The Final Week
Well, we’re here. This is the final week you can preorder The Journey to Phronesis.
To start, I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to share my work. Thank you all for the support — for reading, sharing, and especially for the early preorders.
I’ve experienced quite the range of emotions during this preorder campaign. On the more challenging side, I’ve often been exhausted and overwhelmed. I have a demanding full-time job. Trying to add selling the book to my plate has pushed me to my limits. I’ve spent more than a few evenings over the past six weeks working very late hours after I’ve put my kids to bed to keep up with everything.
At the same time, other parts of this stretch have been wonderful. I’ve reconnected with old friends and colleagues I haven’t spoken to in years and engaged with new connections about the book’s ideas and the opportunities they present. These conversations and the enthusiasm surrounding them have been a powerful source of fuel for me to keep going until the end.
A Look Back at the Journey
During the last six weeks, I’ve tried to provide a glimpse inside the book and its mission. After sharing its initial contents, I dove into my motivation behind writing the book — the thinking crisis that I believe we’re facing.
From there, I shared the book’s three-part structure:
Part 1: Fundamentals, which lays out the core concepts of systems thinking.
Part 2: Tools, which equips you for navigating life as a curious systems thinker and a truth-seeker.
Part 3: Applications, which applies this way of thinking to the systems of our own lives.
Most recently, I explored the Stoic thread that runs through the entire book — how these ancient and modern ideas are interrelated, and how systems concepts appear in the writings of the Stoic philosophers from over 2,000 years ago.
It has been a joy to share these ideas with you. If they’ve resonated at all, then I’m confident the final product will hit its mark.
My Final Ask (And Why This Week Matters)
As we head into this final week, I have one last, direct ask. If you’ve been following along this journey and believe in this book’s message, preordering a copy this week is the single most impactful way you can support its launch.
For a first-time author, preorders are critical. They directly support the final production of the book, funding editing, cover design, and printing. Just as importantly, they signal strong initial demand to the publisher and retailers, which helps get the book in front of more people.
To thank you for this early support, I have created several preorder bundles filled with extra perks. Packages include signed first-edition copies, having your name printed in the Acknowledgments, and high-value additions such as my personal Notion templates and one-on-one coaching sessions to help you integrate these ideas directly into your life.
While the book will eventually be available on Amazon and in stores next spring, this is the only opportunity to obtain these exclusive bonuses and bundles.
The preorder campaign and all these perks officially end this weekend, on Sunday, November 9. I would be honored if you’d take a look and find a package that’s right for you.
What Happens Next: The 16-Week Sprint
After the preorder period ends on Sunday, it’s time for me to get back to work.
I put down my manuscript in early September to focus on marketing. During that time, about 15 beta readers have been incredibly generous with their time, providing invaluable feedback on this early version of the book. They’ve shared their thoughts about what’s working, and more importantly, what feels slow or confusing.
My job now is to take all that feedback, along with my own running list of improvements, and dive back into the manuscript for 16 weeks of rewrites. Thankfully, I won’t be doing it alone. I have a dedicated revisions editor who will be with me every step of the way, helping me to refine my arguments and ensure the final product is as good as it can be.
In March, the book will be sent to a copy editor for final polishing. And from there, it goes to the printer, culminating in its official publication in April 2026.
Why This Book Matters & The Final Call to Action
This whole process has been one of the most incredible and educational experiences of my life. Ultimately, this book is an encapsulation of my worldview. I genuinely believe we are in a thinking crisis — that we are outsourcing too much of our innate thinking ability to technology and not putting in the reps we need to flex our mental muscles and keep them crisp.
When you can think clearly and work through problems in an organized and systematic way, you can navigate complex and unknown scenarios. Good thinking prepares us for the challenges we face in life.
The approach I outline in this book is the way I know how to do it. It’s the result of years of practice and synthesis, and I want to share the lessons I’ve learned with others.
Thank you for being on this journey with me, for reading my Substack essays, and for all your support. It has meant the world to me.
The preorder campaign for The Journey to Phronesis and all exclusive bonuses officially closes on Sunday, November 9, 2025. If you want to grab a copy and be a part of its initial launch, this is your last chance.
All the best,
-Mike