The Art and Practice of Learning What NOT-To-Do (And why it's critical in building a creative business)
Reflections on 4x, 10x, 100x and 400x growth
I have been writing and publishing content at a nearly daily pace for almost 18 months now.
I publish across multiple platforms. Box Cutter Co. Free issues provide the background, lessons, and strategies I’m trying and learning as I build a digital writing business from scratch.
This November marks the one-year mark of publishing Free weekly issues of Box Cutter Co. on
. This is Free issue #50 (as I didn’t publish in 2 weeks, of the 52).I’m a big proponent of the Freemium model for business growth (as shared in Free Issue #21).👇
On Substack, with a Freemium product, I have gone from 1 Subscriber (my lovely wife) to almost 400 today.
Including, over that time, three subscribers generously became ‘paid’ subscribers.
400x growth sounds pretty impressive….
And not to suggest it’s not decent progress — I’m pleased with a steadily growing subscriber base. Thank you to all of you who are subscribers and remain so.
On other platforms, I’ve also had steady growth in Connections (Followers) over the past 12-18 months:
LinkedIn ➡ from 1,000 to almost 4,100 today (4x growth)
X (Twitter) ➡ from less than 100 to almost 1,000 today (10x growth)
Medium ➡ from 50 to over 5,200 today (100x growth)
It’s important to point out this growth — has not generated some magical wealth of riches for me and our family.
The Payout?
On Substack, it’s generated about $200 in income. That averages out to about $4 per issue, and less when we subtract fees.
On Medium, I’m into another record-breaking month. I’m over $315 US this month. The previous 2 months were record-breakers, with last month at $237 US the top month, and $99 the month previous.
This will push me to about $1000 US on the year thus far. Not bad considering I only had 100 Followers back in December 2022.
From my reading, research and thinking on these sorts of things, this appears to be good solid and sustainable growth.
It’s a consistent balancing act, as, yes, I could chase much more rapid growth — but, that would entail engaging processes and tactics that I’m not interested in taking, don’t find all that ethical, and clearly on my list of NOT-TO-DO’s.
As I’ve built online for over a year, I’ve learned a tonne. Some of the most valuable has been learning and deciding on what NOT to do…
The Power of a Not-To-Do-List in Business
For 12 months, here on Substack, and across other platforms, I have experienced a steady building of Connections (aka. Followers). I’ve also approached this as a giant experiment, a game, and a fascinating learning process.
I also now have close to 18 months of creating content—on a nearly daily basis.
A big chunk of that focus has been on LinkedIn. Largely, as I find it to be one of the most civil and respectful social media environments. It’s also where a current client reached out to me to inquire about some project work. That has evolved into a foundational component of my services business. I also appreciate the civility and professionalism across LinkedIn.
However, I’ve also had a pretty steady focus on Medium as well. And, Substack has also been a consistent focus with a Free weekly issue released in 50 of 52 weeks.
Take the Digital Guru Advice with a Grain of Salt
There is endless information plastered all across social media, and no shortage of gurus and courses on topics related to “How to build online…” or multiple other iterations of this process.
There are also endless shouts about the importance of “Consistency!”
And, yes, consistency can be helpful—however, it can also lead to becoming stale, outdated, and burnt out. Sometimes, being inconsistent allows things more air, more autonomy, and more room to move.
I have found it is more of a Both/And strategy.
Don’t get too hung up on consistent consistency and don’t get too stressed about being inconsistent.
As I see it, and similar to the diagram at the start of this article — with consistency, one can build a solid, step-by-step structure. However, it doesn’t mean the foundation may still not be a bit unstable (like the image).
With inconsistency, a content creation strategy and approach has a little more room to breathe. Think of it like an air-fryer… if the items to be cooked are jammed in too tight, the hot air (e.g. air ‘frying’ process) doesn’t happen very efficiently.
Being too consistent, and too ‘niche’ can lead to staleness in content, but also staleness and boredom in the content creation process.
Experimentation Over Conformity
My journey — and continued journey— operates from a pretty simple belief: creativity and innovation usually thrive in experimentation. In trying things. Not in a rigid, paint-by-number fashion.
I also approach content creation and digital business building as a game. It’s not life per se, but a digital game.
For 18 months, I’ve sidestepped common “niche down” advice. I’ve continued to explore a range of ideas, interests, and passions. My strategy has focussed on ensuring content doesn’t go stale and simply swim in the Sea of Sameness.👇
I use ChatGPT on a daily basis for a wide variety of tasks. However, using it to pump out bland, regurgitated, social media posts, and articles is not one of them. I see AI-generated bumpf across multiple platforms—especially on Medium.
On LinkedIn for example, they have an experimental engagement process called “collaborative articles”. These articles are written by AI (aka Machine Learning models) and then LinkedIn members add to them.
So many of the AI-generated prompts are dull, bland, and cliché. (As are many of the responses).
On Medium and other platforms like LinkedIn, it’s at the point now where some folks are generating comments to stories using AI and then posting those. It’s dreadfully dull.
I am also rolling around a theory in my head, that this flood of sanitized content sameness may very well be because so many gurus have shouted about “Consistency! Consistency!” — and some notion that consistency is one of the absolute keys to growing online.
But posting ‘consistently’ for the simple sake of posting and feeding algorithms is rather absurd. It creates lowest common denominator content. Plus, the Connections (aka ‘followers’) you gain will simply not be sustainable, nor all that engaged.
Consistency is often hailed as the foundation to online success — keep those algorithms and invisible audiences fed with endless content (suggest the experts).
Yet, what I’ve found is that this rigidity can stifle growth. I find, it's about striking a balance between a reliable presence and the agility to adapt. This flexible consistency keeps content fresh and our community engaged.
Plus, injecting some inconsistency demonstrates we are human — and gives our ideas and creativity room to breathe and move.
Building Purpose with Clear Premises — NOT Niches with Narrow Vision
I have rejected the 'niche down' mantra. I’ve dabbled and played with it at times, but then felt claustrophobic and limited. Stuffed and conforming.
Box Cutter Co. (and the recent addition of The Solopreneur Series) has flourished by casting a wider net. I write about what I’m learning, what fascinates me, and trust that genuine enthusiasm translates into engaging and educating content.
My approach is about building a business that fits into my (and our) life, not the other way around. This type of approach encourages a balance between consistently inconsistent and inconsistently consistent efforts and personal well-being.
This balancing act is the foundational premise to what I’m doing and it guides my approach to creating content and building a sustainable business. It allows for a broader, more engaging range of topics and keeps me on paths of creating authentic content — not falling into the Sea of Sameness and AI-generated garble.
A Business That Mirrors Life
Meaning my business model mirrors a philosophy of life: purposeful, sometimes paced, and definitely fluid and flexible.
In my work, and in my wife’s and mine work (e.g. founding Humanity Academy)—we've woven our work into the fabrics of our lives, ensuring that our professional endeavours reflect our personal values.
And our personal values are reflected in our professional endeavours.
This synergy supports a fulfilling and sustainable approach to growth. Not an all-out sprint to amass Followers that end out not really engaging.
This is also made possible because we have both established Solopreneur ventures providing Services. The income we earn from providing Services sustainably supports our goals for creating content and engaging in education and well-being.
For example, see the seven Free 5-day Educational Emails we’ve created at Humanity Academy.
And both The Solopreneur Writer and The Solopreneur Thinker courses I’ve created through Box Cutter Co.
This means that on my Not-To-Do-List is rapid and unsustainable growth and hustle.
Yes, Humanity Academy is an education start-up… but that does not mean it needs to eat us up. Especially as we all know what happens with the vast majority of Start-ups.
They become End-ups…
Rejecting Hustle Culture
In defiance of the hustle culture, we've chosen a more measured approach to growth. It's a philosophy prioritizing long-term satisfaction over short-lived success. This is by design. It’s built on the principles of ensuring our work remains a source of joy and satisfaction rather than a relentless grind, sprint, or energy-sucking hustle.
Services as Current Business Foundation
The services side of Box Cutter Co., particularly collaborations with Indigenous, Non-profit, and education organizations — is the current backbone of our financial stability. It's a blend of passion and practicality keeping income coming in and setting the foundation for nearly daily writing and publishing.
I thoroughly enjoy doing both. And, it’s a constant balancing act.
Framing a Potential Not-to-do-List
If I were to break this down into a potential Not-To-Do-List that I’ve incorporate it would look like this:
Try not to Prioritize Virality Over Authenticity: Quality content trumps short-lived Quantity attention (ala “consistency” mantras).
Avoid Overextending into Unfamiliar Territories: Expansion should be strategic, not at the expense of your core values, goals, and premises.
Resist Pressure to Over-Niche: Diverse topics assist in building broader, more sustainable, and more genuine engagement.
Reject the Hustle Mentality: Sustainable, balanced growth is healthier than burnout and icky-growth.
Avoid One-Size-Fits-All Growth Tactics: Customized strategies work better than generic advice. The context for each creator is critical.
Beware of Diminishing Returns in Building Digital Communities: Ensure growth does not dilute your business and/or digital community's value (and I’m not sure this is even possible as it seems digital communities have a max. size upon which sustainable community engagement diminishes).
Embrace Measured Progress: A slow and steady build can be more rewarding, valuable and sustainable than rapid scaling and endless hustle.
Wrap-up
Box Cutter Co.'s journey over the past year highlights the potential of learning and developing a What-Not-To-Do-List in the realm of digital content creation and business building.
Many of these could also change over the next 12 months. However, some of my not-to-do’s frame some critical principles, such as:
prioritizing authenticity over virality,
embracing broad premises instead of narrow niches, and
rejecting the hustle-bro and hustle-porn mentality.
I won’t say it’s been simple or easy. I’ve experimented with a lot and will continue to. However, these current iterations and reflections point to a sustainable path for growth, that also aligns with personal values.
This journey isn't just about building a business; it's about crafting a lifestyle that resonates with core beliefs and values. Moving forward, the focus will remain on maintaining this balance, ensuring sustainable growth continues to be both fulfilling and aligned with underlying values.
Some questions for you to consider, and maybe write out in a Learning Journal:
Reflection on Growth: In exploring different approaches to digital content creation and business building—how do you see balancing between rapid growth and authenticity in your own creative ventures?
Exploring Diverse Paths: In what ways have you experimented outside the typical 'niche down' advice, and what have been the results and learnings from these explorations?
Personal and Professional Harmony: How do you align your personal values with your professional endeavours, and what changes might you consider to increase this balance?
That’s it for this week. Please send along any questions or comments.
Re-post or re-share, send me feedback, and steal at will.
Thank you for providing what I think are very clear directions. I am also building an online writing business.