I've been running Jottings for a while now, and one thing keeps surprising me: the number of people who want to blog but feel completely overwhelmed before they even start.
They're not discouraged by blogging itself. They're discouraged by the tools.
WordPress feels like learning a programming language. Medium's algorithm makes you anxious. Substack requires you to commit to becoming a newsletter. Ghost is powerful but expensive. Ghost is powerful but expensive. Squarespace bundles blogging with website building when you just want to write.
This is the paradox of modern blogging platforms: they're built for everyone, which means they're optimized for no one.
The Beginner's Dilemma
When you're starting your first blog, you don't need 500 features. You need three things:
- A place to write that doesn't require learning HTML or wrestling with a visual editor
- A way to publish without second-guessing decisions
- A space that's yours without monthly hosting bills or platform lock-in
That's it. That's genuinely it.
But here's what actually happens when you sign up for most blogging platforms:
You're met with dashboard after dashboard. Plugins to install. Themes to configure. SEO settings you don't understand. Analytics dashboards with metrics that aren't labeled clearly. Billing tiers that leave you wondering if you're paying for features you'll never use.
By the time you've clicked through your fifth settings screen, the enthusiasm that brought you there is gone.
The Overwhelm Is The Problem, Not The Solution
I built Jottings partly because I experienced this myself. I wanted to share short-form writing—musings, ideas, quick thoughts—without the weight of a full website hanging over my head.
Most platforms respond to this by adding more features. "Overwhelmed? Here's a mobile app. Here's advanced analytics. Here's a community feature."
Jottings does the opposite. We remove instead of add.
We removed:
- Complex theme customization — You get a clean, readable design. It works. Done.
- Plugin marketplaces — No infinite rabbit hole of "extensions that might help"
- Artificial powered-by branding — Your site is yours, with no "Powered by [platform]" in the footer
- Confusing settings menus — The settings that matter take 30 seconds to configure
- Algorithm anxiety — Your posts aren't fighting for distribution. They're just... there, accessible to anyone who finds them
What we kept:
- Writing as a first-class citizen — The editor isn't buried behind menus. Writing is the only thing you do when you log in
- Publishing without friction — You write. You click publish. It's live. That's the entire flow
- Built-in SEO — Not as a premium feature, not as something you need to study. It's just... there
- Custom domains — So it feels like home, not like you're renting someone else's space
Why Constraints Actually Help Beginners
This might sound counterintuitive, but constraints are features for beginners.
When there are fewer choices, you make decisions faster. You start writing instead of endlessly configuring. You launch instead of perfecting.
I've watched beginners across different platforms, and here's the pattern I see:
Complex platforms: Browse settings for 20 minutes, install a plugin, watch a YouTube tutorial about themes, give up. (Sound familiar?)
Simple platforms: Land on dashboard, click "write," start typing immediately. First post is live within an hour.
The second group doesn't just launch more easily—they actually keep writing. Because the friction is low, the habit forms faster.
Jottings is designed for that second group. The group that doesn't want to become a web developer. The group that just wants to think out loud in public.
What First Steps Actually Look Like
Here's what the beginner experience is supposed to be:
Sign up — Takes 2 minutes. We'll ask for an email and a password. That's it.
Create your site — Pick a subdomain. That's one form field. You now have a live site at
yourname.jottings.me.Write your first post — Click "New Jot," type your thoughts, hit publish. No preview screens. No metadata forms. Just writing.
Hit publish — It's live. Your friends can visit it. You have a blog now.
The entire process takes less than 10 minutes.
No wonder most beginners never actually start—traditional platforms turn "I want to blog" into a 2-hour onboarding saga.
The Real Cost of Complexity
I think about this a lot: platforms add features to reduce churn. They think, "If we make it more powerful, people will stay."
But I think they have it backwards. Beginners leave not because platforms are too simple—they leave because they're too complex.
Every setting is one more reason to doubt yourself. Every feature is one more thing you don't understand. Every configuration screen is friction that gets between you and actually writing.
Jottings removes that friction. Not because simplicity is morally superior, but because it works. Beginners who start on simple platforms stay longer, write more consistently, and actually enjoy the experience.
The Long-Term Play
Here's what I've learned: blogging isn't a sprint. It's a slow game.
You won't become a legendary blogger because your platform has 200 features. You'll become one through consistent writing, authentic voice, and time.
Jottings gets out of the way so you can focus on those three things.
We're not building the platform with the most features. We're building the platform where the fewest obstacles stand between you and writing.
If you're thinking about starting a blog but keep getting stuck at the "which platform" question—stop overthinking it. Pick something. Start writing. The platform matters less than the consistency.
But if you want a platform that won't waste your time with unnecessary complexity? That's exactly what Jottings is built for.
You could have your first blog post live in the next 10 minutes. Want to try?
Ready to start blogging without the overwhelm? Create your free Jottings site today and publish your first post in under 10 minutes. No credit card required. No setup fees. No plugins. Just you and your words.