You should start posting online, seriously.

You’ve probably heard this already: create content online, start a YouTube or Instagram, build a personal brand, all the usual advice nudging you to post online.

Before you assume I’m about to tell you the same thing, let me share my opinion on it.

I believe you should only post online when you want to create more opportunities for yourself, or when you genuinely want to share your ideas and thoughts with people at scale.

Otherwise, I’m not the kind of person who believes in posting their private life online just to get validation from strangers and the 10 people who already know you.

I’d rather keep my life private and actually enjoy each moment instead of recording it, chasing the perfect shot or angle, and repeating the same moment five times to get it right.

I’d recommend others do the same, but that’s your call, not mine to make for you. Above was just my opinion.

So, back to the main topic.

If you’re one of the people I described above:

• Someone who wants to create more opportunities for themselves (scaling a business, landing the job you’re after, or sharing your knowledge to grow an audience and a source of income)
• Or someone who believes they have something interesting or unique to share (a story, a life philosophy, etc.)

You should definitely start creating content online.

And if you’re still on the fence, let me help convince you why you should do it, and how it can make your life a whole lot better.

In today’s issue, I’ll cover:

• How posting online changed my life, twice
• Why I believe you should do it too
• How to start, step by step
• How to turn it into a source of income

Let’s get started.

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The post that got me my first tech job

Back in 2021, after I’d learned a fair bit of Python and data analysis, I started looking for my first tech job.

In a random YouTube video, someone mentioned, “If you want to stand out, share your learnings and projects online.”

So for the next six months, I shared everything I was learning and building, mostly on LinkedIn. By then, I had around 500 followers and had made some good friends within my domain.

Then I built a small website that could analyze any uploaded dataset in seconds (remember, this was before the AI boom). It was a fun project, so I posted about it. That post went semi-viral, over 500 likes, with tons of comments and appreciation.

And that one post changed everything for me:

• My website started getting 200+ visitors daily.
• Four recruiters messaged me about open data analyst roles.

One of those offers turned into my first tech job, and that’s when I realized just how powerful posting online can be.

Now, of course, it wasn’t just luck. My project was different, my connections supported me, and timing played a big role too. But one thing was certain: if I had stuck to just applying for 20+ jobs daily and never shared anything online, that opportunity would’ve never come.

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From data analyst to full-time writer

For the next 1.5 years, I focused on my job and wasn’t creating much content other than occasionally posting on LinkedIn.

Then, in late 2023, I came across a video by Matt Gray about why everyone should build a personal brand. And that video reminded me of the impact sharing online had created in my life before.

So I made a New Year’s resolution.

On January 1st, 2024, I promised myself I’d post every day for 90 days and see what happens.

This time, I started on X (Twitter), writing about the lessons I’d learned, discipline, and productivity. That’s how the journey of “Friend” began.

After six months, I moved to Threads and later Substack (because X didn’t work for me).

By September 2024, after nine months of consistency, I made my first dollar online. By January 2025, I was earning enough to quit my job and start writing full-time.

It wasn’t that I’d stopped enjoying data analysis, I still loved it. But writing gave me something more: freedom, purpose, and time with my family, which was not possible with my job.

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Why you should start posting online

These two phases of my life taught me something very valuable: the internet has limitless possibilities once you start creating.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do:

• If you’re looking for a job, recruiters are online.
• If you’re building a product, customers are online.
• If you’re writing a book, readers are online.

No matter your goal, posting online helps.

It’s the best time in history to connect with the right people, all from your laptop or phone.

And the best part: when you start creating, you automatically consume less.

You build skills, connections, and opportunities, all while cutting down on distractions. Two birds, one stone.

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How you can start