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How to Be Great? Just Be Good, Repeatably | Steph Smith | How I Write Podcast

David Perell・82 minutes read

Differentiation and success in writing and content creation require a unique voice and approach, as emphasized by Steph Smith. Developing a distinct style, embracing authenticity, and balancing creativity with technical skills are crucial for creators to connect with their audience and achieve lasting success.

Insights

  • Distinguishing oneself in a crowded creative landscape is crucial for success, emphasizing the significance of developing a unique voice in writing and content creation.
  • Authenticity and uniqueness are key factors in fostering genuine connections with audiences, as seen in successful creators like Pieter Levels and Walter Hickey.
  • Balancing personal creative expression with audience feedback is essential for creators to evolve authentically and maintain long-term engagement with their audience.

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Recent questions

  • How can creators stand out in a saturated online content landscape?

    To stand out in a crowded online content space, creators must focus on developing a unique voice and style that differentiates them from others. Consistency in their work and seeking feedback to enhance their distinctive voice are crucial steps. Successful creators like Pieter Levels and Walter Hickey maintain authenticity and uniqueness in their content, fostering genuine connections with their audience. By prioritizing distribution and distinctiveness, creators can effectively engage with their audience and establish a loyal following.

  • What is the significance of embracing one's unique writing style?

    Embracing a unique writing style is essential for writers to stand out and connect with their audience in a saturated content landscape. Developing a distinct voice allows writers to create a more engaging and authentic environment for readers to immerse themselves in. Consistency in this unique style, even if it may be perceived as wordy, can foster a deeper connection with the audience, showcasing authenticity over conciseness. By staying true to their voice and style, writers can create a lasting impact and build a loyal readership.

  • How can creators balance personal voice with technical craft?

    Balancing personal voice and style with technical craft is crucial for enhancing creative work. By incorporating fundamentals and technical skills into their creative process, creators like Taylor Swift can elevate their work while maintaining their unique voice. This balance ensures that the creator's identity and vision are accurately represented in their projects. Embracing both personal expression and technical proficiency can lead to more impactful and engaging creative endeavors.

  • Why is it important to prioritize creative pursuits over monetary gains?

    Prioritizing creative pursuits over monetary gains allows individuals to focus on developing their unique vision and voice. Financial success often comes after a prolonged period of creation and dedication to one's craft. By separating creative endeavors from financial pressures, creators can pursue their passions authentically and cultivate a more meaningful and long-term creative journey. This approach may take time to yield success, but it allows for a more authentic and fulfilling pursuit of one's creative aspirations.

  • How can creators balance personal growth with artistic identity?

    Balancing personal growth with artistic identity is a challenge that many creators face as they evolve creatively. Embracing change and new directions in artistic expression is crucial for self-discovery and creative evolution. By breaking away from self-imposed expectations and internalized audience pressures, creators can explore new avenues of creativity and growth. It is essential to maintain authenticity and rawness in creative work while navigating the expectations that come with increased visibility and audience engagement.

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Summary

00:00

"Stand out with unique voice and distribution"

  • There are 8 billion humans in the world, making differentiation crucial in communication.
  • Many individuals search on Google for guidance on achieving greatness.
  • Making one key decision can simplify numerous future choices.
  • MrBeast initially created quirky videos, possibly to manipulate algorithms and reflect his personality.
  • Distribution and distinctiveness are vital for success in writing and content creation.
  • Steph Smith, a podcast host and author, emphasizes the importance of distribution and distinctiveness.
  • Developing a unique voice in writing is essential for standing out in a saturated online content landscape.
  • Consistency and feedback help writers discover and enhance their distinctive voice.
  • Steph Smith's approachable writing style resonates with readers and fosters connection.
  • Successful creators like Pieter Levels and Walter Hickey maintain authenticity and uniqueness in their work, fostering genuine connections with their audience.

11:25

"Evolution of Friendships, Golf, Writing, and Branding"

  • Different types of friends serve different purposes in our lives, from casual fun to exposure to new things.
  • Golf swings have evolved to become more standardized due to technology and high-end instruction.
  • Similar homogenization has occurred in writing and speech patterns due to over-socialization and constant consumption.
  • The shift towards a formulaic approach in music, writing, and other industries has led to a loss of distinctive voices.
  • The importance of distinguishing between being great and being the absolute best in any field, like golf or writing.
  • Examples of companies like Barstool and The Skim successfully changing the tone of serious topics to a more casual and relatable style.
  • The significance of using visuals, like infographics, to enhance storytelling and engage audiences effectively.
  • The emergence of tools like Flourish making it easier to create dynamic visuals like moving infographics.
  • Early adoption of new storytelling forms, like moving infographics, can help new creators stand out and find their unique voice.
  • The importance of branding and packaging in storytelling, as exemplified by individuals like Jack Butcher and Tim Urban.

23:11

"Embracing uniqueness leads to creative success"

  • Many creators must go through a prolonged period of creation before finding their voice or connecting with their audience.
  • Kevin Kelly exemplifies someone who fully embraces his unique personality and interests, evident in his home studio filled with diverse collections reflecting his obsessions.
  • Kevin Kelly's life journey, including backpacking through Asia, led to his successful book series on "Vanishing Asia," showcasing his distinct experiences and passions.
  • Financial success for individuals like Kevin Kelly often comes after prioritizing their creative pursuits over monetary gains, allowing time for their unique vision to develop.
  • Separating creative endeavors from financial pressures can lead to a more authentic and long-term pursuit of one's passions, even if it takes many years to achieve success.
  • The importance of patience and allowing ideas to evolve naturally is highlighted through examples like the 40-year construction of the Duomo door in Florence and the slow growth of redwood trees in Muir Woods.
  • Creators who take breaks and reemerge with well-thought-out content often garner more admiration and engagement, showcasing the value of balancing personal creative expression with audience feedback.
  • Understanding the game one is playing in the creative field, whether aiming for quick success or long-term impact, is crucial to aligning personal goals with creative output.
  • Balancing personal voice and style with technical craft and study, as seen in the example of Taylor Swift's incorporation of fundamentals in her music, can enhance creative work.
  • Embracing one's unique writing style, even if it may be perceived as wordy, can create a distinct environment for readers to engage with and live in, showcasing authenticity over conciseness.

35:24

Navigating Online Responses and Creative Evolution

  • The speaker discusses the responses they and their husband receive online, with the husband getting lengthy emails about personal struggles and the speaker receiving messages from people inspired by their work.
  • The speaker's inbox is divided into two categories: one with tactical writing questions and the other with discussions about faith, which the speaker finds deeply meaningful.
  • The speaker values emails about faith as a key performance indicator for their online writing success, emphasizing the emotional depth of these messages.
  • The speaker reflects on the importance of honesty in storytelling, sharing personal struggles and growth rather than focusing on impressing readers with knowledge.
  • The speaker and their conversation partner discuss the challenge of maintaining authenticity and rawness in their work as they gain more visibility and audience expectations.
  • The speaker shares a personal struggle with meeting expectations from past successful work and the difficulty of evolving creatively while feeling tied to previous achievements.
  • The speaker mentions a documentary about an artist who faced a dilemma between sticking to a successful past project or evolving creatively, highlighting the struggle of personal growth and artistic identity.
  • The artist's journey of self-discovery and creative evolution is discussed, emphasizing the importance of embracing change and new directions in artistic expression.
  • The speaker reflects on the challenge of breaking away from self-imposed expectations in writing and the importance of realizing that audience expectations are often internalized.
  • The conversation shifts to the timeless appeal of personal letters and the potential for modern writers to incorporate more authentic, non-performative elements in their work.

48:14

Effective Distribution Strategy for Content Marketing Success

  • Distribution marketing plan includes posting on Hacker News, in communities, on Twitter, and seeding articles.
  • Connecting platforms and creating pathways for content discovery is crucial.
  • Spending time distributing content is essential, not just posting a tweet.
  • Write of Passage focuses on helping people write their best piece on their core idea.
  • Utilizing platforms like Hacker News, Lobsters, Reddit, Medium, and Dev.to for cross-promotion.
  • Seeding content in communities like Women Make and Work in Progress is beneficial.
  • Engaging on Twitter by sharing thoughts, tutorials, and revenue details.
  • Outreach to newsletter operators and authors like Adam Grant and Gretchen Rubin for collaboration.
  • Engaging with authors by discussing their work and sharing insights leads to positive responses.
  • Balancing between creating quality content and effective distribution is crucial for success.

01:00:44

"Music, Ideas, and Passion Shape Careers"

  • Music becomes a part of you through repetition, resonating deeply.
  • Ideas can also become inseparable from you, influencing your career choices.
  • Long-form pieces from writers like Tal Shahar and Matthew Ball can shape career paths.
  • Music has a unique ability to evoke nostalgia and lasting affinity over time.
  • Craft in music and poetry lies in encoding messages with style and rhythm.
  • Platforms like Hacker News can bring significant traffic but may lack in building a true audience.
  • Building an audience is about creating lasting relationships at scale, not just numbers.
  • Encouragement towards exploring strange, unique interests can lead to creative breakthroughs.
  • Personal quirks and passions, like a love for spreadsheets, can reveal hidden talents and interests.
  • Understanding and embracing our true passions and inclinations is crucial for personal growth and fulfillment.

01:13:51

Uncover, Express, Evolve: Enhancing Writing Process

  • Ideas are often so close to us that we may need someone else to point them out to us.
  • Our best ideas are usually right in front of us but may require a change in perspective to see them.
  • It is crucial to pay attention to passing behaviors and interactions that spark curiosity.
  • The writing process should focus on expressing what we are deeply passionate about.
  • Writing doesn't always have to follow the traditional school model of building knowledge to write.
  • It is easier to write when you are passionate and have something to say.
  • It is essential to capture ideas as soon as they come to you, as they may be fleeting.
  • Giving yourself time to let ideas evolve and mature can enhance the writing process.
  • Incorporating keyword research can provide valuable insights into what people are interested in.
  • The rumination period allows ideas to develop and mature, ensuring that only the most relevant and substantial ones are included in the final piece.

01:26:16

Balancing deadlines and creative freedom in writing.

  • Articles should not be limited to a specific word count; they can vary from 400 to 4,000 words and have different timelines.
  • Disneyland was built in 366 days, emphasizing the importance of deadlines, but constant deadlines can lead to burnout.
  • Personal struggle with deadlines and the need to find the right balance between having deadlines and not having any.
  • Writing classes often lack the focus on spotting what's interesting, which is crucial for effective writing.
  • Encouraging writers to focus on what they find interesting and unique to differentiate themselves.
  • Coding skills allow for customization and control over projects, ensuring they reflect the creator's voice and vision.
  • The importance of maintaining control over projects to ensure they represent the creator's identity and vision accurately.
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