
- Dan clarifies he works more than just two hours daily, but this routine is the “backbone” and non-negotiable foundation for all growth.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On success being about routine, not hustle:
- “So many people feel like they have to grind for 12 hours a day like every other entrepreneur, when I don’t think that’s the case at all.” [03:35]
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On the value of writing in public:
- “When I started to treat my social media account as a public journal, or where I take notes, work started to feel like play.” [16:10]
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On digital media’s accessibility:
- “You can quite literally start building wealth right now... you don’t need capital or connections... you can build the digital asset by just doing things.” [17:38]
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On leveraging every piece of writing:
- “You write the best possible content you can, you write the best newsletter, and then you write the best social posts, and then you reformat all of those things for every single platform.” [39:54]
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On repurposing and repeating core ideas:
- “People don’t read one of your posts from three years ago and then understand everything that you’re about. You have to repeat yourself constantly from new angles.” [42:20]
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On productizing your knowledge:
- “If you have so many clients that you can’t take them on anymore, then you either hire a team and continue growing the service business, or you productize down and you start doing a community or cohort or course or some kind of other tool...” [53:10]
Important Timestamps
- [00:00–04:40]: Dan introduces his morning routine and philosophy around money and routines
- [06:10–11:24]: The creative philosophy; humans as natural creators, the power of writing
- [16:10–22:15]: Treating social media as a public journal; writing as documentation and creativity
- [22:15–24:30]: The overlooked benefits of daily walking
- [24:30–32:40]: Routine ideation process; walking, note-taking, writing social and long-form content
- [32:40–39:54]: Why newsletters still work; multi-platform repurposing of content
- [44:12–53:10]: Direct monetization through newsletters and product promotion
- [53:10–59:10]: Scaling income, productization, and why platform monetization is minimal
- [59:10–end]: Final advice on playing the long game, value-first sales, and the importance of consistent, intentional routine
Final Takeaway
Dan's two-hour morning routine, centered on walking and writing, is not about hustle or stacking endless productivity hacks but about intentionally directing your best energy toward high-leverage creative work. Writing, especially in public, helps you learn, think, attract opportunities, build trust, and ultimately grow and monetize your business or brand. Mastering this “two-hour backbone” can transform your trajectory—financially and personally—if done with focus and consistency.