I began with no followers, because we all do
For those who feel like a Nobody, yet yearn to be Somebody
I began with no followers, because we all do.
I began with no followers, because I don't really exist. I’m a pseudonym, a nom de plume, a masquerade mask befitting a scribe of salaciously erotic pamphlets.
I began with no followers because I never told anyone I was writing. None of my friends know I'm a writer, because writing in obscurity was the whole point. Anonymity liberated me to talk about sensitive subjects honestly and authentically. We might share our deepest secrets with our lovers, but most keep our private lives private for good reason.
I began with no followers because a blank canvas is liberating. No legacy to continue, no expectations to meet. Out of nothingness we have the magic power to create whatever we want.
I began with no followers because I was, quite literally, a Nobody.
And now - so many years later - here I am, still anonymous, with thousands reading my words. Tens of thousands across different platforms. That journey in itself sounds like an interesting story.
When I was considering how I’d illustrate this post I thought of standing in front of a room, facing rows of empty seats. That’s how I felt when I started writing in public, but not how I see things now. When I started I was a lone walker in the wilderness. We have no expectations when we walk alone. A winding path lies ahead of us, and in the distance, we see a hint of others. Perhaps, we hope, we’ll meet new friends along the way.
To have just a single follower - and by implication, a single listener - you need two things: something to say, and the courage to say it. The good news is, both of these are permissionless, so anyone can undertake them without being blocked by anybody else.
Everybody has something to say, it's just we tend to undervalue what we know, and overvalue what we haven't encountered before. That leads us to inhibit ourselves, unaware that what is familiar to us may be novel and valuable to others. Sometimes life would be so much simpler if we’d just get out of our own way.
It’s undeniable that you already know things others don't, and that empowers you to create new and valuable things. All it takes is someone who shares your interest to find you, and (if you don’t come across as too weird) you may well have your first follower.
The reason why most find this so hard is because of an intimidating force we sense but can never see. Let’s call it “Social Value”. This is the reflection of a belief that we internalise early in life, that people with status have a right to speak up because they’re intrinsically more important.
We first learn about social value from our parents, when we’re told when it’s appropriate to talk. Speak when you’re spoken to is the proper behaviour in the presence of our teachers. We sit in silence as we watch celebrities, assimilating the notion that one earns the right to speak by accumulating fans and followers.
Again and again the lesson is reinforced: the speakers are few and the audience is many. Those speaking seem like a breed apart, almost aristocratic, precious and rare. A speaker is a Somebody. What they say is quoted, what they create carries an aura, like some kind of divine blessing. In comparison, we feel like Nobodies, listening attentively in silence.
So this is a post about speaking up, and being seen.
Nobodies and Somebodies
The notion of the world being divided into Nobodies and Somebodies is ingrained deep in our psyche. It’s a reflection of a deep human truth, the foundational principle on which all our social relations are built.
Influence is not something you can claim, but something that must be cultivated. If anyone could instantaneously grab influence just by speaking up, everyone would do it, and society would degenerate into a rabble. Wiser voices would be shouted down, and they’d be no means of telling who was truly worth listening to.
Influence permits our society to function. To earn influence we must produce some “proof of work” — that is, do something that requires some effort, and which wouldn’t have happened had you never attempted it. You might compose something, in words, or music, or paint, or code, or pixels. You might explain something, or produce interesting insights or timely inspiration. You might invent something. You might make the lives of others better.
Regardless of what you do, to be awarded influence, what you do must be done in public. Proof of work must be witnessed, and that requires you engage with others. This creates a virtuous cycle, creating new things attracts interest, which then inspires you to continue creating. The more times we go around this loop, the better we get at talking to people, and learning their needs. Then next time, you’ll want to create something even better.
However, most people are reluctant to even try, because - deep down - they’ve internalised the belief that speaking up is not open to Nobodies. We believe to be seen or heard we must first be a Somebody.
But everyone initially begins as a Nobody. You see the problem.
So many of us lock ourselves out of creating and publishing things because we believe we haven’t yet earned the necessary permission, mistakenly thinking that only a Somebody possesses that privilege.
We believe that once we “Make It”, we’ll finally be able to speak up with authentic authority. It’s as if we’re waiting for the moment when we craft some masterpiece so unmistakably compelling that even strangers will be forced to pay attention and admit: "Whoa! You were actually a Somebody all along!”.
This is how most believe influence is established. Do something great enough, and we’ll be granted a platform, and others will listen to us. This fallacy can keep smart people with valuable contributions to make stuck in a grey zone, feeling they’re more than a Nobody, but lacking the validation that confirms they’re truly a Somebody.
In reality, influence is never centrally decided, it’s a complex emergent property that arises from the social status of interacting individuals. There’s a whole field devoted to the study of social graphs, whose insights power the algorithms that decide what content we’re shown, and which ultimately shape our digital world. Google’s PageRank algorithm is the classic example, where influence gained has a lot more to do with who you impress than the number of people you could potentially reach.
Thus influence is an accumulated property. We intuitively know when someone becomes successful, their opinions gain more authority, reflecting their proven experience and achievements. But authority is not intended to be hoarded, it’s a signal, an indication to the wider community of your expertise and good taste, and an individual’s influence diffuses outwards to their collaborators. Hence the point of accumulating influence is not to have more people adoring you, but to promote the ideas and values that your tribe happens to cherish the most.
Large numbers of likes and followers give us a dopamine buzz, but they don’t reflect the relative importance of the real life human beings who appreciate our work. That’s why it’s not constructive to fixate on the number of people who follow us. Who knows what kind of highly valuable network of readers and collaborators is beginning to coalesce around you.
It’s human nature to seek short-cuts, and wish we could skip straight from being a Nobody to being a Somebody. But those who benefit from such serendipitous transformations (those “famous for being famous”) often appear vapid and inauthentic, compared to those whose accomplishments are genuinely earned. Think of why "rags to riches" narratives are so popular. We empathise with those who’ve struggled, as they appear so much more relatable and likeable. We admire those who’ve overcome adversity, and grant them influence in recognition of their efforts.
So don’t be in a hurry to get to the end of your own story. Ask anyone who’s become influential and they’ll tell you the satisfaction comes from the journey, not reaching a final destination. Most writers and artists never retire, but keep creating until their dying days.
So even if there was a shortcut, you’d be cheating yourself to take it. People love stories of change and success, especially those they can picture themselves within. Your ongoing adventure will offer hope and inspiration to those beginning their own journeys, your ultimate triumph will be a satisfying arc of revelation and vindication.
It might sound like an arduous journey, but it’s easier than you think.
How To Become a Somebody
In reality, the playbook of going from Nobody to Somebody isn’t that complicated, it is this:
Express what you know in a medium that can be shared
Actually share it
Keep the faith, and repeat
The first step is about building a body of work. You don't need permission to do that. Every work you produce refines your craft, and increases the chances of resonating with somebody. Make it subjective, speak from experience, as that’s the one thing AI generators will never be able to replicate. It can be literally any format, essays, stories, poems, tutorials, notebook sketches, streams of consciousness, anything.
It is vital you realise your work has its own intrinsic worth, which is independent of however many people ultimately see it. If you doubt that, think of any of humanity’s greatest books. Their greatness existed from the moment they were written, not when they were finally read by their millionth reader.
You can share thoughts and ideas on your own blog or feed, and contribute to conversations on others' posts. It’s important you create your own content, and don’t just become that ubiquitous reply guy. If you need a maxim to follow, it should be to focus on providing value rather than gaining recognition.
The second step is about overcoming your innate fear of being seen. Luckily, you’ll be sharing your creations on the internet, not by stopping people in the street. That means if you want, you can create a profile under a pseudonym that conceals your real identity. You don’t need to reveal any personal details. In fact, I’d go so far as saying it’s actually unhelpful to make yourself the attraction, because then it’ll be you that’s being judged, not your work. Don’t treat the process like some weird kind of dating.
Being seen can be particularly challenging for those creating content that’s highly personal, or touches on themes that are euphemistically called “not safe for work”. If this applies to you, the best way to overcome your hesitancy is to consider deviance not as a curse, but as a gift.
The world needs more people who are willing to be different, to think deeply, and to act boldly. I’ve written elsewhere how too often we hide what makes us interesting, which might be helpful if you need convincing. A rich culture needs writers to dare to record unsayable thoughts. We all benefit when messy feelings and confusing emotions are put into words for others to discover.
The third step is to keep the faith, and create some more. It’s to resist the corrosive self-criticism that tells you’re no good, and you’ll always be a Nobody. Your task is simple, to show up, and keep on showing up, until creating becomes a habit.
Your mission is to keep creating until you finally come to understand that the praise of others was never the prize. The reward of work is being in The Zone, and experiencing the bliss of existing in your Flow state. The treasure is the satisfaction of producing something only you could ever create, and which has never existed before.
Create. Share. Repeat. It really is that straightforward.
Once you start influencing others, and making things happen, you’re already a Somebody. No permits or certificates required.
What Stops Us From Becoming A Somebody
A tyrannical force is suppressing us.
It sounds like the theme of a dystopian novel, Freethinkers subdued by an all-pervasive Thought Police. Orwell wrote 1984 having witnessed the horrors of dictatorship and fascism, but in our modern age we’re far more likely to be stifled by ourselves than sinister authoritarian powers.
What silences us now is shame. It keeps us isolated. It is the antithesis of enthusiastic sharing. But shame is a feature, not a bug. It is hardwired into our minds so we respect social protocols. It prevents epidemics of hubris. It stops everyone trying to speak at once.
Shame makes us doubt ourselves. It insinuates we might be an imposter, and it would be better for everyone if we just stayed quiet and left things to those who really knew what they were doing. Shame makes us feel unworthy, and destined to fail. Those with the inner belief to override their shame are the ones who speak up and change the world. Those intimidated by their own shame avoid taking risks and spend their lives doing what they’re told.
Shame is what stops most folks from becoming a Somebody. Those fortunate enough to live in the Western have no censorship silencing them. Except their own. I believe overcoming shame is the de facto rite of passage in the 21st Century. Only once we choose to act despite our shame, can we start getting what we want out of life.
That’s why you must post something. Anything. It doesn't matter if it's any good. Stop planning, researching, tweaking and polishing. Your perfectionism is just the fear of being seen. The first time, you're not proving how good you are to others, you're proving to yourself you have what it takes to create and be seen.
You can’t just say to yourself: “I’m going to stop being so silly, and won’t be ashamed any more”. That’s just not how shame works. Shame can only be overcome by confronting it, by letting that feeling of embarrassment wash over you, and realising there you are, still standing, unharmed. Every post you make weakens the sting you feel from your own embarrassment.
Shame is a fundamental emotion, hardwired into our brains, so we can never erase it completely. I bet even the artists you idolise are embarrassed by much of their own work. In interviews it’s common to hear them disparage what they’ve produced as half-finished junk. But that's because they have such lofty aspirations, and mastery brings with it impossibly high standards. Yet their (imperfect) work was still good enough for you to fall in love with it. You only discovered them because they once made something, and shared it.
So ask deep questions. Create things that are surprising, ambitious, and complex. Be gracious and friendly to those you encounter along the way, as if you were walking down the same trail together. Don’t treat those you meet like a quota to fill, or prospects to close, but think how you can bring value to their lives, because these are questions that will keep your creative fire blazing.
This post was born from personal experience, I started as a Nobody in every sense of the word. I spent months crafting my first posts, then sat on them for years. I muted myself because I considered my work ludicrously amateurish. What finally made me break my silence was curiosity. I wanted to see how many others were out there who thought like I did. You will have your own reasons. Embrace them.
And then, at some quite unexpected point in the future, you will experience a startling moment of enlightenment — when you finally appreciate what being a Somebody truly means. Your biggest source of pride won’t be the size of your audience, but the unique body of work that you’ve produced. Because creating was never about winning the adoration of others. It was about embarking on a journey of mastery, perfecting your craft, and growing into a better, more confident, version of you.
You will find your tribe along the way, enrich them with your gifts, and never walk alone again.
Powerful, inspirational, motivational. Thank you!