add visibility post

content/blog/how-i-increased-my-visibility.mdx

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+---
+title: How I increased my visibility
+date: 2024-10-29
+description: Someone asked me this and here's my answer.
+categories:
+  - personal
+meta:
+  keywords:
+    - education
+    - career
+bannerCloudinaryId: unsplash/photo-1494869042583-f6c911f04b4c
+bannerAlt: Selective focus of blue-eyed person
+bannerCredit: Photo by [Amanda
+  Dalbjörn](https://unsplash.com/photos/selective-focus-of-blue-eyed-person-UbJMy92p8wk)
+---
+
+I recently received an email from someone asking:
+
+> I'm curious if you have advice on what might be the best way to get
+> traction/visibility? Seems like you have had a great deal of success
+> positioning yourself to be easily found and known.
+
+Here's what I told them:
+
+This is a tricky thing. Often it can be hard to backtrack and identify the
+source of success and share tips in a context that works for you and your
+situation. But I'll do my best and I'll focus on telling my story rather than
+making specific recommendations for you.
+
+First, I think it's useful for you to know that when I was starting out in my
+career, I wasn't really planning on building a “following.” Instead, it kind of
+happened naturally as I shared and created stuff. I was just really curious
+about web development, so I'd dig into topics, learn as much as I could, then
+share what I learned—whether that was on my blog, Twitter, or StackOverflow and
+then eventually at meetups and conferences. At the time, I was just trying to
+contribute and engage with the community, but those small acts of sharing
+consistently added up over time.
+
+One big factor that helped my content stand out was the choice to teach concepts
+in a way that reflected the things I wished I'd known earlier. This wasn't a
+strategic move, but more just something I enjoyed doing. I tried to break down
+complex topics into manageable steps, demystifying them as much as possible.
+That process took me deeper into each topic, and the result was that I ended up
+building resources that resonated with people who wanted a more accessible path
+to learning. When I created something like EpicReact.dev, for instance, I focused
+on the core challenges I saw people face and tried to deliver something they'd
+find genuinely useful in their day-to-day work. I determined what these core
+challenges were by teaching a lot over time.
+
+Another part of it was simply about being present and showing up regularly.
+People come to rely on that consistency, and it builds trust. I think
+consistency in sharing—whether it's a tweet, a blog post, or an open-source
+contribution—can compound over time in a way that builds credibility and a sense
+of connection with others in the community. It also opens up collaborations and
+opportunities you don't expect when you're just actively sharing what you know.
+The more questions you answer, the more people ask you. I made myself the kind
+of person people wanted to ask questions to because I was simply there to answer
+the questions. And I magnified the answers by posting them online.
+
+Finally, a huge component of this has been embracing an approach of continuous
+learning and sharing. As I grew and gained experience, I adapted my content and
+approach to reflect where I was in my own journey. The willingness to evolve,
+try new things, and respond to what I see happening in the community has been
+key to staying relevant and resonant. And I'd say, don't underestimate the power
+of staying true to your unique voice and values—that's what makes people feel
+connected and engaged in the long run.
+
+You can read more about my story in my [2010s decade in review](/blog/2010s)
+post. But hopefully this gives you a sense of how it all started and evolved.
+
+Good luck!