The Next Chapter
What the future holds for The School of Knowledge
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve taken some much-needed time off from writing The School of Knowledge. Last year was a busy year for me both professionally and personally—especially from September—and I’d neglected to take the time to sit down and make the changes to the publication I know I needed to do.
These last couple of weeks have allowed me to sit down and think without the self-imposed pressure of worrying about getting the next essay out.
In November 2024 I’d read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance followed by Lila. Both books by Robert Pirsig have had a lasting impact on how I see and think about things. His concept of Quality is everywhere; from our justice and education systems; to our relationships with others and ourselves; to our work and craftsmanship. No other book, letter, conversation or other makes me think about writing great essays than those two books, and in keeping with the theme of Quality I want to introduce changes to The School of Knowledge starting today.
I’m raising the price of membership. And I want to explain why.
For the past year, I’ve tried to do too much. More essays, more frequency, more topics. The result? Work I’m proud of, but also work I know could be better. Pirsig’s books reminded me of something I’d forgotten: quality and quantity are in tension. You can optimise for one, but rarely both.
So I’m choosing Quality.
More time on research, more care in the writing, more useful tools you can actually implement. The kind of work that takes weeks to produce—because that’s what it deserves.
To do that sustainably, I need to charge what the work is worth. If you’ve been reading for a while, you already know what you’re getting. If you’re new, stick around—the free essays will show you whether this is for you.
What to expect
The homepage navigation bar has had a facelift and new “sections” (detailed below) added.
The Weekly: A short curation of links, lessons, and updates. Arrives every week. Always free.
The Lab: Essays on systems, mental models, and ways of thinking. The big ideas that sharpen how you see the world, or as Charlie Munger would call it—worldly wisdom.
The Case Library: Deep research on concepts, businesses and operators. The kind of analysis that takes weeks to produce.
The Toolkit: Templates, checklists, and prompts. Things you download and use, not just read. Once downloaded via the Toolkit page on the navigation bar these are yours forever to do what you want with.
The Nuts and Bolts: Operating manuals for business fundamentals. Accounting, SOPs, the unsexy stuff that not only keeps companies alive—but helps them thrive.
The Reading Room: Condensed insights from important books, shareholder letters and scientific research. The core ideas without the 400 pages.
On Quality: Essays on philosophy, craft, and the questions that don’t have easy answers. Inspired by Robert Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality.
Operator Interviews: Conversations with people building and running things. No influencers. Just practitioners. (Coming 2026)
What you already get for free
Before I ask for anything, let me be clear about what’s staying free—because it’s substantial.
The Weekly lands in your inbox every week with curated links, lessons, and updates. No paywall, no teaser content, no bait-and-switch. It’s genuinely useful, and it always will be.
You’ll also get selected essays from The Lab and On Quality—the philosophical and systems-thinking pieces that form the backbone of how I see the world. Some of my best writing lives here, and I want everyone to have access to it.
If that’s all you ever read, you’ll still come away sharper. I mean that.
But if you want to go deeper—into the research, the tools, and the implementation—that’s what membership is for.
The School of Knowledge+
Paid members unlock everything else—the research, the tools, and the implementation guides.
For just £15/month (or £120/year), you get:
The Case Library: Deep dives on how businesses and operators do the things they do.
The Toolkit: Calculators, templates, and checklists to stress-test your own thinking.
The Nuts and Bolts: Operating manuals for the fundamentals—accounting, systems, decision-making frameworks.
The Reading Room: Book syntheses that distil complex ideas into actionable insights.
Operator Interviews: Conversations with practitioners who’ve done it, not just written about it.
The 2026 Offer: 26 discounted annual memberships
To mark the new year and these changes, I’m offering 26 annual memberships at £96—a 20% discount for life.
Why 26? Because it’s 2026.
Once they’re gone, they’re gone. No extensions, no “we found a few more.” Twenty-six. That’s it.
If you’ve been thinking about joining, this is the moment. If you’re already a paid member, thank you—your price is already locked (more on that below).
For existing paid members
Your price is locked in. So long as you don’t unsubscribe and then resubscribe to a paid option, you won’t pay a penny more. You believed in this early, and I won’t forget that.
If anything ever changes on that front, reach out to me directly and I will ensure Substack refund you the difference. You have my word.
Why join The School of Knowledge+
1. Stop collecting ideas and start using them. Most business content gives you something to think about. This gives you something to do. Every framework comes with the tools to implement it—calculators, templates, checklists. You’ll finish reading and actually change how you operate.
2. Learn from people who’ve done it, not just studied it. Our interviews are with operators—people who’ve built companies, survived downturns, and made decisions with real money on the line. No influencers. No career academics. Just practitioners sharing what actually worked.
3. Get the research you don’t have time to do yourself. Running a business doesn’t leave much time for reading 400-page books or analysing case studies. We do that work for you and distil it into what matters. Consider it leverage on your learning.
4. Make better decisions under uncertainty. The diagnostic tools and frameworks aren’t theoretical—they’re the same systems I use to allocate capital and stress-test decisions in my own construction business. I have skin in this game. If these tools keep my ship afloat, they might help with yours.
5. Join 12,000+ business owners who value substance over noise. No fluff. No engagement bait. No “10 mindset hacks” nonsense. Just people who run things, invest in things, and want to get better at both. The kind of people you’d actually want to do business with. You’re probably already one of them.
6. Help build something independent. The School of Knowledge has no sponsors, no ads, and no venture capital. Paid members are what keep it running and shape what gets built next. You’re not just subscribing—you’re backing the work.
How to get The School of Knowledge+ for free
Professional development is a legitimate business expense, and at £15 a month should be an easy approval. If you’re your own boss, it’s a no-brainer. If you have a boss to answer to, download my “Expense Request” form below, fill it in, and send it over to your boss.
Still not sure yet?
Start free. Read a few issues. See if the way I think matches the way you want to think.
If it’s useful, stick around. If it’s not, no hard feelings.
The goal is simple: I want to help you think more clearly and act more effectively. Everything else follows from that.
See you on the inside.
Until next time, Karl (The School of Knowledge).
Choosing quality over speed is a philosophical act. As Pirsig taught, meaning emerges not from doing more, but from doing what matters with care, depth, and respect for the craft.