To peel back the layers of this intriguing digital persona, we turned to none other than his peers. In a heartwarming display of camaraderie, fellow Notion creators from various corners of the globe came together, curating a set of insightful, and at times, challenging questions. Their shared goal? To delve deeper into Chape‘s journey, from his earliest trysts with digital entrepreneurship to his views on what the future holds for the Notion ecosystem.

Ready to be inspired? Welcome to Chape´s world!

Anica: What did you do before entering the digital solopreneur adventure?

A: My roots lie in personal training and nutrition. I have been a personal trainer and nutritionist for 20 years. The shift to the digital world began when I embarked on online fitness training back in 2014. So, the digital solopreneur spirit? It’s been brewing for a while.

Anica: How did you discover Notion and what fascinates you about it?

A: I started years ago using Evernote. I created an online training system using Evernote. I was even interviewed in 2018 when they introduced their own templates: https://evernote.com/blog/introducing-templates/ 

Evernote made changes that made my work more difficult and tedious and I switched to ClickUp, which is fine but I see it more suitable for teams rather than solopreneurs.

And I ended up on Notion. I remember I tried it when it came out in 2016, but it didn’t convince me back then enough to switch.

Notion’s evolution over the years has been nothing short of inspiring. Its adaptability and customizability make it a dream tool.

Nixi: Do you have a 9-5 or do you do Solopreneurship full time?

A: I have not had a 9 to 5 job in my life. From hourly jobs during my studies to in-person training to my online ventures, I’ve always danced to my own rhythm.

Steffy: Who informed you that you could build a business with your Notion templates?

A: The inspiration was all around! The community, their innovations, and the evolving digital landscape. The signs were clear, and I just connected the dots.

Halil and Julio Trois: Was creating a Notion marketplace already your end game? Or did you do it because you were the right person with the right connections?

A: No. I just saw the opportunity and didn’t think twice. Early on I found feedback from creators who saw a “saturated market” of 9k templates on Gumroad. I come from the ultra-competitive world of fitness. My blog was 6 years in a row among the top 50 fitness blogs in the world. Search “fitness blog” in Google and you´ll find 1,840,000,000 results. That´s a saturated market! 9k does not seem like a saturated market to me at all, nor one in which I can’t stand out. Whether I’m the right captain for this ship—only time will tell.

Halil: When and how did you decide to interview all Notion creators?

A: When. About two weeks after I started using Notion and interacting with Notion Creators.

Why. I find Notion Creators fascinating. You are relentless artisans, and your stories are captivating. Just imagine, a student designing a unique study system or someone crafting a trip-planning tool after a long workday.

How. Pure luck! I was very lucky that you didn’t take me for a crazy person but you accepted with pleasure to answer my questions. It’s truly an honor. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

JayPro: What’s one thing that you found difficult while making your website?

A: Actually, my journey began in 2014 with WordPress, so when I switched to Typedream, it felt like a breath of fresh air! Imagine having a compact toolkit with only the essentials versus an overflowing toolbox. That’s the difference between Typedream and WordPress. Typedream’s constraints, oddly, set me free. I didn’t drown in endless options, plugins, or what-ifs.

Julio: As an entrepreneur and developer, what led you to invest in the development of tools and products with AI?

A: At first, out of curiosity. IA is already a revolution and I think it will be an even bigger revolution in a few years. So I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to at least give it a try.

And in testing it turns out that it is not very easy and fun. Some people argue whether writing prompts is a form of coding. Without getting into controversy, I think I speak chatGPT and Notion AI quite fluently. So if you speak a language, why waste the opportunity to speak it? An infinite number of very useful tools can be created with just a few prompts. It would be a shame not to at least try.

Ithakka: How do you manage to deliver so much stuff? (interviews, articles, templates, managing the marketplace…). What’s your go-to productivity system?

A: Life, for me, is a series of processes. From drafting an article to designing a template, there’s a system to it. I continuously refine these systems, striving for simplicity and efficiency. Beyond that, I just follow my daily inclinations—be it writing, designing, or brainstorming.

Min: What is next for your Notion-related project?

A: After observing @Advancedcskills set a new benchmark in Notion AI templates, I’ve to step up! Between learning from @Ajinkya‘s brilliant approach to launching complex systems and exploring new integrations, the Notion landscape for me is ever-expanding.

Min: Besides interviewing creators and Notionstore, what are other projects that you are doing?

A: Oh, there’s a world beyond the laptop! Apart from crafting templates, I’m eagerly diving into coaching a local basketball team soon.

Nixi: What do you enjoy doing the most in life?

A: Well, if Fat Boy Slim or Carl Cox ever invite me on tour, you might not hear from me for a while! Music and rhythm—they’re exhilarating.

Anica: What, in your opinion, does a successful solopreneur need to have?

A: This is a difficult question. I guess every successful entrepreneur has a different set of skills and virtues and we could say that they are all valid since they are proof of it. But in my opinion, two things: resilience in the face of failures and an insatiable thirst for learning. It’s a cyclical process of learning, failing, refining, and succeeding.

Triz: What’s your definition of success and how are you integrating Notion into your goals journey?

A: Simple. Success is the freedom to own my time. And Notion is the tool to achieve it. Being able to write down, organize, and develop all my ideas in Notion is super convenient. The fact that I can also sell Notion templates is the icing on the cake.

Harriet: Where do you see yourself to be in a year’s time, particularly within the Notion space (e.g. direction you’d like to take with the Notion market space and your own template creation, etc.)

A: Bold statement incoming: I envision Notiostore, along with my templates, becoming the go-to hub for Notion enthusiasts. Not for sales, but as a beacon of quality and innovation.

And there you have it — a riveting journey from the Spanish shores to the vast Notion universe. From crafting Notion templates to finding balance in life, Chape’s insights are for creators of all kinds. But this isn’t just about conquering Notion – it’s a tale of continuous learning and adaptation.