The Growth Advice That's Killing Your First 100 Fans
Why the most important work you do might be the work that doesn't scale.
Here’s the exact formula to follow to gain a bajillion subscribers.
I’m sure you’ve seen the promises online. They’re alluring. It's tempting to search for growth hacks and scalable systems when you start out. I’ve been there.
We read about how big companies automate everything, and try to copy their playbook from day one. I did this. When I got my first 10 subscribers, I spent a week trying to build a complex, automated welcome sequence.
I was so focused on building a system for hundreds of users that I forgot to talk to the ten I actually had.
The Bug
This is a classic developer mistake: premature optimization.
The bug is the belief that you should build a system for a million users when you only have ten (microservices, anyone?). This is a recipe for forgetting the most important work you'll ever do: the unscalable stuff at the beginning.
The Fix
The smartest people I know do the opposite.
They solve the problem in front of them in the simplest way possible. The most valuable work you'll do is the one-on-one, unscalable work that builds your first true fans. These early supporters aren't just your first customers, they will give you the honest feedback you need to survive.
Your Next Step
Your playbook should be unscalable at the start. Build connection, one person at a time.
For example:
Send a personal welcome email. A real one, from you, with a genuine question.
Engage in one-on-one DMs. Ask for feedback. Offer help. Be a human.
Get on a 15-minute call. Don't pitch. Just listen.
What's one unscalable thing you can do this week to connect with a single member of your audience?
See you next Saturday!
Join the Other Builders
Every Saturday, I share a short, punchy mindset upgrade like this one, powered by developer thinking, to help you build your business:
Share your knowledge. Earn more. Build freedom, solo.