There is a dashboard on your screen right now. It has a number on it. Maybe it’s your subscriber count, your open rate, or the number of likes on your last Note.
When the number goes up, you get a hit of dopamine. You feel safe. You feel like you are doing your job.
When the number goes down, or even stays flat, you feel the cold wind of obscurity. You panic. You write something louder, faster, and shorter to get the number moving again.
This is not a business. This is a Skinner box. And you are the pigeon.
The system of the internet is designed to be insatiable. Social media, and yes, even Substack, have a clear goal. They want more. More interactions, more seconds of attention, more noise.
They have accepted a strategy of “average.” They want to reach everyone, everywhere, all the time.
But you? You cannot serve everyone.
If you write for everyone, you are writing for no one. You are creating a commodity. And the problem with commodities is that the market will always race to the bottom. There will always be someone willing to be louder, dumber, and cheaper than you.
The Trap of Going Viral
Many creators are strategizing for a viral hit. They think if they can just get one post to take off, their problems will be solved.
But “viral” is a trap. Viral brings tourists.
Tourists don’t care about you. They care about the spectacle. They stand in the way of the true fans. They lower the discourse in the comments. They ruin the vibe.
And worst of all, they lower your open rates later, because they didn’t sign up for you. They signed up for the dopamine.
The Alternative Strategy
The alternative is to stop counting the people who aren’t here, and start thrilling the ones who are.
What would happen if you deleted the 50% of your list who haven’t opened an email in six months?
Your numbers would go down. But your asset would go up.
Because now you are speaking to the room. Now you are engaging with the people who trust you. Now you can stop shouting and start whispering.
We don’t need more content. We are drowning in content.
We need connection. We need a distinct voice. We need you.
Stop feeding the machine. It will never be full.
Start building an asset.
It takes longer. But it is the only thing that lasts.
How to Build Authentically
It is impossible to build a “reputation” if you are trying to be everything to everyone. The market ignores average. It ignores “good enough.” It craves something authentic.
But it is difficult to “be yourself” if you don’t know who you are.
When we don’t know our own source code, we mimic others. We copy the “gurus.” We default to the hustle. We become commodities.
If you are tired of guessing what your “voice” is supposed to be, I built a tool to help you find it. It’s called The Archetype Navigator.
It’s not a personality test. In five minutes, it helps you identify the unconscious patterns that define your most natural way of creating value and the shadows that cause you to self-sabotage.
You can’t build a business until you know who is building it.
