---
type: "newsletter"
title: "The Weekly Shift"
handle: "franmendez"
owner: "Fran Mendez (@fmvilas)"
canonical_url: "https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez"
markdown_url: "https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez.md"
archive_url: "https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/archive"
chat_url: "https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/chat"
website: "https://fmvilas.me"
articles_total: 33
articles_listed: 20
---

# The Weekly Shift

A weekly newsletter for **technical experts who want to build independent businesses**. Practical lessons on turning deep expertise into freedom. Without VC, without hustle culture.

Written by [Fran Méndez](https://fmvilas.me), creator of [AsyncAPI](https://www.asyncapi.com/) and former Director of Engineering at Postman. Now building [Commune](https://usecommune.com), a free open alternative to Substack, solo and on his own terms.

## Recent articles

The 20 most recent of 33 published articles. Full index: https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/archive.md

- 2026-07-31 - [The dumbest person in the room](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/the-dumbest-person-in-the-room) - And a new launch! :)
- 2026-05-15 - [“I have nothing interesting to write about”](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/i-have-nothing-interesting-to-write-about) - Engineers say "I have nothing to write about." It's almost always wrong. Here's what they're missing about their own work.
- 2026-05-08 - [I built an audience without trying](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/i-built-an-audience-without-trying) - What ten years of working in public taught me. About three of them spent on the newsletter.
- 2026-05-01 - [All of that for what, exactly?](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/all-of-that-for-what-exactly) - What if the deal you made with work isn't the one you actually want? A May 1st piece on hustle culture, identity, and what we trade.
- 2026-04-24 - [I just killed my product's paid plan](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/i-just-killed-my-product-s-paid-plan) - Zero people had paid for it. I could have iterated on pricing. Instead I deleted it. Here's why that wasn't a retreat.
- 2026-04-18 - [I almost hired a developer. Then I realized the problem.](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/i-almost-hired-a-developer-then-i-realized-the-problem) - Features don't fix a GTM problem, no matter how good they are.
- 2026-04-10 - [Why you never take the first step](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/why-you-never-take-the-first-step) - You complain but refuse to lead. You are probably just terrified of looking dumb in public. Me too.
- 2026-03-20 - [Why I’m not building another email service](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/why-i-m-not-building-another-email-service)
- 2026-03-13 - [The problem with building a flagship community](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/the-problem-with-building-a-flagship-community) - A single massive audience is not the goal. Here is what I am doing instead to make Commune actually grow.
- 2026-03-06 - [Preventing API Drift with AsyncAPI - A Java/Spring Perspective](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/preventing-api-drift-with-asyncapi-a-java-spring-perspective) - Guest article by Iván García Sainz-Aja
- 2026-02-27 - [Two sentences that shut down any VC conversation](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/two-sentences-that-shut-down-any-vc-conversation) - I turned down $500K twice this month. Here's exactly what I told them
- 2026-02-20 - [You all told me I was wrong. You were right](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/you-all-told-me-i-was-wrong-you-were-right) - I asked about open source. The answers blew my mind
- 2026-02-13 - [Big question: Should Commune go Open Source?](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/big-question-should-commune-go-open-source)
- 2026-02-06 - [You aren't listening, you're waiting](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/you-aren-t-listening-you-re-waiting) - Plus: a strict rule for the loud people in the comments this week.
- 2026-01-30 - [Why last year didn’t fly by](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/why-last-year-didn-t-fly-by)
- 2026-01-23 - [I didn’t realize I was living in the past.](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/i-didn-t-realize-i-was-living-in-the-past) - A comedy quote, depression, and what therapy taught me.
- 2026-01-16 - [Your career has a Single Point of Failure](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/your-career-has-a-single-point-of-failure) - And it’s way riskier than you think.
- 2026-01-09 - [I’m building something new (and you’re invited)](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/i-m-building-something-new-and-you-re-invited) - I love your replies, but email is too lonely. Join me on Commune and let's start talking in the open
- 2026-01-02 - [2025 started with total silence](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/2025-started-with-total-silence) - The battle between what was expected and what I actually needed.
- 2025-12-26 - [Why I walked away from a dream job in 3 weeks](https://usecommune.com/n/franmendez/a/why-i-walked-away-from-a-dream-job-in-3-weeks) - 21 days in, I resigned. Here is the full story on why I left Hookdeck.