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I talk to David Gilbert, a software engineer by training and a digital product manager by trade, but a travel blogger by night/spare time. He has written his blog randomwore.com for 20 years, and has a refreshingly 'no goals' approach to his blog. No traffic goals, no money goals, very little SEO optimisation, just travel blogging for the joy of it.
Topics covered:
00:00 - Introduction - David’s background as a product manager and blogger
01:04 - How the Blog Started - An escape from everyday work
02:16 - Became a Travel Blog After Moving to China - How relocating changed the blog’s direction
05:22 - Organic Traffic from Reddit, Google, and Email - How people find the blog
06:35 - Why David Has Chosen Not to Monetize - No ads, no revenue, just passion
07:10 - No SEO Either - Writing purely for enjoyment, not optimization
07:46 - Choosing Not to Compete with Mainstream Topics - Avoiding over-covered locations
08:22 - Focusing on Lesser-Visited Places, Especially Pilgrimage Trails - Interest in hidden gems
09:35 - How Day-Job Burnout Led to a Two-Month, 1,400-km Trek - A life-changing journey
10:13 - 50 Blog Posts and a Book from the Pilgrimage - Writing daily during the journey
12:06 - No Pressure, No Schedule for Posts - A relaxed approach to blogging
13:14 - Looking for Visually or Historically Interesting or Under-Exposed Stories - What makes a good post
14:28 - Researching Experiences After, Not Before - Allowing for serendipity while traveling
16:16 - Not Worried About Irregular Posting - No stress over breaks in content
17:19 - Trying to Mix Asian and European Topics - Transitioning after moving to Germany
18:27 - Design and Tech Also Mixed In with Travel Posts - Observing user experience in Japan
20:18 - How an Observation About Subway Gates Led to a Popular Post - Cultural design differences
22:04 - How a Post About Website Design in Japan Became the Most Popular - A viral article
24:25 - Writing About the Most Dangerous Pilgrimage Trail in Japan - An intense 10-day trek
25:39 - On His Functional Writing Style Blended with Personal Feelings - A simple but effective approach
26:52 - Avoiding Controversy and Being Responsible as a Travel Blogger - Staying mindful of influence
28:48 - Doing All This Without Speaking the Languages in China or Japan - How he manages
29:59 - Final Thoughts & Blog Details - Where to find David’s work
📖 Check out David's blog: randomwire.com