Everyone starts from zero.

Being a beginner is inevitable whether you’re hitting the gym, building on a new social platform, or learning a fresh skill.

You’re bound to pick up something new that you have no experience touching before.

It’s part of being a lifelong learner.

You start from zero, find momentum, zoom into what works, and continue doing the essentials. This is what I call the progress loop.

It’s the process that’s helped me test and build everything ranging from online skills to stuff I learn in biology class. But the loop doesn’t work without one thing.

Clarity.

You see, most people start their journeys of learning without a clear objective. They start just to start. Common advice tells you to start just to get your feet wet.

Why?

Because most people never start in the first place. This is true, but it misses out on a key point that makes people quit. People don’t know why they started in the first place. This makes them quit when times get foggy.

I got screwed over by this concept plenty of times.

Two years ago I tried to build my own agency. I stumbled across tons of Iman Gadzhi videos on Youtube and took some inspiration from him.

He was a big agency guy and some of his videos were centered around making your own agency. A big message of his was to just get started and take action.

I watched a few more videos on YouTube about building an agency before I took action. When I started things went smoothly.

I got the foundations down.

I built for a few weeks.

Then I hit a wall. I realized things weren’t sunshine and rainbows like a lot of people make it out to be. So I quit after less than a month of trying. Yeah, I didn’t give myself much of a chance to succeed.

Clarity was a big reason.

I didn’t know why I wanted to start. I started because tons of dudes on the internet told me I should. Not because I had a clear reason why. This sabotaged my journey before I even started because there was no foundation.

No base level to lean on.

My house collapsed as soon as there was a tiny bit of wind.

This is what happens to the majority of creators on X or any other social platform. They start because they feel the urge. They see other creators grow thousands of followers and want some of the juice.

They start because they want the results that other people get.

Status. Money. Freedom.

It’s all surface-level.

Surface-Level Cravings

People can’t control their cravings.

They can’t separate their mind from their physical bodies. This is why binge eating, porn addiction, and alcoholism exist. Life without dopamine is unbearable.

There’s another addiction that’s similar on X.

Numbers addiction.

People run for numbers. They’re an important part of the entire equation on X. But the issue arises when you solely focus on them.

It’s never been easier to let numbers swallow you whole. Why? They’re instant feedback. Flopped post? People look at the impressions. Viral post? People look at the big numbers. On top of everything, creators are rewarded for their large numbers.

This is why creators chase them. It’s all a status game. People crave status and will do anything they can to improve their status. It’s an addiction that never stops.

What people miss out on is that numbers are only one branch on the status tree.

There are tons of other branches you can leap on without needing tons of numbers.

The Status Tree

Big creators (Dan Koe types) earn their stripes through their undeniable numbers. They’ve built a loyal following and are knowledgeable, but the average consumer on X, they’re more inclined to follow these dudes than a creator with 100 followers.

It’s a brutal reality.

But what about everyone else who doesn’t have 100,000 followers? What other branches can they cling to?

There are three other branches we can leverage to even surpass the credibility of creators, who have thousands more followers than us.

Let’s dive into each branch.

Unique Takes

What do you bring to the table?

Are you spewing the same messages as everyone else? Can somebody differentiate your post from somebody else’s? There are levels to this.

People are craving new stuff. Not new ideas, but new ways to frame those ideas. Transformations are the most common types of posts you’ll find on X. They work, but the best ones put some sort of unique spin on things.

They dive into the backstory. They add unique takeaways for their audience.

People confuse uniqueness with newness. The two aren’t the same. Uniqueness already exists. It’s you, your experiences, your thoughts. These things are already there.

Tie these things into typical posts that the masses make and you’ll stand out with perceived status.

Undeniable Proof

Social proof is real.

People don’t care if you’ve got thousands of followers if you have nothing to offer or proof that you’re credible. There are tons of people on X with thousands of followers who haven’t scratched their first $1000.

Want undeniable perceived status?

Showcase real wins.

Screenshot your wins. Screenshot your testimonials. Share your video testimonials. That stuff hits harder than a follower number ever can.

Freshness

Multiple mediums.

Show up everywhere.

Spaces. Newsletters. Videos.

This is why my pinned post is a video of me introducing myself. Back in September, I came up with the idea because I only saw authority or results-based pinned tweets. I switched things up and made mine more personal.

I get DMs every day about the pinned tweet and it’s been something that’s helped me bring a level of freshness to my profile that a lot of others lack.

Spaces are next level too. There’s a different audience on there and you’re able to spew fresh takes that simply aren’t on the timeline.

Even better, spaces allow you to dive deep into a topic for as long as you want. You’ll be able to flex your unique thinking even more and breed added freshness into your face and brand.

Tying The Knot

Freshness dims.

Everything dies if you stop feeding it. The same goes for the public image game on X. Creators who refuse to continue to evolve die off even if they’ve seen progress in the past.

This enhances the importance of knowing why you started. Things get cloudy. Things get murky. But it’s your duty to evolve and grow, no matter why you started.

But this doesn’t mean you need to chase the numbers.

Numbers are just one part of the equation.

Yes, they’re great. Yes, they make you feel good. But you’re missing out on 75% of the equation if you solely focus on numbers.

Zoom into unique takes.

Zoom into undeniable proof.

Zoom into freshness.

You’ll build your skill of being a standout.

This Week’s Podcast

Spaces are next level.

This week we spoke with the man I'm sure most of you know.

The Journey Man.

Check it out below.

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