Learn in Public: Building Virality and Progress in Your Work

Learn in Public: Building Virality and Progress in Your Work

In the world of learning, hustling, and creating, there are two schools of thought: do in silence and show the end product, or show the process and progress publicly. While both approaches have their merits, learning in public can bring numerous benefits. It creates accountability, builds a feedback loop, allows you to see your progress, and helps you establish a community and following. Additionally, it holds future value as you can review and reflect on what you have done later, not only for yourself but also for others.

Austin Kleon, in his book "Show Your Work!", emphasizes the importance of letting go of our egos and sharing our process. By doing so, we open ourselves up to the possibility of forming ongoing connections with people who are interested in our work. This connection can greatly aid our progress and growth.

Journalist David Carr echoes this sentiment when he advises students to focus on creating rather than relying on their resumes. People want to see what you have made with your own hands, what you have contributed to the world. In this way, both creation and curation can be powerful tools for showcasing your abilities.

On the other hand, building virality into your product can help it gain momentum and reach a wider audience. Here are a few ways to incorporate virality into your product:

1. Create an incentive for users to invite their friends and for their friends to accept the invite. By rewarding both sides, you increase the chances of your product catching on. LinkedIn, for example, incentivized users to invite others by prominently displaying the number of connections on their profiles.

2. Build collaboration and communication features into your product. Apps designed for teamwork naturally lend themselves to virality. When multiple people can benefit from using your product, it becomes more likely that they will invite others to join.

3. Allow others to embed your product into their websites. This not only creates exposure but also demonstrates the expected content and behaviors to potential users. By integrating seamlessly into other platforms, your product can gain visibility and attract new users.

4. Encourage social sharing. If your product generates uniquely interesting content, users can be motivated to share it on their social networks. This spreads knowledge of your product to their network and can lead to further growth. Auto-sharing content onto other networks can be particularly effective in this regard.

5. Create artifacts or URLs that are expected to be shared via messaging. By providing a rich experience around the shared information, you can increase the likelihood of virality. Hotmail's signature line, for example, played a significant role in its rapid growth in the early days of the web.

It's important to note that while virality can be a powerful tool for growth, it should not overshadow the quality of your product. Virality should be built into the core mechanics of your product from the start, rather than added as an afterthought. Ultimately, the success of your product relies on its ability to convert users and retain their loyalty.

In conclusion, learning in public and building virality into your product are two strategies that can greatly contribute to your progress and success. By sharing your process and progress, you create accountability, build a feedback loop, and establish a community. Incorporating virality into your product, on the other hand, can help it gain momentum and reach a wider audience. Remember to focus on quality and continuously improve your work. Stay committed to your craft, and success will follow.