<h1>2026 Crypto Card Survival Guide: From S-Tier Gems to 'Look but Don't Touch'</h1>
<p>There are many Crypto Card reviews online, but they often mix in options that are unavailable in many regions (like <strong>Revolut</strong>, <strong>MetaMask Card</strong>).</p>
<p>In this article, I tested over 10 cards, focusing <strong>only on options actually available to users in Asia and beyond</strong>. I've ranked them into S / A / B / C tiers based on "Cashback Rate," "FX Fees," and "ATM Convenience."</p>
<hr>
<h2>🏆 S Tier: Highly Recommended (Top Overall Rating)</h2>
<p>Cards in this tier have achieved excellence in a specific area and are staples in our wallets.</p>
<h3>1. Ready Card (Metal)</h3>
<p><strong>👑 The King of Travel &#x26; Off-Ramp</strong>
<a href="https://join.ready.co/CIBU-SXQF-OKOX">Ready Card</a> offers the strongest overall experience, especially for frequent travelers or those needing local currency withdrawals.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>3% $STRK Cashback</strong>: Enjoy 3% cashback on the first $5,000 USD spent <strong>every month</strong> (not just the first month; cap $150/mo).</li>
<li><strong>Reward Liquidity</strong>: Rewards are distributed in $STRK (not a stablecoin), but with high market liquidity, you can choose to "sell on receipt" for stablecoins.</li>
<li><strong>Near-Zero Additional FX Spread</strong>: Not just convenient, but real money saved. Compared to the 1-2% spread on other cards, this can save significant costs on large international purchases.</li>
<li><strong>Free ATM Withdrawals</strong>: Metal tier enjoys $800/month fee-free withdrawal limit. Tested free at Yuanta and Bank of Taiwan ATMs.</li>
<li><strong>BTC Collateral Spending</strong>: Collateralize BTC to borrow USDC for spending, gaining liquidity without selling. <strong>Warning</strong>: This is a lending activity; if BTC prices drop significantly, it may trigger margin calls or liquidation risks.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Verdict</strong>: Both Lite and Metal versions offer excellent exchange rates and zero-fee ATM withdrawals (note the staking threshold and $150/month cap for 3% cashback). If you have off-ramp needs, this is a top-tier choice.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>2. Ether.fi Cash</h3>
<p><strong>👑 DeFi Player's Choice</strong>
If you are an ETH Holder, this card offers the ultimate "integrated" borrow-to-spend experience. While users can manually borrow on Aave and move funds out, Ether.fi automates the entire process.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Borrow Mode</strong>: Spend by collateralizing <a href="https://www.ether.fi/">eETH</a> (Spend without Selling).</li>
<li><strong>Tax Advantage</strong>: Since it's a loan, it doesn't trigger capital gains tax from selling crypto (subject to local regulations).</li>
<li><strong>3% Cashback</strong>: Distributed in $SCR or points. While market liquidity is currently high, be aware that interest paid on loans or token rewards may be treated as taxable income in certain jurisdictions (check local tax laws).</li>
</ul>
<h3>3. Kast Card</h3>
<p><strong>🚀 The Reward King (Season 5 Peak)</strong>
<a href="https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/I59TWTGF">Kast</a> is a strong contender for users willing to participate in campaigns for ultra-high returns.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Potential Up to 9% Rewards</strong>: In the current Season 5 event, Premium cards can earn spending points (~2-8% est. value) plus an extra 4% in $MOVE.</li>
<li><strong>Risk Warning</strong>: Rewards depend on token price and event rules. $MOVE is a highly volatile DeFi token. Actual fiat value may differ significantly from advertised rates during market swings. While currently liquid, "sell on receipt" must account for transaction fees and slippage.$MOVE; while volatile, the high market liquidity supports a "sell on receipt" strategy.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<h2>🥈 A Tier: Strong Contenders (Niche Use)</h2>
<h3>1. PAYY</h3>
<p><strong>👑 Niche Privacy &#x26; Point Farming</strong>
<a href="https://payy.link/invite/DVHKHH">PAYY</a> offers rare privacy, suitable for niche users with extreme privacy needs or those looking to farm points through spending.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Zero-Knowledge</strong>: Uses UTXO and ZK technology for on-chain transaction privacy, severing the link between your wallet and identity.</li>
<li><strong>Identity Verification</strong>: Note that ZK technology only covers on-chain privacy. <strong>KYC is still required</strong> at the regulatory and card issuer level to comply with global standards.</li>
</ul>
<h3>2. Bybit Card</h3>
<p><strong>🏢 <a href="https://www.bybit.com/cards/?ref=XRXKOV#0&#x26;source=applet_invite">Bybit</a> User's Choice</strong>
The most brain-dead simple and convenient option.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Flexible Liquidity</strong>: Directly deducts from the exchange Funding Account—no transfer to on-chain wallets needed.</li>
<li><strong>Earn Account</strong>: Idle funds can be placed in Earn accounts to gain up to 8% APR. <strong>Note</strong>: These are exchange products subject to market volatility, platform risk, and lock-up rules; they are not principal-guaranteed.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<h2>🥉 B Tier: Mediocre but Usable</h2>
<h3>1. <a href="https://crypto.com/">Crypto.com</a> (CDC Card)</h3>
<p><strong>🦕 The Old King</strong>
The classic metal card everyone knows, once the king.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pros</strong>: Premium metal card feel, Airport Lounge access (higher tiers).</li>
<li><strong>Cons</strong>: The 2025 "Level Up" program made rules extremely complex, and cashback is tied to CRO staking tiers. The value proposition isn't what it used to be.</li>
</ul>
<h3>2. <a href="https://web3.bitget.com/">Bitget Wallet Card</a></h3>
<p><strong>👜 Wallet-Native Experience</strong>
A Visa card from Bitget Wallet, focusing on the convenience of spending directly from the wallet.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pros</strong>: Widely available, no annual fee, supports USDC/USDT top-up.</li>
<li><strong>Cons</strong>: Charges a <strong>0.9% transaction fee</strong>, and cashback is mostly event-based (unstable). Compared to Ready's 0% fee + stable rewards, it's less competitive.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<h2>⛔ C Tier: Lower Value (Backup Only)</h2>
<h3>1. <a href="https://www.redotpay.com/">RedotPay</a></h3>
<p><strong>💸 High-Fee Backup</strong>
Widely available, but too expensive. Unrecommended unless you are rejected by everything else.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Expensive</strong>: Physical card costs $100 USD.</li>
<li><strong>High Fees</strong>: 1.2% FX Fee + 1% Transaction Fee.</li>
<li><strong>No Cashback</strong>: Basic spending has no cashback. Although there are occasional coupons, it's unstable.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<h2>⚠️ Special Mention: Look but Don't Touch (Regional Restrictions)</h2>
<p>Many English reviews hype these cards, but <strong>availability depends strictly on your country/region of residence</strong>. Avoid common traps:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Revolut</strong>: Subject to strict regional limits. It cannot be applied for or used in many parts of the world (including most of Asia).</li>
<li><strong>MetaMask Card</strong>: Currently in pilot phase with virtual card support in limited regions; not yet widely available.</li>
<li><strong>Gnosis Pay</strong>: Serves some regions like Europe but is not universally available.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Reminder</strong>: Card availability can change rapidly based on regional regulations and KYC policies. Always check official announcements or join community channels to confirm current status before applying.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<h2>Conclusion: How to Choose?</h2>








































<table><thead><tr><th align="left">Need</th><th align="left">Recommended</th><th align="left">Key Reason</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left"><strong>Travel/Off-Ramp</strong></td><td align="left"><strong>Ready (S)</strong></td><td align="left">0% FX + Free ATM. Unbeatable utility.</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong>HODLing</strong></td><td align="left"><strong>Ether.fi (S)</strong></td><td align="left">The only card to keep ETH exposure.</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong>High Yield</strong></td><td align="left"><strong>Kast (S)</strong></td><td align="left">Season rewards stack up to ~9%. For active players.</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong>Lazy/CEX</strong></td><td align="left"><strong>Bybit (A)</strong></td><td align="left">Swipe directly from exchange. Zero hassle.</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong>Privacy/Points</strong></td><td align="left"><strong>PAYY (A)</strong></td><td align="left">Best for niche privacy needs or point farming.</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong>Wallet Native</strong></td><td align="left"><strong>Bitget (B)</strong></td><td align="left">High integration, but 0.9% fee applies.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<h2>⸻</h2>
<p>💳 <strong>Basic Concepts</strong></p>
<h3>What is a Stablecoin Crypto Card?</h3>
<p>A stablecoin crypto card is a payment card (usually on the Visa or Mastercard network) that allows you to use stablecoins (such as USDT, USDC) for in-store or online purchases. It automatically converts them into local fiat currency at the point of sale, functioning much like a standard debit or prepaid card.</p>
<h3>How does it differ from a general crypto card?</h3>
<p>Traditional crypto cards primarily use volatile assets like BTC or ETH. Stablecoin cards use digital currencies with <strong>relatively stable value</strong> (usually pegged to a fiat currency like USD), reducing the impact of market fluctuations.</p>
<hr>
<p>❓ <strong>FAQ</strong></p>
<h4>✅ 1. Can I use stablecoins to swipe my card directly in stores?</h4>
<p>Yes. Once you top up your card with stablecoins, the system will <strong>automatically convert them into local fiat</strong> during a transaction, just like a traditional card.</p>
<h4>✅ 2. Which stablecoins are supported?</h4>
<p>Most stablecoin cards support major assets like:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>USDT</strong> (Tether)</li>
<li><strong>USDC</strong> (USD Coin)
Support varies by provider; some may only support a specific stablecoin.</li>
</ul>
<h4>✅ 3. Where can I use a stablecoin card?</h4>
<ul>
<li>Global online or physical merchants that accept Visa / Mastercard.</li>
<li>Some cards support ATM withdrawals (depending on card policy).</li>
<li>Can be linked to payment systems like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay (if supported).</li>
</ul>
<h4>✅ 4. How does topping up work?</h4>
<p>First, you transfer stablecoins (e.g., USDT/USDC) into the card service wallet or platform. The system then performs a <strong>real-time conversion to fiat</strong> to settle your transaction at the moment of payment.</p>
<h4>❓ 5. What fees should I be aware of?</h4>
<p>Fee structures vary significantly between providers, but common fees include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Top-up fees</li>
<li>Currency exchange fees or spreads</li>
<li>Withdrawal fees (if ATM withdrawal is supported)</li>
<li>Issuance / Annual fees (some cards)
Always check the issuer's "Fee Schedule." For example, cards like imToken Card (issued by Fiat24) may have no annual fee but might charge a 1% top-up fee or have implicit exchange rate costs.</li>
</ul>
<h4>❓ 6. Do stablecoin cards charge foreign transaction fees?</h4>
<p>This depends on the card's policy. Some cards may not charge an extra foreign exchange fee but will use the standard Mastercard/Visa rate (which includes a spread). Consult the official FAQ of the card you are applying for.</p>
<h4>❓ 7. Are there rewards (like cashback)?</h4>
<p>Some crypto cards offer cashback in tokens or stablecoins. This is a feature of specific cards and not universal to all stablecoin cards.</p>
<h4>❓ 8. Does the card trigger tax events?</h4>
<p>In some jurisdictions, converting stablecoins to fiat for consumption may be considered a taxable event. Please consult local laws and tax regulations.</p>
<hr>
<p>📌 <strong>Risks to Consider Before Use</strong></p>
<h4>⚠️ Stablecoin &#x26; Platform Risks</h4>
<p>Even if labeled "stable," de-pegging is possible; both USDT and USDC have seen brief historical de-pegs. Furthermore, platform bankruptcy or liquidity crises at card providers could prevent immediate asset access.</p>
<h4>⚠️ Regulation &#x26; Compliance</h4>
<p>Global regulation of stablecoins and borrow-to-spend cards is evolving. Interest paid or token rewards earned (e.g., via Ready or Ether.fi) may be considered taxable income in certain regions; users are responsible for their own tax reporting.</p>
<h4>⚠️ Card Availability</h4>
<p>Not all stablecoin cards are supported in every region. Some cards may not yet be open to residents of certain countries.</p>
<hr>
<p>🛠 <strong>How to Choose a Stablecoin Card (Quick Guide)</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Supported Assets</strong>: Confirm it supports the stablecoins you hold (e.g., USDT / USDC).</li>
<li><strong>Fee Structure</strong>: Pay attention to various fees (top-up, exchange, withdrawal, maintenance).</li>
<li><strong>Region and Scenarios</strong>: Ensure it supports your country of residence and fits your typical spending habits.</li>
<li><strong>Self-Custody (Non-custodial)</strong>: Some cards allow you to hold your own wallet keys rather than keeping assets on a centralized platform.</li>
</ol>
<h2>🤝 Affiliate Disclosure</h2>
<p>This article contains affiliate links. If you sign up through these links, I may earn a commission, and you may also receive extra benefits. Here are the specific rewards:</p>






























<table><thead><tr><th align="left">Platform</th><th align="left">What I Earn</th><th align="left">What You Earn</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left"><strong><a href="https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/I59TWTGF">Kast</a></strong></td><td align="left">200 pts (Basic $100+ spend)<br>5000 pts (Paid card purchase)</td><td align="left"><strong>200 pts</strong> (KYC + $100 spend)<br><strong>Paid card 20% OFF</strong> (Auto-applied)</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong><a href="https://join.ready.co/CIBU-SXQF-OKOX">Ready</a></strong></td><td align="left">$15 (When you spend $50)</td><td align="left"><strong>$15</strong> (When you spend $50)</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong><a href="https://payy.link/invite/DVHKHH">PAYY</a></strong></td><td align="left">10,000 pts / referral</td><td align="left">-</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong><a href="https://www.bybit.com/cards/?ref=XRXKOV#0&#x26;source=applet_invite">Bybit</a></strong></td><td align="left">$20</td><td align="left"><strong>$10</strong> (Spend $100 within 30 days)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>2026 is the Warring States period for Crypto Cards. Choosing the card that fits your spending habits is the key to turning crypto assets into real-world purchasing power!</p>

2026 Crypto Card Tier List. S-Tier includes Ready (3% Cashback + Free ATM), Ether.fi (Borrow & Spend), PAYY (Privacy). Deep dive into Kast Season 5 ~9% yield potential, and the real verdict on Bybit, Crypto.com, and RedotPay.

Ether.fi Cash

Ready Card

2026 Crypto Card Survival Guide: From S-Tier Gems to 'Look but Don't Touch'

<h1>Zero-Maintenance Feedback: Building a Telegram + AI Vision Triage Bot</h1>
<h2>TL;DR</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Frictionless Intake</strong>: Use a Telegram group as your "Inbox". Forward any feedback or screenshot there, and let the bot handle the rest.</li>
<li><strong>AI-Powered Triage</strong>: Use LLMs (like GPT-4o or Gemini) to analyze images, extract error text, and categorize the intent (Bug, Feature, etc.).</li>
<li><strong>Jira Automation</strong>: Automatically create tickets <em>with</em> attachments or link to existing ones, keeping your requirement management loop clean.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>The problem? <strong>Triage is a chore.</strong> Moving that image from your phone to Jira, writing a description, and tagging it properly takes enough effort that 50% of feedback just dies in your "Saved Messages".</p>
<p>As an <strong>AI-augmented PM</strong>, your goal is to automate the mundane so you can focus on the product strategy. Here is how to build a <strong>Zero-Maintenance Feedback Loop</strong>.</p>
<h2>The Workflow: From Screenshot to Structured Ticket</h2>
<p>Instead of a complex app or a heavy SDK, we stay where the users (and your teammates) already are: <strong>Telegram</strong>.</p>
<h3>1. The Inbox: A Telegram "Triage" Group</h3>
<p>Create a private Telegram group and add your bot as an <strong>Administrator</strong>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>IMPORTANT: The Privacy Gotcha</strong>
By default, Telegram bots cannot see group messages unless they are commands or mentions. To fix this, you must <strong>Turn Off Privacy Mode</strong> via <a href="https://t.me/botfather">@BotFather</a> (under Bot Settings > Group Privacy) or ensure the bot is an Admin with "Manage Messages" permissions.</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong>Step</strong>: Every time you see a bug or a user sends you feedback, simply forward it to this group.</li>
<li><strong>Why</strong>: It centralizes chaos. You don't need to open your laptop; you just forward and forget.</li>
</ul>
<h3>2. The Trigger: Manual Agent vs. Automated Task</h3>
<p>Depending on your workflow, you can handle the message ingestion in two ways:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Option A: Manual / Agentic (Claude Skill)</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>How</strong>: You manually trigger a task in your AI environment (like Antigravity or a CLI tool).</li>
<li><strong>Trigger</strong>: "Claude, fetch the last 10 messages from the Triage Group and process them."</li>
<li><strong>Benefit</strong>: High control, saves on automated API calls, and allows you to add immediate context (e.g., "This relates to the current sprint").</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Option B: Automated / Scheduled (n8n &#x26; Cron)</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>How</strong>: Set up a recurring task using <strong>n8n</strong> or a local <strong>Cronjob</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Trigger</strong>: Every hour (or every message via Webhook), the system automatically sweeps the group.</li>
<li><strong>Benefit</strong>: True "zero-maintenance". Feedback flows into Jira even while you sleep, using dedicated LLM API keys for background processing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h3>3. The Brain: AI Vision Analysis (GPT-5.2 / GPT-4.5 Turbo)</h3>
<p>The bot sends the photo to a multimodal LLM. In 2026, you have two prime choices:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>GPT-5.2</strong>: The gold standard for complex reasoning. Best if you need the AI to cross-reference your specific technical specs or PRDs.</li>
<li><strong>GPT-4.5 Turbo</strong>: 70% cheaper and hyper-optimized. Perfect for simple "Is this a bug?" classifications.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The Prompt</strong>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Analyze this screenshot. Extract any visible error messages, identify the UI components involved, and determine if this is a Bug, Feature Request, or UX Improvement."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Structured Output Example</strong>:</p>
<pre><code class="language-json">{
  "triage_type": "bug",
  "priority": "P2",
  "summary": "Login page failure on mobile",
  "description": "User reported 404 error during SSO login flow. Error text: 'Service Unavailable'.",
  "components": ["Auth", "Mobile Web"],
  "suggested_action": "check_existing_ticket: AUTH-123"
}
</code></pre>
<h3>4. The Execution: Jira Integration</h3>
<p>Finally, the system calls the Jira API.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>New Issues</strong>: For unique bugs, it creates a ticket, uploads the original screenshot as an attachment, and sets the priority.</li>
<li><strong>Existing Tickets</strong>: If the AI detects it's a known issue, it simply adds the new screenshot as a comment to the existing tracker.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Setup Guide (Preview)</h2>
<p>[Detailed technical steps for n8n configuration and API scripts will be expanded in the next iteration.]</p>
<h3>Technical Stack</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Entry</strong>: Telegram Bot API (via BotFather).</li>
<li><strong>Orchestration</strong>: n8n (for low-code) or a Python script using <code>telethon</code> and <code>jira-python</code>.</li>
<li><strong>Vision</strong>: OpenAI GPT-4o or Google Gemini Pro Vision.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>The best tools are the ones you actually use. By bridging the gap between a casual message and a formal requirement tracker, you ensure that no valuable feedback "slips through the cracks".</p>

A professional guide for AI-augmented PMs and Indie Hackers on automating user feedback collection and triage using GPT-5.2 Vision and Telegram bots.

Telegram Bot API

Jira REST API

Zero-Maintenance Feedback: Building a Telegram + AI Vision Triage Bot

<h1>The "Claude Code" PRD Workflow: A Secret Weapon for Technical PMs</h1>
<h2>TL;DR</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Hybrid Efficiency</strong>: Use targeted API scripts for "bulk" data transport (precision + token savings) and Claude Code/MCP for reasoning and refinement.</li>
<li><strong>Offline-First</strong>: Break free from slow, distracting web editors. This workflow allows you to stay focused in your preferred IDE (Cursor, VS Code) or AI environment (Claude Code, Antigravity) while drafting in Markdown.</li>
<li><strong>Safety First</strong>: Always use sandbox environments and "Review Diffs" mindsets to avoid catastrophic bulk overwrites.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>As a Technical Product Manager, your job sits at the intersection of high-level strategy and deep technical implementation. The tools of the trade—often a mix of Jira, Confluence, and Slack—can feel disconnected from the actual engineering reality. It's time to borrow a page from the developer's handbook: <strong>Treat your requirements like code.</strong></p>
<p>Enter the <strong>Claude Code PRD Workflow</strong>.</p>
<h2>The Problem: The Browser &#x26; Context Bottleneck</h2>
<p>Drafting a PRD usually involves:</p>
<ol>
<li>Opening Confluence and wrestling with its WYSIWYG editor.</li>
<li>Juggling 15+ tabs of technical documentation and Jira tickets.</li>
<li>Manually summarizing technical constraints from Slack or GitHub.</li>
</ol>
<p>This process is not only slow but also prevents you from getting the most value out of an LLM. Simply dumping raw, unstructured data into an AI leads to token waste and lower-quality outputs.</p>
<h2>The Solution: The "Hybrid" Pull/Push Workflow</h2>
<p>The most efficient version of this workflow doesn't rely <em>only</em> on AI agents for data transport. Instead, it uses a <strong>Hybrid approach</strong>:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>API Scripts</strong>: For precise "Pulling" and "Pushing" of raw data (saves tokens, ensures formatting).</li>
<li><strong>Claude Code + MCP</strong>: For intelligent reasoning, cross-referencing, and drafting.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Step 1: "Pull" Your Context (Precision over Agents)</h3>
<p>While you <em>can</em> ask an AI agent to "Find and fetch the docs," it's often more efficient to use a simple script targeting the <a href="https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/intro/">Jira REST API</a>.</p>
<p><strong>The Hybrid Move</strong>: Use a script to handle <strong>complex filtering conditions</strong> and precisely control the fetch scope. This is where API scripts shine—mapping specific Jira issue types, recursive child page fetching, or filtering by custom fields that might confuse an agentic search.</p>
<pre><code class="language-bash"># Example: Precision pull with complex flags
python scripts/fetch_jira.py --jql "project = 'AUTH' AND status = 'In Progress' AND labels in ('v2-refactor')" --depth 2 --output target_scope.md
</code></pre>
<p>By handling the "transport" via API, you provide Claude with a clean, pre-filtered context. This ensures accuracy when the scope is non-trivial and saves thousands of tokens that an agent might waste trying to "navigate" or "guess" the correct set of files.</p>
<h3>Step 2: Intelligent Cross-Referencing &#x26; Drafting</h3>
<p>This is where the magic happens. You're not just editing text; you're developing requirements with an intelligent partner that has "eyes" across your entire stack.</p>
<p><strong>The Multi-Source Context</strong>: Use <strong>Claude Code + MCP</strong> to cross-reference data pulled from Jira and Confluence.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Prompt</strong>: "Claude, analyze the <code>user-stories</code> I just pulled from Jira and cross-reference them with the <code>architecture-spec</code> on Confluence. Identify any technical gaps in our proposed API auth flow."</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Advanced Technique: "Portable RAG" with NotebookLM</strong>
When your technical documentation grows into the hundreds of pages, even the largest context window can struggle.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Strategy</strong>: Use <a href="https://notebooklm.google.com/">NotebookLM</a> as your external Brain. Index massive PDF specs, legacy confluence exports, and Slack transcripts.</li>
<li><strong>The Bridge</strong>: Use tools like the <a href="https://github.com/PleasePrompto/notebooklm-skill">NotebookLM Claude Skill</a> to query your indexed knowledge base directly from your CLI. This allows you to "Chat with your Documentation" and pull precise snippets into your PRD draft without manual searching.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step 3: "Push" Updates (The Safety Protocol)</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>⚠️ Safety First</strong>: Updating production Confluence or Jira via automated tools carries the risk of bulk overwrites. If your script or agent fails to parse a block correctly, you could accidentally wipe out months of collaborative history.
<strong>⚠️ 安全至上</strong>：使用自動化工具更新生產環境的 Confluence 或 Jira 具有極高的風險。如果解析出現故障，可能會意外抹除數月來的協作歷史。</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Standard Safety Operating Procedure (SOP)</strong>:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Sandbox First</strong>: Always run your "Push" scripts against a trial Jira project or an orphaned Confluence space first.</li>
<li><strong>Review Diffs</strong>: Treat documentation updates like Code Reviews. Use a tool to see exactly what changed between your local <code>requirements_v2.md</code> and the cloud version before committing the push.</li>
<li><strong>Draft Mode</strong>: When possible, push as a "Draft" or "Comment" rather than overwriting the main page content.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Common Pitfalls &#x26; How to Avoid Them</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>ADF Formatting</strong>: Confluence uses Atlassian Document Format (ADF). Converting Markdown -> ADF can be messy. Use robust libraries like <code>atlassian-python-api</code> to handle the heavy lifting.</li>
<li><strong>Context Window</strong>: For massive PRDs (50+ pages), don't dump it all into one prompt. Use RAG or index specific sections using <a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io/">Anthropic's MCP</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Permissions</strong>: Ensure your API tokens have "Least Privilege"—only grant write access to the specific projects or spaces you are managing.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Authoritative Resources</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="https://academy.anthropic.com/">Anthropic Academy</a></strong>: Best practices for engineering with Claude.</li>
<li><strong><a href="https://support.atlassian.com/rovo/docs/set-up-the-rovo-mcp-server/">Atlassian Rovo MCP Server</a></strong>: The official bridge between Claude and your Atlassian data.</li>
<li><strong><a href="https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/intro/">Jira Cloud API Reference</a></strong>: Documentation for building custom precision scripts.</li>
<li><strong><a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io">Model Context Protocol</a></strong>: The open standard for AI data integration.</li>
</ul>
<p>By bridging the gap between product requirements and the tools developers actually use, you don't just write better PRDs—you build better products.</p>

A professional guide for Technical PMs on using Claude Code, Custom API Scripts, and MCP to streamline the PRD process. Learn to sync with Jira/Confluence efficiently and safely.

Anthropic Academy - Claude Engineering

Model Context Protocol (MCP) Official Site

Jira Cloud Platform API Reference

The PRD Revolution: A High-Efficiency Offline-First Git-like Workflow

<p>Recently, I introduced <strong>Claude Code</strong> into my Product Management (PM) workflow, and it has been the biggest change in my way of working lately. Specs and prototypes that used to take days can now be done in a few hours, and the AI considers edge cases a hundred times more thoroughly than I do.</p>
<p>This isn't just about asking ChatGPT questions; it's about deeply integrating AI into the <strong>Workflow</strong>. As stated in Anthropic's <a href="https://www.anthropic.com/research/building-effective-agents">Building Effective Agents</a> guide, true productivity gains come from shifting AI from a simple "chatbot" to an "Agent" capable of executing complex tasks.</p>
<h2>Core Process: One-Person Product Team</h2>
<p>My new workflow looks roughly like this, a convergence process from vague to specific:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Requirement Intake</strong> → <strong>Claude Skills</strong> (SOP) Initial Analysis → <strong>Sub-agents</strong> (Multi-perspective) Review &#x26; Debate → Generate High-Quality <strong>PRD + Prototype</strong> → Cross-Department Communication → Spec Confirmation</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It's like having a virtual team on call, ready to work for you at any moment. Rather than just a PM, I act more like the <strong>Commander of an AI Team</strong>.</p>
<hr>
<h2>1. Claude Skills: Writing Your SOP into the Brain</h2>
<p>The concept of <strong>Skills</strong> is simple: write down the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in your head for the AI to strictly follow. This maps to the "Workflows" concept mentioned by Anthropic—guiding LLMs through predefined paths to ensure consistency.</p>
<p>Previously, when writing a PRD, we had to pay attention to naming consistency, formatting norms, team idioms, and remember to reference old documents. The human brain easily misses details; changing A but forgetting creating a bug in B.</p>
<p>Now, I encapsulate these rules into Skills. Here is a real-world <code>requirement-analyzer</code> Skill example:</p>
<pre><code class="language-markdown"># Skill: Requirement Analyzer

## Role
You are a Senior Technical Product Manager (TPM), skilled at converting vague business requirements into structured User Stories.

## Input
- Raw Input
- Target Audience

## Output Format (Markdown)
1. **Executive Summary**: One sentence explaining what this feature does.
2. **User Stories**: Format as "As a &#x3C;role>, I want to &#x3C;action>, so that &#x3C;benefit>".
3. **Acceptance Criteria (Gherkin Syntax)**:
   - Given [Context]
   - When [Action]
   - Then [Expected Result]
4. **Edge Cases**: List at least 3 extreme conditions (e.g., Network failure, Empty data, Insufficient permissions).

## Rules
- Must use this format: `FE-[Feature Name]-001` as ID.
- Prioritize Mobile First experience.
</code></pre>
<p>When these rules are written as Code (or System Prompts), AI produces output according to preset standards, stable and consistent. Those time-consuming and error-prone cross-referencing tasks are all handed over to AI.</p>
<h2>2. Sub-agents: Virtual Avatars for Perspective Taking</h2>
<p>If Skills are the "Hands", then <strong>Sub-agents</strong> are the "Brain".</p>
<p>When writing specs alone, it's easy to fall into blind spots. According to Basecamp's <a href="https://basecamp.com/shapeup">Shape Up Methodology</a>, the biggest risk in product development is rushing into development before the work is properly "Shaped".</p>
<p>To avoid this, I created different Agents to conduct "Self-Dialectics":</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>User Researcher Agent</strong>: Questions if this flow is intuitive? Is there a better experience?</li>
<li><strong>Dev Agent</strong>: Evaluates technical feasibility, clarifies how to open the database schema, and how to connect APIs.</li>
<li><strong>QA Agent</strong>: Specifically looks for loopholes, listing all possible edge cases.</li>
<li><strong>Stakeholder Agent</strong>: Challenges the necessity of this requirement from a business value perspective.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Simulation Dialogue</h3>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Me (PM)</strong>: "I want to build a 'One-Click Weekly Report' feature."</p>
<p><strong>Dev Agent</strong>: "Technically feasible, but consider Context Window limits. If a user has over 500 tickets per week, the API might timeout. I suggest adding Pagination or handling it as an Async Job."</p>
<p><strong>QA Agent</strong>: "Agreed. Also, what if there are absolutely no tickets this week? Should the report be blank or show default text? And if the API call fails, should there be a Retry mechanism in place?"</p>
<p><strong>User Researcher Agent</strong>: "Wait, do users really want 'One-Click'? They essentially want to edit the AI output most of the time. I suggest the flow be: Generate Draft -> User Preview/Edit -> Save &#x26; Send."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In operation, it's like holding an efficient meeting inside the computer. Previously, these confirmations took several meetings back and forth; now, they can be completed within a few hours. This is the ultimate form of <strong>"Shift Left"</strong>—problems are discovered and solved before the first line of code is written.</p>
<h2>3. Instant Prototype: No More Imagining in Communication</h2>
<p>This is the most powerful part. Even precise text is not as good as a working visual.</p>
<p>Previously, specs were often written but the design wasn't ready. When discussing with engineers or bosses, everyone could only "imagine individually," leading to big misunderstandings discovered only after launch.</p>
<p>Now focusing on Claude Code combined with <code>v0.dev</code> or Tailwind CSS, I can directly generate frontend code, giving me a <strong>working Interaction Prototype</strong>.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Before</strong>: "Clicking this button pops up a Modal with three options..." (Engineer: ??)</li>
<li><strong>After</strong>: "Just look at this HTML file, click it and you'll see." (Engineer: Got it.)</li>
</ul>
<p>Communication efficiency is much faster, and technical details can even be verified before development. No picture, no truth; now I almost always bring a Prototype to meetings.</p>
<h2>4. Git Flow: Docs as Code</h2>
<p>The last key change is <strong>Git Flow</strong>. This aligns perfectly with Atlassian's <a href="https://www.atlassian.com/agile/knowledge-management/docs-as-code">Docs as Code</a> philosophy.</p>
<p>Previously, documents were scattered across Google Docs, Confluence, or Slack conversations, eventually becoming unmaintained trash (Stale documentation). Now I try to put all outputs into Git version control.</p>
<h3>Recommended File Structure</h3>
<pre><code class="language-bash">project-root/
├── src/                # Source Code
├── docs/
│   ├── adr/            # Architecture Decision Records
│   ├── prd/            # Product Requirement Documents
│   │   ├── 2026-02-feature-A.md
│   │   └── 2026-03-feature-B.md
│   └── specifications/ # Technical Specs
├── .claude/            # AI configurations
│   ├── skills/         # Defined Skills
│   └── prompts/        # Common Prompt Templates
└── README.md
</code></pre>
<p>The benefits are:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Single Source of Truth</strong>: Code changes, docs change right beside it.</li>
<li><strong>Code Review</strong>: Documentation changes go through the Pull Request process, ensuring they are reviewed.</li>
<li><strong>Traceability</strong>: Who changed what spec and when is clearly recorded in the Git Log.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Current applications are still very rudimentary, but they have significantly reduced the chance of "producing low-quality documents" and saved a lot of time reinventing the wheel.</p>
<p>Many PMs worry AI will replace them, but I believe AI replaces the "Doer", not the "Thinker". By handing over tedious work (writing docs, drawing charts, searching info) to automation, PMs can spend their time where it truly matters: <strong>Decision Making and Communication</strong>.</p>
<p>Future PMs might be more like commanders of an AI team, and your value will depend on how many AI Agents you can orchestrate to solve complex problems for you.</p>

How to evolve from 'AI Chat' to 'AI Workflow' using Claude Code, Skills, and Sub-Agents for automated PRD & Prototype generation. Includes Prompt examples and Git Flow structure.

Building Effective Agents

Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters

Documenting your project (Docs as Code)

PM Workflow Revolution: Integrating Claude Code, Skills & Sub-Agents (English Version)

<h1>PMP Exam 2026: The PMBOK 8 Evolution</h1>
<p>The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is evolving to match the rapid pace of modern business. On <strong>July 9, 2026</strong>, PMI will officially update the PMP exam to align with the <strong>PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition</strong>.</p>
<p>This update isn't just a minor tweak; it's a foundational shift that reintroduces structured processes while doubling down on Principles and <strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong>.</p>
<h2>Key Changes You Need to Know</h2>
<h3>1. Significant Domain Weighting Shifts</h3>
<p>The most critical change for candidates is the redistribution of exam topics. The "Business Environment" domain has tripled in importance.</p>

























<table><thead><tr><th align="left">Domain</th><th align="left">Current (2021-2025)</th><th align="left">New (After July 9, 2026)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left"><strong>People</strong></td><td align="left">42%</td><td align="left">33%</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong>Process</strong></td><td align="left">50%</td><td align="left">41%</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><strong>Business Environment</strong></td><td align="left">8%</td><td align="left"><strong>26%</strong></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>This shift emphasizes that modern project managers must be strategic business partners, not just task coordinators.</p>
<h3>2. PMBOK 8: The Best of Both Worlds</h3>
<p>The 8th Edition (released Jan 2026) bridges the gap between the process-heavy 6th Edition and the principle-based 7th Edition.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>AI Integration</strong>: Specific content on using AI for scheduling, risk assessment, and stakeholder communication.</li>
<li><strong>Sustainability</strong>: New focus on sustainable project outcomes and ESG reporting.</li>
<li><strong>Hybrid Methods</strong>: Deep dive into blending Agile and Waterfall for complex environments.</li>
</ul>
<h3>3. Interactive Exam Format</h3>
<p>Expect fewer "straight" multiple-choice questions. The new exam includes:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Case Sets</strong>: Multiple questions based on a single large scenario.</li>
<li><strong>Graphic Interpretation</strong>: Analyzing real-time project dashboards.</li>
<li><strong>Drag-and-Drop</strong>: Mapping processes to performance domains.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Preparation Strategy for 2026</h2>
<p>If you are planning to take the exam after July 2026, your study plan must adapt:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Master the Business Context</strong>: Focus on how projects deliver value to the organization's bottom line.</li>
<li><strong>Complete the <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yfen2p3g">PMP Exam Prep Seminar - Complete Exam Coverage with 35 PDUs</a></strong> course to learn the entire knowledge framework and earn enough PDUs to apply for the exam. It is also recommended to skim through the PMBOK. For experienced project managers, this content will be a breeze, but you still need to familiarize yourself with the system’s terminology. Adjust the course speed to 1.5x to finish it faster. Depending on individual circumstances, this course can typically be completed within 1-2 months.</li>
<li><strong>Leverage AI Tools</strong>: Understand how to use GenAI to assist in project documentation and data analysis.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Study Resources</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp">PMI Official PMP Page</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>PMBOK 8th Edition PDF</strong>: (Available for free to PMI members).</li>
<li><strong>Exam Content Outline (2026 Update)</strong>: Essential reading for understanding task-level requirements.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>💡 Note</strong>: If you are taking the exam <strong>before July 9, 2026</strong>, you should still refer to our <a href="/posts/how-to-get-pmp-2021">Legacy 2021 PMP Guide</a>.</p>
</blockquote>

Detailed guide for the 2026 PMP exam update, covering PMBOK 8th Edition changes, new domain weighting, and AI integration in project management.

The Complete Guide to the PMP Exam 2026 (PMBOK 8 Update)

<p>This article introduces what affiliate marketing is and how to make money through affiliate marketing websites or other means.</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>Affiliate Marketing in 2026:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Concept</strong>: Promote other people's products and earn a commission (CPA/CPS) on sales.</li>
<li><strong>Platforms</strong>: Join networks like <strong>Amazon Associates</strong>, <strong>ShareASale</strong>, or <strong>Shopee Affiliate</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Strategy</strong>: Focus on a niche, create high-value content (blogs/videos), and build trust before selling.</li>
<li><strong>Reality Check</strong>: It's a marathon, not a sprint. Requires consistency and SEO/traffic skills.</li>
</ol>
<h2>What is Affiliate Marketing?</h2>
<p>Affiliate marketing originated from Amazon in 1996. Promoters provide product links, and when readers purchase through these links, the promoters earn commissions. The performance types include CPS, CPC, CPL, and CPA. Unlike advertising, affiliate marketing is based on actual performance billing.</p>
<p>Brands typically allocate marketing budgets across different methods, such as advertising, social media, blogging, and affiliate marketing, adjusting the proportions based on actual performance.</p>
<p>Although affiliate marketing has only recently gained traction in Taiwan, it has become known to the public through promotions by bloggers and YouTubers.</p>
<h2>Common Affiliate Marketing Platforms</h2>
<p>You can find brand partnership opportunities for affiliate marketing on the following platforms:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://vbtrax.com/track/affr/33896" title="affiliate">Afiliate One</a>: A platform focused on Asia, covering a wide range of brands.</li>
<li><a href="https://affnotes.com/go/ichannels/">iChannels</a>: Mainly in Taiwan, it is a regionally strong platform focusing on physical goods.</li>
<li><a href="https://shope.ee/6UxytQEdAj" title="affiliate">Shopee</a>'s <a href="https://shope.ee/3fdnVz0Tr6">Affiliate Marketing</a>: A major e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cj.com/">CJ Affiliate</a>: The largest affiliate marketing platform in the United States.</li>
<li><a href="https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/">Amazon Affiliate Marketing</a>: The global e-commerce giant with a high conversion rate.</li>
<li><a href="https://account.shareasale.com/newsignup.cfm">ShareASale</a>: Primarily targeting the U.S. market, offering various exclusive marketing plans.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Common Affiliate Marketing Channels</h2>
<ul>
<li>Websites and Blogs: Promote product links through embedded links or ads on websites and blogs. Focus on accumulating natural traffic and optimizing SEO.</li>
<li>Social Media: Build brand awareness on social media platforms and promote product links. Emphasize audience and follower engagement and stay sensitive to trends.</li>
<li>EDM: If you have an existing audience, directly send messages with product links through EDM.</li>
<li>Video Content: Share videos on platforms like YouTube, demonstrating product usage and providing links.</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to Optimize Performance</h2>
<ul>
<li>Ensure you track all data, such as using Google Analytics to track traffic and utilizing UTM parameters to understand the performance of acquisition channels.</li>
<li>Use data analysis reports or dashboards from affiliate marketing platforms to analyze the differences between well-performing and poorly-performing products, including article content, messaging, products, and channels.</li>
<li>Analyze which types of links are more likely to be clicked, such as links embedded in text descriptions or obvious product links.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Is Affiliate Marketing Profitable?</h2>
<p>If you are a promoter capable of creating valuable content, you have the opportunity to profit through this method.</p>
<p>If you frequently introduce or recommend products, consider registering on platforms like VigLink or others to explore partnership opportunities. This income is paid from the brand's original marketing budget, allowing promoters to earn profits while connecting users with suitable products, achieving a win-win situation.</p>
<p>We recommend checking out the following courses for in-depth learning resources, which can provide more inspiration for building passive income:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/make-money-with-affiliate-marketing-earn-passive-income/">Beginner Affiliate Marketing To Start In 1 Day (2026)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/clickbank-success-affiliate-marketing-without-a-website/">ClickBank Success – Affiliate Marketing Without A Website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/seo-affiliate-marketing-amazon/">SEO: Amazon Affiliate Marketing + SEO</a></li>
</ul>
<p>However, continuously generating revenue is not easy. It requires constantly finding suitable products to promote, creating valuable and persuasive content, and ensuring sufficient exposure. This takes diligent work and time to accumulate.</p>

The article introduces the basics of affiliate marketing, explaining how it works and how to earn passive income by promoting products and services. It also discusses the role of affiliate networks and provides effective marketing strategies and resources to help readers successfully start and run their affiliate marketing business.

Achieve Financial Freedom Early with Passive Income from Affiliate Marketing

<h2>What? I Was Charged a Foreign Transaction Fee?</h2>
<p>Quickly check your credit card statement to see if you were charged a foreign transaction fee when booking through Agoda!</p>
<p>Currently, <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yqt6erwr" title="affiliate">Agoda</a> is an overseas company without a receiving bank in Taiwan. Whether you book domestically or internationally, a 1.5% foreign transaction fee is charged. This fee is not collected by Agoda but by the bank or financial institution managing the payments.</p>
<p>According to Agoda’s current foreign transaction fee compensation policy, if the booking was made within the last three months, you can apply for a refund. The refund will be in the form of Agoda Cash, equivalent to the foreign transaction fee charged by the issuing bank during the booking process on Agoda.</p>
<p>Agoda’s Foreign Transaction Fee is Refundable!</p>
<p>In fact, the foreign transaction fee paid when booking through Agoda can be refunded! This article will guide you on how to apply for a foreign transaction fee refund from Agoda. Please note that Agoda only processes orders within the last three months, so don’t hesitate. Check now to see if you have any orders eligible for a refund!</p>
<h2>Steps to Apply for Foreign Transaction Fee Compensation</h2>
<ol>
<li>Click <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yqm3msm6" title="affiliate">Order Inquiry</a> to check the hotel name and order number.</li>
<li>Click Agoda Customer Service Email and start composing an email. The subject line should be “Application for Foreign Transaction Fee Compensation.” The content should include the hotel name, order number, and attach the credit card statement showing the following information: cardholder’s name, bank logo, last four digits of the credit card number, merchant name, transaction date, amount, and currency.</li>
<li>Wait for a response from customer service. Based on experience, you will receive a reply within a few minutes to 48 hours, confirming whether you are eligible for compensation or if additional documents are needed. They will propose a compensation plan using equivalent Agoda Cash and request a reply to confirm.</li>
<li>After confirming via email, you will receive a notification of the equivalent Agoda Cash credit. From the date of issue, you have 6 months to use the Agoda Cash for any applicable bookings on Agoda. Please note that Agoda Cash is not applicable for “Cardless Booking,” “Invoice Issuable,” or “Pay at Hotel” room types.</li>
</ol>
<h2>To Redeem Your Agoda Cash, Follow These Steps:</h2>
<ol>
<li>Log in to the Agoda website or app.</li>
<li>Select the accommodation and room type you want to book, then click “Book.”</li>
<li>On the payment page, the option to use “Agoda Cash” to offset the cost will appear on the right side of the webpage or at the bottom of the app page.</li>
<li>Choose the amount of Agoda Cash you want to use (you can offset the entire or partial cost of the booking).</li>
<li>Complete the payment and confirm the booking.</li>
</ol>
<p>For more information about Agoda Cash, please visit: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yrfkv9qy" title="affiliate">Agoda Official Policy</a>.</p>
<h2>Is Agoda the Biggest Winner?</h2>
<p>In practice, <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yqt6erwr" title="affiliate">Agoda</a> handles foreign transaction fees very quickly. Why can Agoda process such seemingly costly refunds so efficiently? The truth is, Agoda uses “Agoda Cash with limited validity” for compensation, which is quite clever. It effectively wins customer loyalty at a minimal cost. For regular Agoda users, applying for foreign transaction fee compensation for future bookings can be quite beneficial.</p>
<p>In any case, don’t let money slip away. Make it a habit to check your credit card statement each month for any foreign transaction fees charged by Agoda. Apply for a refund immediately, and over time, you can save a significant amount of money!</p>

This article explains how to apply for a refund of Agoda’s foreign transaction fee.

Agoda Official Promotions

Agoda Official Policy

Agoda

How to Apply for a Refund of Agoda Foreign Transaction Fee?

<p>You’ve probably heard of the Law of Attraction, popularized by Rhonda Byrne’s book <em>The Secret</em>. This book sold millions of copies within months of its release and has been translated into over 50 languages, becoming a classic on the topic. The author explains that our thoughts emit a frequency that attracts similar frequencies. Just like a magnet, we attract what we think about into our lives. This is the Law of Attraction.</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>The Law of Attraction is about aligning your mindset with your goals:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Clarify</strong>: Use positive affirmations to state exactly what you want.</li>
<li><strong>Visualize</strong>: Create vision boards and feel the joy of achieving your goals.</li>
<li><strong>Act</strong>: Combine positive thinking with concrete actions; opportunity favors the prepared.</li>
</ol>
<p>But did you know that practicing the Law of Attraction requires some techniques to make your desires come true more easily? Today, we'll share three steps to effectively harness the Law of Attraction. If you have new goals or dreams this year, let’s bravely place our orders with the universe together!</p>
<h2>Step 1: Positive Thinking + Affirmative Statements for Clear Desires</h2>
<p>As mentioned in <em>The Secret</em>, "To change your circumstances, you must first change your thoughts." When making a wish, be sure to use positive thinking and affirmative statements to express your clear desires. For example, when changing to a new job and hoping to meet good colleagues or supervisors, your thoughts and wishes should be: "I believe I will meet great teammates!" (affirming the positive) instead of "I hope I don’t meet bad coworkers!" (avoiding negative thoughts). Or, if you want to save money to buy a house, your wish should be: "I will definitely buy this house by the age of XX" (affirming self-achievement) instead of "It might take a long time for my savings to buy this house" (expressing uncertainty). Remember to avoid using negative or doubtful statements. Dare to imagine and affirm that it will happen; this increases the chance of your wish coming true. Moreover, the clearer your wish, the easier it is to achieve. For instance, "I want to get richer" versus "I want to increase my income by $5,000 every month." The latter is more likely to be achieved!</p>
<h2>Step 2: Visualize Your Desires and Anticipate the Joy of Realization</h2>
<p>After making a wish, write down or print your desire and place it somewhere visible in your daily life (setting it as your phone or computer wallpaper is also a good method). This process is called visualization. Visualization helps transform what you think into visible reality. When you see it often, you will be more confident that you are moving towards your dream.</p>
<p>Additionally, imagine the joy and excitement you will feel when your wish is realized! For example, if you wish to buy a house by the age of XX, picture yourself living in that ideal home with a beautiful forest view outside and a clean, comfortable interior. The satisfaction of living in your dream home will make you feel happy. Don’t forget, your emotions generate frequencies for the universe, and good feelings naturally attract good frequencies to you. Always take a moment to feel the happiness in your heart.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Focus on Your Desires + Continuous Effort, and Wait for Your Wish to Come True</h2>
<p>The Law of Attraction is not just about whimsical thinking but a form of self-enhancement. Besides making a wish, you must focus on your goals and desires and make corresponding efforts. The process is more important than the result. For example, if you wish to find an ideal partner, you must first take the step to meet new people and write down the qualities you seek in a partner. After taking the first step, people with similar qualities will gradually come closer to you, and your wish will slowly come true!</p>
<h2>The Law of Attraction Happened to Me! A Real-Life Example Shared by a Friend:</h2>
<p>In college, my psychology professor asked the class to write down their ideal job or life state five years after graduation. Studying administrative sciences and having a passion for music, I constantly thought about how I excelled in one field and loved the other. I wrote that I hoped to work in public service after graduation and pursue music-related activities on weekends.</p>
<p>As I wrote, I smiled and imagined such a wonderful life. It was just perfect! In my second year after graduation, I focused on civil service exams and tutoring. One day, a friend told me, "I saw a public department offering a contract position on a website. You should apply. The job content seems related to your major, and you might have a chance!"</p>
<p>While preparing for exams, I decided to give it a try. I successfully got the position and started a year of public service work. However, this experience made me realize that I didn’t enjoy the work mode in the public sector and felt a bit unhappy. My thoughts started drifting back to my passion for music.</p>
<p>After the contract ended, I decided to switch to a different field and began looking for a new job online. About four months later, something magical happened! One day, a music company I had always dreamed of working for posted a job opening. It was an administrative position matching my work experience, and I immediately applied. Eventually, I got the job and entered my dream music company, combining my administrative skills with my passion. Interestingly, I realized that I joined this company exactly five years after graduation, just as if the universe had planned it all!</p>
<h2>The Fascination of the Law of Attraction</h2>
<p>In the book <em>The Alchemist</em>, it is mentioned, "When you truly desire something, the whole universe will conspire to help you achieve it." The most amazing aspect of the Law of Attraction is that when you have negative thoughts, unfortunate things often happen. But when you sincerely desire something and believe from the bottom of your heart that you will have it, putting in the effort to achieve it, you will ultimately get what you want. If you have ever failed in making a wish, ask yourself if your mindset was firm or if you didn't truly believe in it. Things you don’t believe in will never come true. "The outcome is often determined by your mindset and thoughts." By maintaining a positive and proactive attitude, you can effectively use the Law of Attraction, successfully place orders with the universe, and make your desires come true one by one! Let's place orders with the universe in the new year and feel the joy of making our wishes come true!</p>

This article introduces the Law of Attraction and three secrets to harnessing it.

3 Secrets of the Law of Attraction: Attract What You Love!

<p>Meditation is a powerful practice that can bring calm, clarity, and balance to your life. Whether you’re new to meditation or looking to deepen your practice, understanding the best practices and utilizing the right resources is crucial. In this article, we will explore the benefits of meditation, offer practical tips for getting started, and recommend resources to help you along your journey.</p>
<h2>What Is Meditation? You Might Need It Too!</h2>
<p>In this age of information overload, studies estimate that modern people need to receive and process up to 36,000 GB of information daily. This information overload impacts our brains and lives, making it hard to quiet our minds, even before bed, like countless open browser tabs that won’t close. Over time, this leads to life stress, poor sleep quality, anxiety, difficulty concentrating at work, and other negative emotions that indirectly affect our physical and mental health and overall quality of life.</p>
<p>If you have experienced these symptoms, why not try meditation? Rediscover the happiness of inner peace!</p>
<h2>The Benefits of Meditation, Even Endorsed by Celebrities</h2>
<p>Scientific research has found that long-term meditation can increase the thickness of the prefrontal cortex and the right anterior brain cortex, areas that control attention and perception, making the brain more agile and inspired. It also strengthens self-awareness, relieves stress, improves resilience and memory, and maintains inner peace.</p>
<p>NBA star LeBron James is a meditation enthusiast. About meditation, James said, “It was a bit strange at first because it’s a whole new practice that requires detachment, but meditation really makes me feel more comfortable, mentally and energetically.” Microsoft founder Bill Gates and talk show host Oprah Winfrey are also practitioners of meditation. Google even includes “meditation” as an official course for employees. Curious about the power of meditation yet?</p>
<p>Follow the five guidelines below and start meditating together!</p>
<h2>Best Practice for Beginners</h2>
<ol>
<li>
<p>Location: Find a quiet, undisturbed place where you feel comfortable, such as a bed, sofa, or open grass. Turn off all distractions like TV and phone notifications. Use a cushion or chair for support.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Posture: Sit in a chair or cross-legged. Beginners should start with these positions, keeping their back straight without leaning on anything. Rest hands on your thighs and close your eyes.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Duration: Start with 5 minutes per session, gradually increasing to 20 minutes. Set a timer to focus on your breath without worrying about time.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Start - Focus on Breathing: Practice “observational meditation” by focusing on your breath. Take deep breaths through your nose and exhale slowly 3-4 times, then continue naturally. Observe your breathing and abdominal movements without judgment.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Best Time for Meditation: Meditate before work or before bed. Morning meditation enhances focus and efficiency, while evening meditation clears your mind for better sleep. Consistency at the same time daily helps build the habit.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h2>What Makes a Successful Meditation Session?</h2>
<p>Beginners often ask, “What counts as a successful meditation session?”</p>
<p>As a beginner, your mind will inevitably be filled with various thoughts during meditation, such as: “Why hasn’t the time passed yet?”, “What should I eat later?”, or “Feeling anxious about unfinished work from the day…” Do not feel frustrated or discouraged—this is normal.</p>
<p>When these thoughts arise, imagine yourself as an observer standing by a window, watching the sky. The thoughts are like clouds passing by your window. You don’t need to push them away; just watch them quietly until they drift away.</p>
<p>In the same way, during meditation, simply “observe and become aware” of the thoughts that arise. “Observe” the arrival of thoughts without applying any emotion or pressure to suppress them. When you “become aware” of your distraction, gently bring your attention back to your breath and focus on the changes in your breathing. The chaotic thoughts will naturally leave your mind, and inner peace will return.</p>
<p>Once you achieve this, congratulations! You have completed a successful meditation session!</p>
<h2>How Long Should You Meditate to See Changes?</h2>
<p>Everyone’s meditation practice varies, and the time to see changes may differ slightly.
For example, as the author, I often feel tense and anxious due to work. I hoped to improve my anxiety and poor sleep through meditation practice. Driven by curiosity, I initially set practice times of 5-10 minutes per session, 3-4 times a week, viewing meditation as a relaxed, pressure-free practice.</p>
<p>Here are the changes observed after practicing meditation for about 3-4 months:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>After 1 month of practice: On nights I meditated before bed, I seemed to fall asleep faster and more deeply, with fewer dreams.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>After 2 months of practice: I was able to concentrate better during meditation, with fewer distracting thoughts, and felt a warm flow and peace in my heart afterward.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>After 3 months of practice: Although I still occasionally felt anxious at work, I could now quickly let go of my anxiety and restore inner peace, allowing me to focus more calmly and objectively on my tasks.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Even now, having practiced meditation for about a year, I continue to meditate regularly, especially during tough times or high stress. Meditation gives me more confidence to face current situations or challenges, and I believe “the changes brought by meditation occur at every practice moment, and continuous practice accumulates this energy in the body.”</p>
<p>Therefore, regardless of the duration of each practice, as long as you continue and maintain the habit of meditation, you will undoubtedly experience its unique benefits firsthand.</p>
<h2>Recommended Resources</h2>
<p>Meditation is a transformative practice that can improve various aspects of your life. By starting small, being consistent, and using recommended resources, you can build a fulfilling meditation practice. Whether you choose to use apps, read books, or take online courses, the key is to find what works best for you and stay committed to your journey.</p>
<h3>Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Mindfulness-Introduction-Practice-Meditation/dp/0807012394">The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-There-Are-Mindfulness/dp/1401307787">Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life》</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Online Courses</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://tinyurl.com/ytvfwswa" title="affiliate">Heartfulness Meditation- Evolution of Consciousness w/ Daaji</a></li>
<li><a href="http://tinyurl.com/yrtu2hbt" title="affiliate">Meditation Practitioner / Teacher Certification (ACCREDITED)</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>APP</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.headspace.com/">Headspace</a>: Offers various guided meditations and mindfulness exercises.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Websites</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.mindful.org/">Mindful</a>: Provides a wealth of articles and resources on meditation.</li>
<li><a href="https://insighttimer.com/">Insight Timer</a>: Offers free guided meditations and mindfulness courses.</li>
</ul>

The article introduces the basics of meditation, highlighting its benefits for stress reduction, mental health, and inner peace. It offers practical tips and techniques for beginners to easily start their meditation journey. 

Find Your Inner Calm: 5 Essential Meditation Tips for Beginners

<p>For many PMs, managing multiple projects is inevitable. Learning how to control the timeline of each project is a valuable lesson. When individuals or teams use tools that clearly control project timelines, they can greatly improve team efficiency and reduce a lot of rework. This article will introduce three project timeline management tools that will not only make managing project timelines easier but also help organize tasks very systematically.</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>Top 3 free tools for work/life management:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Slack</strong>: Best for team communication and reducing email clutter.</li>
<li><strong>Trello</strong>: Best for visual project tracking (Kanban boards).</li>
<li><strong>Todoist</strong>: Best for personal task management and daily to-do lists.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Benefits and Advantages of Using Project Management Tools</h2>
<p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/WEKv38Z.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>PMs use project management tools in many situations. When do ordinary people use project management tools? In fact, project management tools are important for everyone. When handling various tasks in life, such as planning a camping trip or organizing a wedding, project management tools help us consider all aspects, provide necessary functions, plan all available resources, and take all stakeholders into account.</p>
<p>In addition to being able to track the progress and schedule of each project, project management tools strengthen the connection between each task and piece of information, making communication more efficient. Unlike files coming from all directions, project management tools offer a fixed project management space to share information and files, enabling team members to communicate and share more conveniently on the platform, resulting in better collaboration.</p>
<h2>Tips for Commonly Used Project Management Software</h2>
<p>After understanding the many benefits and advantages that project management brings to our lives, let's introduce three commonly used project management software: Slack, Trello, and ToDoist. We'll not only show you how to use these tools but also introduce some must-know advanced features!</p>
<h3>Slack: Introduction, Usage Guide, and Advanced Features</h3>
<p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/giVHB1v.png" alt=""></p>
<p>Slack is an internal communication tool designed for business use, initially developed to replace email as the main internal communication tool for companies. But why do most companies choose Slack instead of LINE, which is also a well-known communication software?</p>
<p>Using LINE as an internal communication tool has several drawbacks:</p>
<ol>
<li>LINE groups often get flooded with messages, making it hard to catch important updates.</li>
<li>To discuss sub-items of a project, new groups have to be created, resulting in too many groups for one project.</li>
<li>LINE is typically used for personal life, and mixing it with work groups can be inconvenient.</li>
</ol>
<p>Slack, as a business communication tool, addresses these issues:</p>
<ol>
<li>Slack allows you to discuss with team members or project personnel through workspaces and channels, sharing necessary documents in these channels.</li>
<li>In Slack channels, messages can be threaded, allowing discussions on subtopics without affecting the main conversation, making the layout more organized.</li>
<li>Slack is usually dedicated to business, making it clear to separate work from personal life.</li>
</ol>
<p>An advanced feature of Slack is its ability to integrate with third-party software, including Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, or Trello! Simply go to "Browse Slack->Apps" and choose the app you want to install.</p>
<p>Slack offers both free and paid versions. The main difference is that the free version only retains the last 10,000 messages, so older messages might get lost. The paid version offers workflow automation and enhanced security and data protection.</p>
<p>Slack official website: <a href="https://slack.com/intl/zh-tw/">Slack</a></p>
<h3>Trello: Introduction, Usage Guide, and Advanced Features</h3>
<p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/07WCond.jpg" alt="Trello"></p>
<p>Trello is a very practical tool for tracking project progress, featuring a Kanban-style format with boards, lists, and cards. Similar to sticky notes, you can simply drag and drop to move projects to their current status, providing a clear overview of progress (e.g., not started, in progress, completed). It's a very intuitive project management tool.</p>
<p>Trello is suitable for both large projects like concert planning and small projects like organizing orientation activities. For instance, if you're planning an orientation event, you can set up stages such as planning, process, finance, and manpower allocation, with each stage as a separate list, creating a very straightforward workflow.</p>
<p>If you're unsure where to start, Trello offers official templates and user-shared templates. You can apply these templates to begin scheduling your projects. Additionally, Trello can integrate with third-party software like Google Drive, Slack, Jira, or Adobe XD, making it very convenient.</p>
<p>Trello also has an advanced feature called Butler, which automates repetitive actions on the board by detecting them and suggesting automation rules for subsequent tasks. For example, Butler can automatically add a meeting time for next Tuesday, tag it with discussion labels, set a reminder for meeting notes, and move the card to the top of the list.</p>
<p>Trello official website: <a href="https://trello.com/zh-Hant">Trello</a></p>
<h3>ToDoist: Introduction, Usage Guide, and Advanced Features</h3>
<p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/1Gw1vb4.png" alt="ToDoist"></p>
<p>ToDoist is a simple and convenient task management tool with a hierarchical task system that allows for layered management of large and small projects. It also has a filtering system to focus on specific tasks. A very useful advanced feature of ToDoist is its collection plugin, which helps quickly add emails and web pages to the to-do list for follow-up work.</p>
<p>ToDoist is more suitable for those accustomed to using calendars, as it can integrate with Outlook or Google Calendar, allowing comprehensive viewing of schedules and to-dos, helping you better manage your time and tasks.</p>
<p>ToDoist also has a unique motivational feature called Karma Review, where you earn Karma points by completing tasks. The more Karma points you earn, the more advanced features you unlock, such as task labeling or natural language parsing.</p>
<p>ToDoist official website: <a href="https://todoist.com/zh-TW/home">ToDoist</a></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Each tool serves different scenarios: Slack is great for team collaboration, Trello is ideal for breaking down tasks beyond the timeline, and ToDoist is perfect for managing tasks and schedules together. Choose the project management software that best fits your needs!</p>

This article introduces free and practical project management tools that are very useful both for work and for managing your personal life!

Must-Know Free and Practical Project Management Tools - Slack/Trello/Todoist

<blockquote>
<p><strong>💡 My 2026 Booking Strategy (The "Hacker" Summary)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Booking.com (Genius L3)</strong>: My go-to for Europe. It took me years to hit Level 3, but that lifetime <strong>10-20%</strong> discount is a game-changer.</li>
<li><strong>Agoda (VIP Diamond)</strong>: Best for Asia. The pricing UI is still a bit of a mess, but the AgodaCash rewards are actually worth the effort.</li>
<li><strong>Trip.com (Trip Coins)</strong>: My new favorite for one-stop trips. Their AI assistant <code>TripGenie</code> saved me hours of Google Maps cross-referencing on my last Kyoto trip.</li>
<li><strong>Expedia (One Key)</strong>: Great for big family trips where you can pool points from flights and stays together.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>Hi, I'm Chi-wei. After a decade in the hotel industry and hundreds of personal trips, people always ask me: "Which booking site is actually the cheapest?"</p>
<p>Back in the day, I'd say "it depends." But in 2026, the game has changed. Booking isn't just about the lowest sticker price anymore—it's about "AI IQ" and specific loyalty perks. I've wasted thousands of dollars over the years making rookie mistakes, so I'm writing this guide to help you avoid the same traps.</p>
<h2>Core Pros &#x26; Cons: My Firsthand Observations</h2>
<h3>The Good:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Zero Friction</strong>: You can book a room in 30 seconds without ever talking to a human (which, as an introvert, I love).</li>
<li><strong>The "Safety Net"</strong>: When a hotel in Bali "lost" my reservation at midnight, the OTA's 24/7 support was the only reason I didn't sleep on the street.</li>
<li><strong>Elite Perks</strong>: Once you hit high tiers, the free breakfast and room upgrades actually become regular occurrences, not just marketing fluff.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Bad:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Cancellation Headache</strong>: I once miscalculated a "24-hour" cancellation window due to a time zone error on Agoda and lost $500. <strong>Pro Tip: Always set your reminders based on the hotel’s local time!</strong></li>
<li><strong>The "Hidden" Commission</strong>: Remember, hotels pay these sites 15-20%. Sometimes, I’ll find a great deal online and then call the hotel directly to see if they’ll match it with an extra perk. It works more often than you’d think.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<h2>1. <a href="https://www.agoda.com/">Agoda</a> - The Aggressive Powerhouse</h2>
<p><img src="/assets/posts/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ota/agoda-logo.png" alt="Agoda Logo"></p>
<p>Agoda is like that friend who’s always got a coupon but makes you do a bit of math to use it.</p>
<h3>My 2026 Take: AgodaVIP Diamond</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Why I use it</strong>:
<ol>
<li><strong>AgodaCash</strong>: It’s basically free money. I recently stayed in Bangkok for a week and the AgodaCash I earned covered my entire stay in Seoul the following month.</li>
<li><strong>Stacking</strong>: It plays very nicely with credit card rewards. In 2026, finding a 12% "cashback stack" is still the fastest way to save.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li><strong>My gripes</strong>:
<ol>
<li><strong>Pricing Transparency</strong>: Seriously, Agoda? It’s 2026 and we still don’t see the final tax-inclusive price until the last screen? It’s annoying and feels like a cheap trick.</li>
<li><strong>Human Support</strong>: If things go wrong, getting a human on the phone is like trying to find an empty seat on a Saturday night at a popular bar.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>2. <a href="https://www.booking.com/">Booking.com</a> - The "No Nonsense" Choice</h2>
<p><img src="/assets/posts/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ota/booking-logo.png" alt="Booking.com Logo"></p>
<p>If Agoda is the coupon friend, Booking.com is the straightforward one who split the bill exactly down the middle.</p>
<h3>My 2026 Take: Genius Level 3 (The Lifetime Goal)</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Why I love it</strong>:
<ol>
<li><strong>L3 Status</strong>: I hit this a few years back, and it's <strong>lifetime</strong>. No annual re-qualification. I get a flat <strong>10-20%</strong> off most places just for existing.</li>
<li><strong>Pay at Property</strong>: I have "commitment issues" with my travel plans. Being able to book a room and not pay a cent until I check-in is a massive relief.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li><strong>My "Never Again" Story</strong>:
<ol>
<li><strong>Security Issues</strong>: Since Booking often shares your card info directly with hotels, I had a card skimmed after a stay at a small guest house in Italy. <strong>Learn from my mistake: Use a virtual card (like Revolut) for any "Pay at Hotel" bookings.</strong></li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>3. <a href="https://www.trip.com/">Trip.com</a> - The High-Tech Underdog</h2>
<p><img src="/assets/posts/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ota/trip-logo.png" alt="Trip.com Logo"></p>
<p>I spent years ignoring Trip.com, but I regret it. They are now the most tech-forward OTA on the market.</p>
<h3>My 2026 Take: TripGenie is actually useful</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Why I’m impressed</strong>:
<ol>
<li><strong>Seamless Logistics</strong>: If I’m booking a high-speed train in Japan and a hotel nearby, Trip.com handles it all in one app. No more juggling five different confirmation emails.</li>
<li><strong>Predictive Support</strong>: Last year, my flight was delayed due to a storm. Before I even landed, TripGenie messaged me to ask if I wanted to push my hotel check-in to the next day. That's a "wow" moment.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li><strong>The downside</strong>:
<ol>
<li>Their coverage in rural US or small European villages still can't touch Booking.com.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>4. <a href="https://www.expedia.com/">Expedia</a> - The Family Workhorse</h2>
<p><img src="/assets/posts/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ota/expedia-logo.png" alt="Expedia Logo"></p>
<h3>My 2026 Take: One Key</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Best use case</strong>: Big group trips. When I booked a villa for 10 people in Mexico, the OneKeyCash I earned paid for my solo flight to Tokyo later that year.</li>
<li><strong>The honest truth</strong>: If you’re a solo traveler, the points take forever to accumulate. I usually skip Expedia unless I'm booking a "Flight + Hotel" package.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<h2>🚀 My 2026 Workflow: How I Plan Trips Now</h2>
<p>Stop wasting hours on 20 tabs. Here is my 15-minute workflow:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>AI Chat</strong>: I ask ChatGPT: "I'm heading to Kyoto. Find me a riverside hotel near Gion, Genius L3 eligible, under $250."</li>
<li><strong>TripGenie Validation</strong>: I take that list and drop it into Trip.com to see if the "all-in" price includes the logistics I need.</li>
<li><strong>The Incognito Final</strong>: I do one quick search in an <strong>incognito window</strong> on Google Maps. <strong>Trust me: sometimes the OTA will offer a lower price to a 'new seeker' than to their loyal members.</strong> Don't be afraid to book as a guest if it saves you $50.</li>
</ol>
<hr>
<h2>Common Booking Traps (Learn from my fails)</h2>
<p><img src="/assets/posts/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ota/ota-comparison.png" alt="OTA Trap Checklist"></p>
<h3>1. The Tax "Surprise"</h3>
<p>Never compare "sticker prices." Only compare the final number on the payment page. Taxes can add up to 15-20%.</p>
<h3>2. The "Single Room" Trap</h3>
<p>I once booked a Single Room in London thinking "how much smaller can it be?" It was basically a closet. Worse, they tried to charge me an extra 50 quid when they saw I had a large suitcase.
<strong>Lesson learned</strong>: Always check the square footage (or square meters). If it's under 12sqm, you’re basically sleeping in a coffin.</p>
<h3>3. Non-Refundable Regrets</h3>
<p>We all think "I definitely won't cancel." Then life happens. I lost $1,200 on a Maldives booking because of a sudden flu. Now, I always pay the extra $10 for "Free Cancellation."</p>
<hr>
<p>Travel in 2026 is about being smarter, not just richer. Use these tools, choose your ecosystem wisely, and don't let the algorithms win. Any crazy booking stories? Share them in the comments—I'd love to commiserate!</p>

Agoda Official

Booking.com Official

Trip.com Official

Expedia Group

The Ultimate OTA Guide 2026: Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com & Expedia Compared

<p>Reading is something you probably like, but do you sometimes feel that you don't have time to do it? Would you prefer to read nonfiction? In this article, we share a reading app called Blinkist, which allows you to read and absorb the knowledge of a whole book in just fifteen minutes.</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>Blinkist is a powerful tool for busy learners in 2026:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Massive Library</strong>: Over 7,500+ nonfiction book summaries and "Shortcasts".</li>
<li><strong>Efficiency</strong>: Get key insights in 15 minutes (audio or text).</li>
<li><strong>New Features</strong>: Now part of Go1, with enhanced AI features in the Pro plan.</li>
<li><strong>Verdict</strong>: Perfect for "tasting" books before buying or learning on the go.</li>
</ol>
<hr>
<h2>Blinkist Introduction</h2>
<p>The following is the official webpage of <a href="https://blinkist.o6eiov.net/Ry2VmX">Blinkist</a> and the title in the AppStore:</p>
<ul>
<li>Blinkist: Big ideas in small packages</li>
<li>Blinkist: 15 min Book insights</li>
</ul>
<p>Concise and easy to understand, Blinist is a service that condenses the content of the entire book into 15 minutes of focus.</p>
<p>Blinkist focuses on Nonfiction books. These books usually introduce methods, convey ideas and record facts. If you usually read these books, you should be able to appreciate them. Usually, the message conveyed by the entire book is through the title and table of contents of the book. The syllabus roughly covers 70%, and the rest is a supplement of some examples and details. Blinkist can help you digest and sort out these important information, examples, methods and other necessary details, condense them into 15min-length content, and list executable action items (actionable items). In addition to books, Blinkist also has many high-quality shortcast (podcast) content.</p>
<p>This type of service is very suitable for:</p>
<ol>
<li>Love to read and learn new knowledge</li>
<li>Busy and no time to read</li>
<li>People who like to use the fragmentary time to read.</li>
</ol>
<h2>About Blinkist company</h2>
<p>Blinkist was founded in January 2012 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. In May 2023, it was acquired by <strong>Go1</strong>, a leading corporate learning platform. According to data from 2025, the number of users has reached over 28 million worldwide.</p>
<p>Such rapid growth also reflects people's demand for this new type of reading.</p>
<h2>Blinkist's library</h2>
<p>Blinkist currently contains more than <strong>7,500</strong> Nonfiction books, covering 27 categories. You can easily find the topics you are interested in or go to <a href="https://blinkist.o6eiov.net/gbadgg">Blinkist</a> to see which books they have included.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/0Cj9mn8.png" alt="blinkist-categories"></p>
<ul>
<li>Career &#x26; Success</li>
<li>Mindfulness &#x26; Happiness</li>
<li>Parenting</li>
<li>Society &#x26; Culture</li>
<li>Sex &#x26; Relationships</li>
<li>Science</li>
<li>Religion &#x26; Spirituality</li>
<li>Psychology</li>
<li>Productivity</li>
<li>Politics</li>
<li>Management &#x26; Leadership</li>
<li>Personal Development</li>
<li>Nature &#x26; Environment</li>
<li>Motivation &#x26; Inspiration</li>
<li>Money &#x26; Investments</li>
<li>Marketing &#x26; Sales</li>
<li>Philosophy</li>
<li>History</li>
<li>Health &#x26; Nutrition</li>
<li>Entrepreneurship</li>
<li>Education</li>
<li>Economics</li>
<li>Creativity</li>
<li>Corporate Culture</li>
<li>Communication skills</li>
<li>Technology &#x26; the Future</li>
<li>Biography &#x26; Memoir</li>
</ul>
<h2>Pricing</h2>
<p><a href="https://blinkist.o6eiov.net/oeod0o"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/TzYuxvo.png" alt="blinkist-pricing"></a></p>
<p>You can first <a href="https://blinkist.o6eiov.net/Ry2VmX">free trial for 7 days</a>. After the trial period, you can choose the <strong>Premium</strong> plan (approx. $89.99/year or $15.99/month). There is also a <strong>Pro</strong> plan including AI features. Prices may vary by region and season.</p>
<p>One month subscription at a price of $14.99 per month is equivalent to buying 1-2 e-books in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Store/b?ie=UTF8&#x26;node=133140011">kindle mall</a>, in fact, It is acceptable. If you are in line with your reading habits, you can subscribe for one year at a time and enjoy a more cost-effective price.</p>
<p>In addition, on some special days, such as Black Friday, there will be up to 50% discount!</p>
<p><a href="https://blinkist.o6eiov.net/Ry2VmX"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/lyArJQZ.png" alt="get-50%-off-blinlist-premium"></a></p>
<h2>User experience</h2>
<p>The design of Blinkist is very simple. It takes no time to learn to use it. The main functions are as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>For You: customized recommendation</li>
<li>Explore: You can search and browse 27 categories, or view the latest and trending books, and book listings provided by authors</li>
<li>Library: You can store books, view books that have been read, history records, and downloaded books</li>
</ul>
<p>Besides, Blinkist's social media is also a nice place to discover books and get inspired.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/blinkist/?hl=en">Instagram</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Pros &#x26; Cons</h2>
<p>I have subscribed to the yearly plan and used it for about half a year and had at least 15 minutes daily reading. The advantages and disadvantages of using Blinkist are listed below:</p>
<h3>Pros</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Each book is condensed into 15 minutes of content, which is very friendly and efficient for readers who are not used to reading Nonfiction content.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Concise and powerful integration of key takeaways and actionable advice, allowing people to quickly try the newly learned knowledge.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Each book is an audiobook, and there are also high-quality podcast programs. It is also very convenient to listen to sports and commuting time.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>A good user experience, focusing on letting people acquire new knowledge in the most efficient way so that they can easily grasp the progress of reading.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you are used to reading e-books, you can also <a href="https://blinkist.o6eiov.net/zandr0">send the article to kindle</a>, there is no running problem.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Blinkist only picks up the key points, so most of the emotions and sense of humour expressed by the authors cannot be seen in the content of 15 minutes. They are relatively rational and lose their sensibility.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Some books can't be condensed into 15min content, but if you just look at Blinkist, you will not be able to judge whether some of the messages that the original work wants to convey are missing.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Can Blinkist replace the existing reading method?</h2>
<p>Use Blinkist as an extension of your usual reading and a complement to it, not a replacement.</p>
<p>Blinkist provides a new style of reading, allowing you to use a small amount of time to get 80% of the knowledge provided by the book, but it cannot replace the existing reading.</p>
<p>Blinkist only focuses on Nonfiction because people want to obtain a large amount of knowledge and technology in an efficient way, but for books such as illusion and science fiction, this method of condensing is not suitable. Just like your favourite movies, you don’t want people Before you watch the movie, tell you the outline of the plot in a sequential way, right?</p>
<p>For those who like to read, take a book and feel the author's thinking and the world portrayed carefully. This kind of enjoyment of immersing in reading time cannot be replaced by "fast reading".</p>

APP Review: Blinkist - an app for efficient reading

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Read a Book in 15 Minutes? Try Blinkist, the Effective Reading App

<p>Every day I clock in at work and then stay at home scrolling through my phone. I feel so bored and disheartened." Do you feel the same, waking up every day filled with a sense of discontent?</p>
<p>In recent years, we've started to explore ways to release our mind and spirit. The concept of "rituals" has begun to appear in our lives. We seek spiritual fulfillment, and rituals are an expression of this pursuit, allowing us to live not just for survival, but to truly live life.</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>Why you need daily rituals:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Meaning</strong>: Rituals turn mundane routines into meaningful moments.</li>
<li><strong>Control</strong>: They provide stability and a sense of control in chaotic times.</li>
<li><strong>Action</strong>: Start small (e.g., morning coffee, work-mode outfit) to build a positive cycle.</li>
</ol>
<h2>What is a Sense of Ritual?</h2>
<p>It means giving a special meaning to something, believing that this sense of ritual brings spiritual satisfaction.</p>
<p>There are many types of rituals, such as religious ceremonies that bring peace by believing in the blessings they offer. The sense of unity created by rituals makes people more committed and convinced of their importance.</p>
<p>For example, athletes forming a huddle to shout encouragement before a game, creating a sense of unity and confidence to face their opponents. Different rituals create different senses of ritual, such as unity, confidence, etc.</p>
<p>In essence, the sense of ritual comes from the inner strength brought by rituals, making people feel unique and sacred. We can apply this concept to daily life to face our lives with a more serious attitude, feeling the love and recognition of our spiritual values, and thus looking forward to a more exciting life.</p>
<h2>Creating a Sense of Ritual in Daily Life</h2>
<p>Understanding the importance of a sense of ritual, we can apply it to our daily lives with common examples like bedtime prayers, morning coffee, or scented candles.</p>
<p>A sense of ritual adds anticipation and special meaning to an activity. Even if removed, it doesn’t affect daily routines. But like adding seasoning to life, the sense of ritual makes you fall in love with living.</p>
<h3>Taking Life Seriously, Even When Alone</h3>
<p>Due to the pandemic, many people started working from home. Some might think they don't need to dress formally as they would at the office, leading to decreased work efficiency. Try adjusting small details and adding a sense of ritual to your life, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>Wearing formal clothes even for remote work</li>
<li>Separating rest areas from workspaces, avoiding using the computer in bed or resting in the work area</li>
</ul>
<p>After practicing for a while, you'll notice your body naturally adjusting to high efficiency during work and fully relaxing during breaks, creating a positive cycle.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/3OGOTJV.jpg" alt="Wearing formal clothes even for remote work"></p>
<h3>Plan Your Own Special Anniversaries</h3>
<p>There are many common anniversaries like Valentine’s Day or wedding anniversaries. Adding your own special days can bring a different feeling.</p>
<p>For example, designate every Friday as a relaxation day. After a busy workweek, watch a movie you love on Friday night, immersing yourself in it and releasing the week’s accumulated stress.</p>
<p>These life rules will greatly improve your life and work quality. These processes don't require explanations to others but show a responsible attitude toward your own life.</p>
<p><strong>Respect your life, and life will give you the same value in return.</strong></p>
<p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/RiGo0v1.jpg" alt="Adding your own special days can bring a different feeling."></p>
<h2>The Positive Cycle of a Sense of Ritual</h2>
<ol>
<li>Start by examining your life</li>
<li>Create your own rituals</li>
<li>Feel a sense of accomplishment after completing tasks</li>
<li>Experience joy and recognition from your rituals</li>
<li>Gain stability and love from the effects of rituals</li>
<li>Reinforce your life with these benefits</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>A sense of ritual is like a belief. The process is similar to many religious practices. Making rituals a belief in life will make you love your life even more!</strong></p>
<h2>Four Key Points to Incorporate a Sense of Ritual into Life</h2>
<p><strong>1. Organize your life before adding rituals</strong>
Everyone has their own pace of life. You need to identify your habits and plan your time to include rituals. Understanding your schedule helps you use and feel the benefits of rituals.</p>
<p><strong>2. Be consistent</strong>
Research shows that it takes about 21 days to form a habit. Rituals are the same. Maintain them over time to integrate rituals into your life and create a positive cycle.</p>
<p><strong>3. Start with simple, easy-to-implement rituals</strong>
Don’t complicate rituals at the beginning. They could be a few minutes or a small action. Overcomplicating them may create additional stress.</p>
<p><strong>4. The sense of ritual comes from internal recognition</strong>
Everyone needs different rituals. Find what resonates with you. For example, many start their day with a cup of coffee, but this might not work for non-coffee drinkers. If life is like a dish, rituals are the seasoning—customize them to your taste.</p>
<p><strong>Don't overlook the details in life. Living a life with a sense of ritual proves that you haven't given up on life. Start organizing your life and create your unique rituals!</strong></p>

The article explores the importance of having a sense of ritual in daily life, detailing how rituals can enhance quality of life and personal fulfillment. It offers practical techniques to help readers create meaningful habits.

Transform Your Life with Daily Rituals: Learn to Create Meaningful Practices

<p>After being promoted from a junior position to management, many find themselves overwhelmed with endless tasks and the added responsibility of managing team members. Unfortunately, company training programs often don't teach time management skills, leaving this crucial skill as a personal responsibility.</p>
<p>Some people have mastered time management from their student days, while others struggle with it even in middle age. This article introduces the four quadrants of basic time management to help you take the first step toward effective time management.</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>The 4 Quadrants of Time Management (Eisenhower Matrix):</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Urgent &#x26; Important</strong>: Do it immediately (Crises).</li>
<li><strong>Not Urgent &#x26; Important</strong>: Schedule it (Planning, Health). <strong>Focus here for long-term success.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Urgent &#x26; Not Important</strong>: Delegate it (Interruptions).</li>
<li><strong>Not Urgent &#x26; Not Important</strong>: Delete it (Time wasters).</li>
</ol>
<h2>Time Management: A Crucial Skill for Managers</h2>
<p>The four-quadrant time management method, proposed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Covey">Stephen Richards Covey</a>, is especially relevant for new managers. They need to handle pressure from superiors while managing subordinates' workload and progress. Mastering time management is essential.</p>
<p>Before introducing the four quadrants, consider your daily tasks. Eliminate unnecessary tasks and delegate those that can be handled by team members. As President Roosevelt said, "To gain more time, you must first eliminate time wasters." Streamlining tasks is key to effective time management.</p>
<h2>Urgent and Important Tasks: Apply the 80/20 Rule</h2>
<p>Tasks that are both urgent and important fall into the first quadrant. These tasks often bring significant benefits or involve crucial relationships. New managers should use the 80/20 rule, dedicating most resources and manpower to handling these tasks. Allocate resources carefully, demonstrating determination and ability to complete critical tasks.</p>
<p>Even if urgent and important tasks prevent you from completing non-urgent or less important tasks, prioritize accordingly. Time management teaches us that if a task isn't meaningful, spending a lot of time on it is just busywork.</p>
<p>To handle urgent and important tasks efficiently, consider using the Pomodoro Technique or other methods to enhance focus. Studies show that reducing the time spent on critical tasks shortens overall work hours.</p>
<h2>Important but Not Urgent Tasks: Approach with Care</h2>
<p>Some tasks may not be urgent now but have future deadlines. These tasks should not be prioritized by urgency but completed smartly. Careful planning of daily progress is recommended.</p>
<p>Procrastination is common with important tasks. Procrastinators often feel anxious and out of control, leading to delays. In contrast, self-control—the ability to regulate one's actions—is key to overcoming procrastination.</p>
<p>New managers should distribute important but non-urgent tasks across different times while managing progress and content. This is crucial for effective management. Use project management tools like Trello or Gantter to track progress and avoid overlooking details.</p>
<h2>Not Important but Urgent Tasks: Avoid Getting Distracted</h2>
<p>Some tasks may be urgent but not important, often leaving new managers unsure of what to do. For example, the CEO might request a report by the end of the day, or a colleague might ask for help with a trivial matter. These tasks can disrupt your original plans.</p>
<p>When faced with urgent but unimportant tasks, consider if the consequences of not completing them are severe or if there are alternative ways to compensate. If the task is not absolutely necessary and completing it urgently would disrupt your schedule, weigh the extra cost.</p>
<p>If the task must be completed, leverage management skills by delegating or seeking assistance. Proper delegation is a core value of management. If you cannot delegate and the task is unmanageable, consider saying no.</p>
<h2>Not Important and Not Urgent Tasks: Can They Be Ignored?</h2>
<p>Many time management books suggest ignoring tasks that are neither important nor urgent. However, these tasks still deserve review and reflection. If they appear on your to-do list, they must have some value. Evaluating the reasons behind them can improve your time management skills.</p>
<p>Seemingly trivial tasks can be what sets you apart in achieving higher management levels. As David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, said, "Small things make big things happen. Details create perfection." New managers should consider delegating these tasks to others within the allowable workload. Subordinates might unexpectedly find value in what you deemed trivial.</p>
<h2>Drawbacks of the Four-Quadrant Time Management Method?</h2>
<p>The four-quadrant method is just the foundation of time management. Some tasks may change constantly depending on time or circumstances. What is urgent and important today might become trivial tomorrow, or priorities may shift based on board meeting outcomes. In such cases, the method might not be sufficient.</p>
<p>As a widely popular time management strategy for decades, try categorizing your current tasks using the four quadrants. If you encounter problems that the four-quadrant method can't solve, consider breaking them down into smaller tasks or creating a "fifth quadrant" for special cases, developing a personalized time management approach.</p>

The article explains how to use the Time Matrix (importance and urgency) to simplify life and enhance efficiency. The Time Matrix is divided into four quadrants, helping readers identify and prioritize the most important tasks. It also offers practical tips and strategies for better time management and goal achievement.

The Time Management Quadrant: Make the Most of Your Time

<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>Taking a dog from Taiwan (a rabies-endemic region) to Japan involves these core steps:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Microchip &#x26; Vaccine</strong>: ISO microchip and two rabies vaccinations.</li>
<li><strong>Antibody Test</strong>: Blood sample sent to Japan RIAS; antibody tether $\ge$ 0.5 IU/ml.</li>
<li><strong>180-day Wait</strong>: Must wait 180 days in Taiwan from the "sampling date" before entering Japan.</li>
<li><strong>Import Notification</strong>: Notify Japan AQS via NACCS 40 days before arrival.</li>
<li><strong>Certification</strong>: Complete APHIA inspection in Taiwan 7 days before departure.</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>IMPORTANT</strong></p>
<p>The entire process takes at least <strong>7 months</strong>. Early planning is essential.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>The precautions for exporting dogs and cats of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Agency (APHIA) clearly state that "exporting dogs and cats should comply with the regulations of the importing country." Because Taiwan is currently a rabies-endemic country, traveling to non-rabies-endemic countries like Japan requires significant preparation and standby time.</p>
<p>For full detailed steps, please refer to the <a href="/static/index.zh-TW-c18f79.md">Traditional Chinese version</a> or <a href="/static/index.zh-CN-20129e.md">Simplified Chinese version</a>.</p>

Traveling to Japan with a dog requires at least 7 months of preparation. This guide detailes the 2026 Japan AQS quarantine process, including rabies antibody tests, 180-day standby, and NACCS reporting.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Agency (APHIA)

Research Institute for Animal Science in Biochemistry and Toxicology (RIAS)

Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) Official Website

NACCS (Animal Quarantine Related Business)

Travel with Pets! Comprehensive Guide to Taiwan to Japan Application Process (2026 Updated)

<p>You may have heard that drop shipping is a business model where sellers do not stock goods or handle logistics. Sellers only need to focus on marketing to create high profits. This method has been popular for several years.</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>Drop Servicing (Service Arbitrage):</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Concept</strong>: You sell services (e.g., logo design, translation) to clients at a higher price and outsource the work to freelancers (e.g., on Fiverr) at a lower price.</li>
<li><strong>Benefit</strong>: Low startup cost, no inventory, scalable.</li>
<li><strong>Risk</strong>: Quality control and communication delays. You are the middleman responsible for the final result.</li>
</ol>
<p>Now, entrepreneurs realize that this business model can be applied to any service. Service is a product, just like selling goods to consumers through drop shipping. Drop Servicing involves selling services, whether products or services. Entrepreneurs do not need to provide these services themselves but act as the "middleman," connecting the "service provider" and the "service demander."</p>
<p>With a business model like this, you don’t need to have the ability to provide products or services, so you can start a Drop Servicing business at a very low cost. However, if you want to continue to expand, you will need to invest more effort and capital in marketing, SEO, advertising, and content.</p>
<h2>Why Create a Drop Servicing Business</h2>
<p>Maybe you are very good at business, marketing, and operations and have a great enthusiasm for creating a new business, but you are unlikely to be proficient in all skills, and your daily time is even more limited. For example, if you don’t know how to design an exclusive logo for people, you won’t have time to drive a car for several hours to provide cleaning and moving services. But through this business model, you only need to receive an order and then delegate it to the appropriate designer or local cleaning company. There is no need to in-depth study of various fields or perform tasks physically.</p>
<p>Through this method, it can be very efficient and low-cost to start, experiment, and further find expansion opportunities.</p>
<h2>Disadvantages of Drop Servicing</h2>
<p>The following are the obvious disadvantages of Drop Servicing:</p>
<ol>
<li>The service is not provided by oneself, adding an extra layer of communication, and the response of customer service cannot be immediate.</li>
<li>As the service itself is non-professional, it is difficult to evaluate and control the quality and delivery time of the service.</li>
<li>Easy to replicate, resulting in relatively low barriers to entry.</li>
</ol>
<p>Depending on the service you choose, there will be different situations. Fortunately, the advantage of this business model is that the cost of experimenting is not high.</p>
<h2>How to Start a Drop Servicing Business</h2>
<p>Only the following steps are required:</p>
<h3>1. Choose a Niche - The Service You Want to Sell</h3>
<p>First of all, you must choose a suitable niche market. What service will you provide? You can choose one or even multiple services and adopt the Drop Servicing model. As long as you can find the service provider, it will not be a problem what service you want to sell! For example, you can set up a cleaning company website, claiming that the whole world can provide on-site cleaning services, and then appoint a local cleaning company to provide services when you receive an order. You can also set up a translation company to provide translation services in eighteen languages. When you receive a request, you can find a suitable translator from <a href="https://go.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=298527&#x26;brand=fiverrcpa">Fiverr</a>.</p>
<p>Here is a small suggestion: try to choose services with a clear scope of delivery to avoid the cost of two-way communication.</p>
<h3>2. Find a Suitable Service Provider</h3>
<p>You can find suitable freelancers in various communities and freelance websites. The most convenient freelance service market in the world today should be <a href="https://go.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=298527&#x26;brand=fiverrcpa">Fiverr</a>, offering a variety of services. However, for more localized services, it is recommended to find a local service provider through local freelance platforms.</p>
<h3>3. Define Your Target Audience</h3>
<p>You need to define your target audience, think about who needs your service, what pain points they have, and how to get their attention. With Drop Servicing, the key point is to proactively discover the pain points of customers and then provide a convenient way for them to enjoy the service. You can earn the profits between the "service provider" and the "service demander."</p>
<h3>4. Start Acquiring Customers</h3>
<p>This is the most challenging part of starting a business. You must plan the way for customers to discover you and convert them into paying customers. It is recommended that you build an image website (Landing Page) and an order-receiving method (such as forms, shopping carts) at the beginning. Test the waters through social media (Facebook/Instagram) and advertising (Google/Facebook) for more exposure.</p>
<p>Drop Servicing is a very easy-to-construct business model. Basically, you can start a new business through the simplest Landing Page, mobile phone, communication software, Email, etc. It is an excellent way to create a one-person company. The model can be very simple or very complicated, and you are the person responsible for completing the entire puzzle!</p>

he article explains the concept of drop servicing, describing how to run a business by outsourcing services to third parties. It discusses the advantages, potential challenges, and steps to start this business model, helping readers understand and master drop servicing operations.

What is Drop Servicing? The Low-Cost Business Model You Must Try!

<p>Instead of discussing the Holy Grail of Wealth Freedom, this article summarizes the key messages from several reputable authors of Amazon’s investment bestsellers, providing us with a more stable concept of financial management and the path to financial freedom.</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>Key conceptual takeaways from top financial bestsellers:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Dave Ramsey</strong>: Live debt-free. Build an emergency fund. Don't compare yourself to "fake rich" neighbors.</li>
<li><strong>Tony Robbins</strong>: Diversify asset allocation (Security/Growth/Dream buckets). Compound interest is your best friend.</li>
<li><strong>Morgan Housel</strong>: Wealth is what you don't see (savings). Survival > maximizing returns. Manage your behavior, not just your portfolio.</li>
</ol>
<h2>The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness</h2>
<ul>
<li>Author: Dave Ramsey</li>
<li>Link: <a href="https://amzn.to/3iLlvUQ">Amazon</a></li>
</ul>
<p>This book provides 7 simple steps to reverse your financial decline. Through these methods, you can regain a financially secure life and start planning for the future, moving towards a comfortable and meaningful life and retirement.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Fact: The typical millionaire lives in a middle-class home, drives a car that's paid off and is at least two years old, and buys jeans at Wal-Mart.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The most important point of this book is: learn to live your own life. You may feel that people around you are doing better than you, leading to low self-esteem, jealousy, and nervousness, which can easily cause many misjudgments in your decision-making. But in fact, most people actually "look" better than they really are. Debt and leverage have created this situation, but these are definitely not without risks. You can't understand everyone's true situation, but you don't need to. Don't judge yourself by comparison. Don't compare with others, just compare with yourself!</p>
<p>In addition, it must be emphasized that many people now advocate borrowing money for investment, but in fact, there will be some survivor bias. Compared with the huge risk, it is more appropriate to repay large debts as soon as possible and shorten the loan time as much as possible.</p>
<h3>Keynotes</h3>
<ol>
<li>Your financial situation is not as good as you thought, what should you do?</li>
<li>Debt exists in life for granted; we must understand the limitations and risks it brings.</li>
<li>Step 1: Prepare emergency reserves.</li>
<li>Step 2: Start trying to repay the debt in one go from small to large.</li>
<li>Step 3: Expand emergency reserves.</li>
<li>Step 4: Use 15% of income to invest, for example, in funds.</li>
<li>Step 5: If you have children, plan the cost of raising them to college and how to prevent them from being in debt.</li>
<li>Step 6: Find a way to repay the biggest debt as soon as possible.</li>
<li>Step 7: Follow your own plan and use your wealth appropriately.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Money: Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom</h2>
<ul>
<li>Author: Tony Robbins</li>
<li>Link: <a href="https://amzn.to/3siebmQ">Amazon</a></li>
</ul>
<p>As long as you work hard, are willing to save, and follow discipline, even if you start slowly, everyone can achieve wealth freedom. Find ways to diversify risks, diversify investments, seek advice from trustworthy people, prepare appropriate hedging methods, and respond to different market cycles.</p>
<p>It mentions a way to diversify investment: divide your funds into three buckets,</p>
<ol>
<li>Security bucket: The most conservative investment, capital preservation, such as bonds.</li>
<li>Growth bucket: More risk, more rate of return, such as the stock market.</li>
<li>Dream bucket: Put part of the income from other investments into the Dream bucket and try the life you want to experience more!</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p>If you want to change your life, you have to change your strategy, you have to change your story, and you have to change your state.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Most importantly, your goal is to live the life you want, not just to have large savings. If you do not configure the Dream bucket, your savings and investment will become meaningless. The most important thing is to exchange money for meaningful and valuable experiences and to continue to grow!</p>
<h3>Keynotes</h3>
<ol>
<li>Don't underestimate the power of compound interest.</li>
<li>Even if there is only a small amount of money, it is still necessary to invest continuously and periodically.</li>
<li>Do your homework before investing in all projects!</li>
<li>Set your goals first, and then think about how to invest.</li>
<li>The road to wealth and freedom is very long, take your time, time will always be your powerful friend.</li>
<li>Diversify investment projects and try to maintain balance.</li>
<li>Seek advice from reliable and experienced investors, and make sure that you are prepared to avoid risks and respond to market changes at any time.</li>
</ol>
<h2>The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness</h2>
<ul>
<li>Author: Morgan Housel</li>
<li>Link: <a href="https://amzn.to/3m37K5U">Amazon</a></li>
</ul>
<p>In the real world, people’s financial decisions are always more irrational than expected. Many decisions, such as when you are about to go bankrupt, betting a lot on lotteries, using leveraged gambling, etc., are very irrational, but for the individual, this action seems to make some sense. The same is true for investment. People's investments are usually influenced by their own life experiences and personality, rather than a calm analysis of the market situation. For example, those who have experienced financial turmoil and those who have been stable and long-term as soon as they entered the market have very different investment strategies and ideas. The total decision actually involves many psychological factors.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Not all success is due to hard work, and not all poverty is due to laziness. Keep this in mind when judging people, including yourself.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We should learn to understand the fact that success requires luck and learn to fear losing what we already have, and manage risks. Don't be greedy; not only did you not make a small amount of money but instead lost the cost of survival.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Life isn't any fun without a sense of enough. Happiness, as it's said, is just results minus expectations.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, how to maintain the original wealth? History tells us that people who can survive in the market for a long time have one thing in common: fear, which prevents them from being eliminated by the market. When you learn to be afraid of losing what you already have, you will have a different perspective and may have the opportunity to make better decisions.</p>
<p>Failure is inevitable. From another perspective, failure is the only way to success. Accept it. Every small failure will lay the foundation for more success. Every small success will enable you to bear greater failure.</p>
<h3>Keynotes</h3>
<ol>
<li>Everyone has their own experience of the market and money.</li>
<li>Personal experience affects financial decisions.</li>
<li>The economic concepts we currently use are still very immature.</li>
<li>The proportion of luck to financial success is much higher than you think.</li>
<li>Rather than sticking to a specific case, try more broad and diversified methods to get more possibilities.</li>
<li>Jealousy makes you reckless.</li>
<li>It is easier to accumulate wealth than to maintain wealth.</li>
<li>You may be wrong half of your time and decision-making, but you can still accumulate wealth.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>In fact, there are many books on the market related to money, financial management, and investment. This time I chose these three books to share mainly because the concepts of these three books are relatively solid and stable, suitable for most of us "ordinary people." Many concepts you may have heard, for example, prepare emergency reserves, the power of compound interest, do not use leveraged investment, etc. But the market opportunities are unlimited, and now there is so much flooding information on the Internet, it is easy to cause FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), deep fear of not keeping up with the trends, suddenly entering the market, and even borrowing money to invest in high-risk projects. The market is indeed endless, and many masters can indeed seize these opportunities. But for ordinary people, it is perhaps most important to lay a solid foundation, build the foundation for a better life, and then seek better opportunities.</p>

The article on Shareuhack discusses the Law of Attraction, emphasizing how positive thinking and goal setting can help manifest one’s desires. It provides techniques such as using a vision board and offers examples and books on the subject. The article aims to inspire personal growth and self-improvement by adopting a success mindset. 

Master Your Money and Life: Top Tips from Amazon’s Bestsellers

<p>Many people don’t realize that negotiation is a science, and world-class universities like Harvard dedicate more than a semester to teaching it. Negotiations are a part of everyday life, whether it’s transactions, salary discussions, market value evaluations, or conflict resolution. Imagine how much your life could improve by mastering better negotiation techniques. This article summarizes the top recommended resources for learning negotiation skills in 2026. Through self-study, you too can become a negotiation expert!</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>To master negotiation in 2026, combine structured online learning with practical reading:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Top Course</strong>: Harvard's "Negotiation Mastery" (Comprehensive but expensive) or Coursera's "Successful Negotiation" (Accessible and structured).</li>
<li><strong>Top Book</strong>: "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss for real-world, high-stakes tactics.</li>
<li><strong>Practice</strong>: Use low-stakes daily interactions to practice before high-stakes salary or business talks.</li>
</ol>
<hr>
<h2>Online Courses</h2>
<p>After reading various articles and watching videos on the Internet, you might start to get a feel for negotiation. At this point, I suggest participating in these prestigious and popular courses to learn negotiation techniques and knowledge more systematically. Below are the most recommended online negotiation courses in 2026:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><a href="https://online.hbs.edu/courses/negotiation/">Harvard Negotiation Course</a>: Professor Michael Wheeler’s negotiation class is highly coveted by students worldwide. Harvard offers an online version of this course, which lasts for 8 weeks and costs $1600.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.coursera.org/learn/negotiation-skills">Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills(Coursera)</a>: Taught by Professor George Siedel of the University of Michigan, this 7-week course (75 minutes per week) breaks down the negotiation process into four steps: planning strategy, identifying key factors, executing the negotiation smoothly, and evaluating its effectiveness.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/successful-negotiation-master-your-negotiating-skills/">Successful Negotiation: Master Your Negotiating Skills(Udemy)</a>： This short 1.5-hour course covers the basic skills for preparing for negotiation. Utilizing these skills can help you overcome anxiety and successfully complete negotiations. This course allows you to quickly start using tools and techniques in real life.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/negotiation-secrets-for-master-negotiators/">Negotiation Secrets for Master Negotiators(Udemy)</a>: Another 1.5-hour course that includes essential skills for negotiation preparation. These skills can help you overcome anxiety and successfully complete negotiations, allowing you to start using practical tools and techniques immediately.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/negotiation-fundamentals-how-to-negotiate-effectively/">Negotiation Fundamentals: How To Negotiate Effectively(Udemy)</a>: This 1.5-hour course teaches you how to make decisions, become more powerful in negotiations, identify and use pressure points, handle different negotiation styles, and most importantly, achieve win-win situations!</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Books</h2>
<p>After absorbing a lot of knowledge from the courses, reading books can help solidify and deepen that knowledge. By learning through practical cases, you can gain a better understanding of real-life negotiations. Additionally, reading can help you organize your thoughts and prepare for your next negotiation.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/3g0SsLc">Ask for More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything</a>: This book focuses on managing emotions during negotiations. Emotions always fluctuate during negotiations, and they directly impact our decision-making and performance. “Reflecting on ourselves in the mirror, looking out the window to understand others.” This book is straightforward to read!</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/37EUcVN">Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life</a>： This book discusses 12 main negotiation skills and provides various case simulations. The structure is clear and easy to understand.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/37EX3hA">Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It</a>: This approachable book emphasizes that emotions are crucial in decision-making. Understanding and mastering both your own emotions and those of the other party during negotiations is very important.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>TV Series and articles</h2>
<p>Before you dive into learning, consider relaxing with a TV series. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632701/">SUITS</a> is a legal drama set in a New York law firm. The story begins with Mike Ross, who, without a law license, impressively convinces Harvey Specter to hire him after crashing an interview.</p>
<p>The main attraction of the show is the various business negotiations and the commanding presence Harvey Specter displays. While the series may deviate from reality, watching Harvey’s performances at the negotiating table will definitely give you a sense of effective negotiation techniques.</p>
<p>If you don’t have time to watch the series, there are many articles online that share insights on how to negotiate like Harvey. For example:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140814142934-347559225-how-to-negotiate-like-harvey-specter/">How To Negotiate Like Harvey Specter Part I</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141204130253-347559225-how-to-negotiate-like-harvey-specter-part-ii/">How To Negotiate Like Harvey Specter Part II</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.scotwork.com.au/negotiation-blog/2018/6-negotiation-lessons-from-harvey-spectre-of-suits/">6 Negotiation Lessons from Harvey Specter of ‘Suits’</a></li>
</ul>
<p>There are countless articles and videos related to negotiations. Many of them list guidelines that might seem obvious. You might think, “Huh? Isn’t this common sense?” Yes, much of it may seem like common sense, but do you really consider these guidelines and knowledge when you negotiate?</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>The above learning resources may have some overlapping content and concepts, but they are complementary overall. It won’t take too much time to understand and learn from all these resources. After reading the books, you should have a deep understanding of negotiation techniques and knowledge. However, that’s not enough—try to incorporate these skills into your daily negotiations. Negotiation is everywhere in your life, and I believe you will soon become a master negotiator!</p>

Harvard Business School Online - Negotiation Mastery

Coursera - Successful Negotiation

Best resources for learning negotiation

<p>In this article, we will cover how a rookie can become a competitive front-end engineer—an engineer with a certain level of code quality, familiarity with at least one front-end framework, and competitiveness in the job market.</p>
<h2>In-Demand Skills</h2>
<p>Check the <a href="https://github.com/kamranahmedse/developer-roadmap#frontend-roadmap">Frontend Roadmap</a> to learn the techniques you need to tackle to become a front-end engineer.</p>
<p>Additionally, you can search for front-end job descriptions on job websites. The skills that appear repeatedly are the necessary technologies for a front-end engineer position. Most often, these include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ajax, React (or another framework), and tools like Bootstrap, jQuery, etc.</p>
<h2>Initial Understanding of Basic Skills</h2>
<p>First, try to understand the purpose of these skills. If you find it difficult to digest the terms, you can check YouTube or the <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yfbaghja">Udemy Free Learning Center</a> for related courses. Look for courses/instructors with the best reviews and ratings that suit your learning style.</p>
<h2>Start Learning</h2>
<p>You may hear advice like "learn HTML/CSS/JavaScript by yourself on <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/">MDN</a>!" While it’s true that there are abundant resources available for self-study, as a novice, diving into the <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/">MDN</a> documentation might be overwhelming.</p>
<p>It's recommended to follow an instructor through an online course. The advantage of taking a course is that you can follow along and practice. This hands-on experience helps you build a sense of accomplishment. Seeing what you create will inspire more ideas.</p>
<p><a href="https://tinyurl.com/ydv2xz2w">The Complete Web Developer in 2021: Zero to Mastery</a> is one of the most recommended courses for learning front-end basics. It's designed for complete beginners with a smooth learning curve. Many students successfully complete the course, which helps you gain a solid understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.</p>
<p>Once you have a good grasp of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can delve deeper into JavaScript. <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yemfgsgj">JavaScript: Understanding the Weird Parts</a> is highly recommended for those who want to understand JavaScript in-depth. It covers advanced topics like object prototypes and closures, as well as common JavaScript errors and how to avoid them. This course will help you build a solid understanding of JavaScript’s features and underlying concepts.</p>
<p>After building a strong foundation, start learning a front-end framework. If you’re unsure where to start, I recommend React/Redux. <a href="https://tinyurl.com/ydnr493j">Stephen Grider</a> is one of the most acclaimed instructors, and his course <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yehgynsv">Modern React with Redux</a> is highly popular. This course will help you quickly understand React and Redux and allow you to implement a small project or design your own work using the knowledge you’ve gained.</p>
<p>If you prefer Vue, you can choose <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yjuz2mbs">Vue JS Essentials with Vuex and Vue Router</a> by <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yzp53825">Stephen Grider</a>.</p>
<p>After completing these courses, think about how to build a new project using the skills you’ve learned. Start from scratch and avoid relying too much on sample code provided by the courses. You may find that your CSS knowledge needs reinforcement. To strengthen your CSS skills, consider taking <a href="https://tinyurl.com/ykyldr97">Advanced CSS and Sass: Flexbox, Grid, Animations and More!</a> and try to apply more advanced techniques in your project.</p>
<h2>Prepare for Interviews</h2>
<p>With all these skills under your belt, you will be a very competitive engineer in the job market. Prepare your resume, organize your portfolio, and get ready for the next chapter of your career!</p>
<p>During this time, revisit the <a href="https://github.com/kamranahmedse/developer-roadmap#frontend-roadmap">Frontend Roadmap</a> to see where you stand and what you need to do to keep progressing. Make a detailed plan for continuous growth, which will also help in preparing for interviews.</p>

Frontend Roadmap

How to Land a Front-End Engineer Job in 3 Months

<p>If you want to learn something new, the first online course platform you might think of is <a href="https://www.udemy.com/">Udemy</a>. You can find almost any course imaginable here, for example, language, art, music, fitness, programming, business, teaching, productivity, and more. So, how can you buy <a href="https://www.udemy.com/">Udemy</a> courses at the cheapest price?</p>
<h2>TL;DR Summary</h2>
<p>To get the best price on Udemy in 2026:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>New User Deal</strong>: Create a new account for the initial massive discount (~$10-15/course).</li>
<li><strong>Incognito Mode</strong>: Check prices in a private window; dynamic pricing is real.</li>
<li><strong>Wait for Sales</strong>: Sales happen almost weekly. Never pay full price ($100+).</li>
<li><strong>Free Courses</strong>: Check the <a href="https://www.udemy.com/courses/free/">Free Resource Center</a> first.</li>
</ol>
<hr>
<h2>Udemy Pricing</h2>
<p>The price of Udemy courses ranges from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, depending on the pricing set by individual instructors. However, overall, the cost of the courses is quite reasonable. Udemy courses come with lifetime access and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, so if there's a specific course you like, you can buy it and use it as your personal learning library.</p>
<h2>Udemy Saving Strategies</h2>
<h3>1. Udemy Free Learning Center</h3>
<p>The most cost-effective way is to browse the <a href="https://www.udemy.com/courses/free/">Udemy Free Learning Center</a>. Free courses are usually not in-depth, but they can serve as a great introduction or resource library. It is recommended to use the filter criteria to find highly-rated courses. Many instructors offer more than one course, so you can start with a free course to see if the instructor’s style matches your learning preferences.</p>
<h3>2. Udemy Special Offers</h3>
<p>"What? Isn't Udemy always on sale?"</p>
<p>Udemy does have special prices from time to time, but there will be times when the original price is restored. Unless it is urgent, do not buy courses at full price!</p>
<p>Add the course to your <a href="https://www.udemy.com/">Wish List</a> and check back later to see if a discount is available. You can also watch for special offer emails from Udemy.</p>
<h3>3. Holiday Special Offers</h3>
<p>During certain holidays, Udemy usually offers special deals. Keep an eye out for discounts around Valentine's Day, Teacher's Day, Black Friday, and other major holidays.</p>
<h3>4. Turn on Udemy's Promotion Notifications</h3>
<p>Enable promotion notifications to ensure you don't miss any discount opportunities. It is also recommended to subscribe to the announcements of the course instructors. Good instructors often update their courses with the latest relevant knowledge and news, which can be very beneficial.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/NaVDSkb.png" alt="Open Udemy&#x27;s promotion notification"></p>
<h3>5. 30-Day Unconditional Refund</h3>
<p>Refer to the <a href="https://www.udemy.com/terms/">Udemy Terms of Use</a>. If a course does not meet your expectations, you can request a refund unconditionally. It is not encouraged to abuse the refund mechanism, and Udemy will review any suspected abuse. However, if the course does not meet your expectations or the quality is poor,​⬤</p>

How to Buy Udemy Courses at the Best Price?

<blockquote>
<p><strong>🛑 注意：舊版內容提示</strong></p>
<p>本指南針對 PMP 考試的 2021 版本。自 2026 年 7 月 9 日起，PMP 考試已更新以符合 <strong>PMBOK 第八版</strong>。</p>
<p>🚀 <strong><a href="/posts/pmp-exam-update-2026-pmbok8">點此查看最新 2026 PMP 考試指南</a></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Anyone interested in obtaining the PMP certification should be aware that the exam was majorly updated in 2021 and again in <strong>2026</strong>. This article provides the historical context and foundational knowledge for the 2021 revision. For the most current requirements, see our latest guide.</p>
<h2>What is PMP?</h2>
<p>This article will not elaborate on what PMP is. If you’re interested, please refer directly to the PMI official <a href="https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp">Introduction</a>.</p>
<h2>How to apply for the PMP exam?</h2>
<p>For any information related to PMP registration, always refer to the <a href="https://www.pmi.org/">PMI official website</a> to ensure the information is up-to-date and accurate. You can refer to PMI’s <a href="https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp/earn-the-pmp/how-to-apply">how-to guide</a> for more details.</p>
<p>Here is a simplified summary of what you will need:</p>
<ol>
<li>Confirm eligibility for the exam.</li>
<li>Register an account on the PMI website.</li>
<li>Start the application process.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Step 1: Confirm Eligibility</h3>
<p>You must meet one of the following sets of criteria:</p>
<p>First set:</p>
<ol>
<li>A four-year bachelor’s degree.</li>
<li>36 months of leading project experience.</li>
<li>35 hours of project management education.</li>
</ol>
<p>Second set:</p>
<ol>
<li>A high school diploma or an associate degree.</li>
<li>60 months of leading project experience.</li>
<li>35 hours of project management education.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Step 2: Register an Account on pmi.org and Start the Application Process</h3>
<p>Filling out forms can be tedious, but I encourage all candidates to independently follow the website instructions to apply. After all, as a professional project manager, this should be a basic skill, right?</p>
<p>One thing worth mentioning is that you will need to document your project experience when applying for the exam. You can refer to PMI’s <a href="https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/your-pmp-application-checklist.pdf?v=598ade6b-8bd6-4ef5-a7d6-1d363a2b93d0">Your PMP Application Checklist</a> as a basis for preparing your materials.</p>
<p>If you are determined to obtain the PMP certification, it is recommended to join as a paying member after registering your account. The membership fee is US$129/year with a one-time application fee of US$10. The main benefit is that the exam fee for members is US$405, compared to US$555 for non-members, so joining as a member is actually more economical. Additionally, most importantly, members can download the PMBOK® Guide PDF for free.</p>
<h2>What Changes Were Made to the PMP Exam Starting in 2021 and Why?</h2>
<p>The role of project managers, as well as project management methods and thinking, are continuously evolving over time.</p>
<p>PMI continuously observes and analyzes the work content and methods of project managers and reviews whether the exam knowledge content is outdated and needs updating. For example, the old version focused only on the predictive waterfall model, but the new version emphasizes agile management more, reflecting this in the updated exam.</p>
<p>The old exam content was limited to the project lifecycle, emphasizing five processes, ten knowledge areas, and various sub-processes. The new exam content focuses on the following three domains:</p>
<ol>
<li>People (42%): Emphasizes leadership soft skills to adapt to today’s fast-changing environment and embrace change!</li>
<li>Process (50%): Emphasizes the techniques of managing projects.</li>
<li>Business Environment (8%): Emphasizes the link between the project and organizational strategy.</li>
</ol>
<p>This change is welcomed. Facing the dynamic changing environment, the new focus on these domains indeed reflects the current situation better. We can expect more scenario-based questions related to these three domains in the new exam, with more concepts related to agile or hybrid approaches. According to the official statement, half of the questions will be in a predictive manner, while the other half will be agile/hybrid.</p>
<h2>PMBOK 6 vs. PMBOK 7</h2>
<p>The official PMBOK 7 has been published. What should you do if you prepared using PMBOK 6?</p>
<p>The answer is, nothing needs to be done.</p>
<p>So far, the official exam reference list still uses the sixth edition. PMBOK has always been just one of the references. You can rest assured to follow the preparation methods below.</p>
<p>The main differences between PMBOK 6 and 7 are:</p>
<ol>
<li>Inclusion of Systems Thinking to enhance the holistic view of project management.</li>
<li>Emphasis on value delivery over outcomes.</li>
<li>The sixth edition emphasizes ten knowledge areas (Integration, Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource, Communications, Risk, Procurement, Stakeholder), while the seventh edition emphasizes eight project performance domains (Team, Stakeholders, Life cycle, Planning, Uncertainty and ambiguity, Delivery, Performance, Project work).</li>
</ol>
<h2>Preparation Methods</h2>
<p>How should you prepare for the new exam?</p>
<p>For new candidates, the preparation methods are not significantly different. Attend the necessary courses and thoroughly read the materials. These materials will be updated according to the latest PMI rules. Here are the recommended preparation methods:</p>
<h3>Preparation Materials</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/pmp-examination-content-outline.pdf?v=ef41743a-9156-4137-a9a6-fd31e19a9668">PMP Examination Content Outline</a>: The official exam outline provided by PMP, which details the exam content.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>PMI Official PMBOK 6 + 7 + APG (Agile Practice Guide): PMI members can download the PDF files for free.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://tinyurl.com/yfen2p3g" title="affiliate">PMP Exam Prep Seminar-2021 Exam Content with 35 PDUs</a>: Joseph Phillips’ course on Udemy. By completing the course, assignments, and tests, you can earn 35 PDUs, which meet the basic training requirements for applying for the PMP exam. The instructor continuously updates the latest PMP-related content, so there’s no need to worry about outdated information. After reviewing the course, it is clear and easy to understand, even for those without a strong professional background. However, experienced project managers might find it somewhat less engaging. It is recommended to quickly go through the course to gain PDUs and get an overview of the knowledge framework.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://tinyurl.com/yzgyqkyg" title="affiliate">PMP Exam Cram Session-Updated for the current PMP Exam</a>: Another course by Joseph on Udemy, similar to a cram session, includes 135 practice questions.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://tinyurl.com/yn7bdabm" title="affiliate">PMP Exam-PMI New Format 2024 Mock Simulator (PMBOK7 Updated)</a>: Simulation questions for PMBOK 7, providing more practice questions on AGILE/HYBRID/PREDICTIVE aspects.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h3>Preparation method</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p>First, go through the <a href="https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/pmp-examination-content-outline.pdf?v=ef41743a-9156-4137-a9a6-fd31e19a9668">PMP Examination Content Outline</a> to understand the exam outline and scope. If you have some project management experience, you should feel relieved after reading it, realizing that these questions won’t be too challenging for you.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Complete the <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yfen2p3g">PMP Exam Prep Seminar - Complete Exam Coverage with 35 PDUs</a> course to learn the entire knowledge framework and earn enough PDUs to apply for the exam. It is also recommended to skim through the PMBOK. For experienced project managers, this content will be a breeze, but you still need to familiarize yourself with the system’s terminology. Adjust the course speed to 1.5x to finish it faster. Depending on individual circumstances, this course can typically be completed within 1-2 months.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Quickly review the official materials again. After completing the course, your grasp of the knowledge system should be strong. There’s no need to go into too much detail. Refer back to the materials as needed when practicing questions.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Start practicing simulation questions. There are many free test resources available online. Below are some listed resources. When practicing, don’t focus too much on whether each answer is correct. The key is to have a clear understanding of the questions. If there are unclear parts, refer back to the PMBOK or discuss in related <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/839989579444112">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/groups/?keywords=PMP">Linkedin</a> groups. Communities are usually willing to help. As for how many questions you need to practice, the ones listed in this article’s learning resources are sufficient. Additional practice is mainly to boost confidence and reduce anxiety.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Before the exam, do a final review with the <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yzgyqkyg">PMP Exam Cram Session - Updated for the current PMP Exam</a> and practice with the <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yn7bdabm">PMP Exam-PMI New Format 2024 Mock Simulator (PMBOK7 Updated)</a>. This preparation will ensure you can take the exam confidently.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h3>Free simulation test resources</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.pmppracticeexam.org/">pmppracticeexam.org</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.edwel.com/Free-Resources/PMP-Certification-Practice-Exam.aspx">Edwel Programs</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://free.pm-exam-simulator.com/">PM Exam Simulator</a></p>
</li>
</ol>

Knowledge Graph