Packy McCormick Story: 80K Subscribers & Buzzy Angel in <2 Years: 9 Ways to Build Virality into your Product

Packy McCormick Story: 80K Subscribers & Buzzy Angel in <2 Years: 9 Ways to Build Virality into your Product

In the world of digital content creation and entrepreneurship, success stories are always inspiring and motivating. One such success story is that of Packy McCormick, who managed to gain 80K subscribers and become a buzzworthy angel investor in less than two years. So, how did he achieve this remarkable feat? Let's take a closer look at his journey and the strategies he employed.

One of the key elements that define Packy's work is his ability to provide detailed analysis while keeping the content engaging and entertaining. In his piece titled "Startup Economic Lessons from Shen Yun's Empire," Packy showcases his knack for incorporating tweet evidence, memes, and funny pictures. This balanced approach ensures that readers are not overwhelmed but rather stay engaged throughout the article. Moreover, the inclusion of funny pictures makes his work highly shareable, thereby increasing its reach.

In June, Packy decided to leverage the power of his existing loyal email subscriber base by creating a new domain for his site and launching it on Product Hunt. This decision turned out to be a game-changer as his site ended up being the 2 product of the day on the influential site for early adopters. This strategy highlights the importance of leveraging your existing audience and seeking their support in order to gain traction on platforms like Product Hunt.

Packy's journey took another interesting turn in July when he transitioned from being a newsletter writer to becoming an angel investor. When he wrote a piece on the startup Apt, titled "Apt: The Natively Integrated Developer," he included the news of his venture into angel investing. This shift showcased Packy's signature style of providing insightful analysis on the latest tech trends in a humble, fun, and detailed manner. This unique approach not only sets him apart but also allows his readers to gain valuable insights from an investor's perspective.

Instead of opting for a paid subscription model like other popular newsletter writers, Packy chose to go the sponsorship route. He explained his reasoning behind this decision in a tweet thread, which helped his readership understand and support his choice. This sponsorship model also opened up a new article type for Packy, known as the sponsored deep-dive. On Thursdays, he writes in-depth about a company that is a paid post, often investing in it as well. This approach provides his readers with exclusive insights into companies that are not frequently covered and have limited publicly available information. Moreover, Packy's personal investment in these companies adds credibility and transparency to his analysis.

As we delve into the strategies that contributed to Packy's success, it is worth exploring the concept of building virality into your product. The following actionable tips can help you create a viral product and maximize its reach:

1. Two-Sided Reward: Create an incentive for users to invite their friends and for their friends to accept the invite. This two-sided reward system encourages users to spread the word about your product and increases its virality.

2. Appeal to Vanity: Tap into users' sense of vanity and competitiveness by providing metrics that they can drive up. LinkedIn's early strategy of prominently displaying the number of connections on a user's profile is a prime example of this approach.

3. Collaboration: Build products that facilitate collaboration or communication between coworkers. Such products inherently have viral potential as users invite others to join and participate.

4. Embeds: Enable others to embed your product into their website. This not only increases your product's visibility but also allows it to reach new audiences through external platforms.

5. Artifacts Shared on Social: If your product generates unique and interesting content, encourage users to share it on their social networks. Platforms like Pinterest have successfully utilized this strategy by allowing users to pin items from the web and share them on platforms like Facebook.

6. Artifacts Shared via Messaging: Design your product to generate artifacts or URLs that are expected to be shared via messaging platforms. This way, users become organic promoters of your product within their personal networks.

7. Signatures: Consider incorporating your product's branding or messaging into users' signatures. This subtle yet effective strategy ensures that every message sent by a user serves as a promotional tool for your product.

8. First Message sent on Existing Messaging Platform: Encourage users to send their first message on an existing messaging platform using your product. This not only introduces your product to new users but also leverages the existing user base of popular messaging platforms.

9. Highly Visible Hardware: If you have a hardware product, make sure it stands out and catches people's attention. High visibility hardware products like Square and Nest Cam have successfully utilized this strategy to generate interest and attract users.

In conclusion, Packy McCormick's journey from a newsletter writer to a successful angel investor offers valuable insights and lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. By incorporating engaging content, leveraging existing audiences, and adopting unique strategies like sponsored deep-dives, Packy managed to build a loyal subscriber base and make a mark in the industry. Moreover, the actionable tips provided can help you build virality into your own product and increase its reach. So, take inspiration from Packy's story and implement these strategies to make your own entrepreneurial journey a success.