'You Can Just Do Things': A Q&A With Jay Yang

I’m so excited to share this conversation with Jay Yang.

You might know him from the phrase “You Can Just Do Things” — now the title of his new book — but he’s building something much bigger than a slogan.

It’s becoming a mini movement, catching on with creators like Sahil Bloom and Justin Welsh, and it taps into something I think about constantly: the power of agency in the creator economy.

In the book, Yang shared one of my favorite quotes of all time. It’s a great reminder that we are not subject to our environment or upbringing or influences we can’t control; we always have the agency to choose to and decidedly happen to life.

We’re living in a time when there’s never been more opportunity to build your own thing — a business, a brand, a platform, a life. And the only thing that separates the people who find success from those who don’t, is those that try.

Jay’s story is wildly awesome. At 16, he cold emailed Tyler Denk, CEO of Beehiiv, and landed an internship. At 17, he sent a 19-page pitch deck to Noah Kagan on how to revamp his content strategy — and ended up with a Head of Content role paying $150K, all while still living at home.

Now he’s in the thick of his freshman year of college, working on a second book, and continuing to share his journey with clarity and wisdom well beyond his years. You’re definitely going to be seeing more from him in the future.

Our conversation below dives into the builder mentality, how to push past the fear of starting, and why documenting your story online is one of the most powerful things you can do. I hope it leaves you feeling as inspired and encouraged as I did.

— Taylor

Here’s the full conversation below, edited lightly for clarity.