Calm Growth, Clean Systems, and Coffee in Kyoto

Hey there,

Welcome to this week’s Digital Sprint Dispatch! Today, we’re diving into smart client portals, learning from Andrew Wilkinson’s journey, and exploring Kyoto as a remote work dream spot.

⚡ This Month’s Quick Hits

🧠 Build a Smart Client Portal – One stop shop for clients and employees.
🔥 Calm Company Blueprint – How Andrew Wilkinson scaled quietly, profitably, and on his terms.
⛩ Kyoto, Japan – A peaceful, creative haven for deep work and cultural immersion.

💡 Weekly Workflow: Smart Client Portal + Workflow Automation

Emails are great, but systems are better. Over the past month, I built a client portal to keep my clients informed and both of us organized. Now, everything is in one place, with built-in automations to eliminate repetitive tasks like onboarding and sending updates.

🧩 System Overview

🔐 Client + Admin Portal – A shared dashboard to view and manage all projects (built in FlutterFlow + Supabase)
⚙️ Automated Onboarding – Instantly creates folders, preloads tasks, and sends a welcome email (Plus more!)
📣 Real-Time Updates – Sends instant notifications to clients and team members when milestones are hit (via n8n)

⚡ The Impact

📋 A single source of truth for clients
🚀 Faster, more consistent onboarding
📣 Real-time updates reduce back-and-forth
🛠️ Simple project management for your team

💬 Want to build a smart portal for your business? Reply with “Client Portal” and we can kick things off.

🔥 Business Spotlight: Andrew Wilkinson’s Journey to a Billion

Andrew Wilkinson started his career behind the counter of a coffee shop in Canada. But it didn’t take long for him to realize: the customers getting their lattes made were doing a whole lot better than he was. He noticed a group of web designers who frequented the café, and after learning how much they made, he decided it was time for a pivot.

That decision set everything in motion. What started as a freelancing gig turned into MetaLab, a design agency that would go on to work with Slack and other major startups. But Andrew didn’t stop there, he used the cash flow from services to quietly build Tiny, a holding company now worth over a billion dollars.

🧭 The Blueprint

🎯 Start with Services – He launched MetaLab as a design agency and used the cash to fuel new ventures.
🛠 From Builder to Buyer – Realized he didn’t love managing teams, he loved spotting great businesses and acquiring them.
💸 Buy Calm Companies – Tiny focuses on simple, profitable, low-drama tech businesses. (think: the Berkshire of Tech)
🚫 Avoid the VC Trap – No investors. No pressure. Just sustainable, compounding profit.

💡 Key Lessons for Founders

✅ Start with services—it’s a fast path to profit and skill-building
✅ Think like an owner, not just an operator
✅ Don’t overlook “boring” businesses
✅ Design your business to avoid burnout
✅ Success is repeatable—focus on process, not hype

📚 Part business story, part personal reflection, Never Enough follows Wilkinson’s journey from caffeine-fueled freelancing to buying companies for fun. If you’ve ever been torn between ambition and peace of mind, this one hits home.

🌸 Remote Work Paradise: Kyoto, Japan

At a Glance

🏠 Cost of Living: $3,000–$6,000/month
⛩ Lifestyle: Zen temples, slow mornings, deep cultural immersion
📶 Internet: Fast, even in traditional neighborhoods

Why Kyoto Now?

🧘 Peaceful Pace – Ideal for creative projects and deep focus
🎨 Rich Culture – Shrines, tea houses, seasonal festivals, and traditional arts
📍 Walkable – Scenic streets and bike-friendly neighborhoods
🍵 Café Culture – Beautiful coffee shops with great Wi-Fi
🚅 Easy Access – Quick trips to Osaka, Nara, or Tokyo

Consider Before Going

💼 Fewer nomad resources – Not as many coworking spaces as Tokyo
🗣 Language – Basic Japanese goes a long way
🚫 Customs – Strong etiquette norms—observe and adapt

💡 Pro Tip: Stay near Higashiyama for river views, easy access to nature and temples, and great coffee shops.

🚀 Final Thoughts

f you're working on something cool, wrestling with a messy workflow, or just curious about what automation could do for your business, I'd love to hear from you.

Reply to this email or check out Digital Sprint Studio. Let’s figure out how to make things run smoother (and maybe even a little more fun).

Until next time,
Tyler

P.S. Did you Know? Kyoto, known as the "city of a thousand temples," boasts an astonishing array of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, with over 1600 temples and 400 shrines within its relatively compact area.