# Milestone: 100 followers ## Overview - **Goal**: Reach 100 followers on X - **Why it matters**: This marks the beginning of my "marketing" journey as a solo builder. While I've been focused on building products, reaching 100 followers is about establishing my platform and credibility before I need customers. These first 100 followers represent my future first customers—people who believe in my vision and journey. It's also about personal validation that my ideas resonate, and building genuine connections with people interested in the solo builder path. - **Timeline**: Started on October 1, 2025 • Target completion: Open-ended (organic growth) ## Starting Point - **Initial follower count**: 30 followers (October 1, 2025) - **Profile setup**: - Bio: "Solo builder working to create profitable products. Sharing what I learn along the way 🚀 Join the journey" - Focused on positioning as someone documenting the solo builder journey, emphasizing learning and community - **First post/activity**: Started by sharing thoughts, beliefs, observations, and process insights—content focused on the journey itself rather than specific products, establishing authenticity and personality first ## Current Status - **Current follower count**: 81 followers - **Progress**: 81 / 100 followers (81%) - **Last updated**: October 19, 2025 - **Growth trajectory**: From 30 to 81 followers in ~19 days (51 new followers, averaging 2.7 followers/day) ## Engagement Tactics ### What's Working ✅ - **Being first to reply to influencer posts**: Reply to new posts from influencers with valuable, thoughtful responses. When the reply has substance, it gets engagement and visibility, leading to followers discovering my profile. This leverages existing high-traffic posts to build visibility. - **Consistent posting schedule**: Post 2-3 times per day using Typefully for scheduling. Consistency keeps profile visible and active, even if individual posts don't get organic traction. - **Strategic engagement with other posts**: Like and engage with replies on other people's posts to build reciprocal relationships. People who interact with you tend to follow back. ### What Didn't Work ❌ - **Personal insight/observation posts**: Own posts about thoughts, beliefs, and observations are largely invisible because I'm new and don't have a large following yet. X doesn't recommend these posts to others, so they get minimal impressions despite potentially being valuable content. ### Best Practices Discovered - **Leverage the X algorithm intentionally**: Connection calling posts and first-replies to influential posts work because they align with how X's algorithm distributes content. The algorithm actively promotes relatable connection requests to matching audiences. - **Focus on visibility before content**: As a new account, growth requires building visibility first (through connection posts and strategic replies) before personal insights will gain traction. Your own content will become more visible once you have an established audience. - **Reciprocal engagement is key**: Engagement on other posts often leads to follows. The platform rewards active participants, not just broadcasters. - **Scheduling tools enable consistency**: Using Typefully to batch and schedule posts removes friction and ensures consistent posting even with varied schedule. ## Metrics & Tracking ### Key Numbers | Metric | Current | Target | Notes | |--------|---------|--------|-------| | Followers | 81 | 100 | 19 followers remaining | | Verified followers | 15 | | ~18% verification rate | | Engagement Rate (avg) | 7.6% | | Strong engagement for new account | | Impressions | 4.5K | | ↑319% growth trend | | Engagements | 350 | | ↑3% recent trend | | Profile visits | 192 | | ↑9% recent trend | | Peak activity time (GMT+7) | Late afternoon to early morning | | Best times to post for visibility | ### Weekly Progress Snapshots - **Week 1 (Oct 1-7)**: ~30-35 followers • Initial setup and early posts, testing messaging - **Week 2 (Oct 8-14)**: ~40-50 followers • Discovered engagement tactics, implemented influencer reply strategy; Oct 8-9 showed highest impressions (~1.3K) - **Week 3 (Oct 15-19)**: ~55-81 followers • Connection calling posts proved highly effective; Oct 19 breakthrough with 26 new followers in single day ### Notable Milestones - **Oct 8-9**: Peak impressions (~1.3K) and engagement (~130 engagements on Oct 8) during early experimentation phase - **Oct 19**: Connection calling tactic breakthrough—26 new followers in one day, demonstrating the power of algorithm-aligned posts - **Today (Oct 19)**: Reached 81 followers (81% to goal), momentum building toward 100 ## Learnings & Reflections ### Key Insights - **Both posting and engagement are non-negotiable**: Growth requires doing both consistently. You can't just post and hope—you need daily posts AND regular engagement on others' posts. It's not an either/or strategy; it's a both/and requirement. The 25-follower day validated this through the combination of connection posts + strategic engagement. - **Visibility precedes credibility**: As a new, low-follower account, your personal insights won't get algorithmic boost initially, no matter how valuable. Focus on visibility first (through connection posts and replies to influential posts) before expecting your own content to gain traction. Once you have an audience foundation, your insights become more valuable. - **Algorithm alignment matters more than polish**: A simple, relatable connection call outperforms a polished personal observation post. Understanding and leveraging how the algorithm works beats trying to create perfectly crafted content. ### Unexpected Discoveries - **Low-follower accounts are the most responsive**: Other small creators actively looking to grow are the most engaged and responsive to interaction. They reciprocate follows, engage with replies, and build mutual support. Don't underestimate accounts smaller than yours—they're often your most valuable network. - **X community is genuinely friendly and open**: Despite the platform's reputation, the overall vibe is professional, welcoming, and collaborative. People are open to connection and genuine interaction, which makes the platform feel less like a competition and more like a community. ### Skills & Growth - **AI-assisted content refinement**: Learned to collaborate with AI to polish and rephrase my own ideas. I generate the core ideas and insights myself, but use AI to enhance writing quality, clarity, and impact. This bridges the gap between quantity and quality. - **Brainstorming and ideation**: Developed better ability to generate daily post ideas and connection hooks. Consistency requires a pipeline of ideas, and learned to think about what resonates with builders and tech professionals. - **Focus management**: Recognized that building a personal brand is important, but it can't consume all your time. Had to develop discipline to spend focused time on X (posting, engaging) without letting it become an all-day distraction. Balance between brand-building and actual product work is critical for a solo builder. ### Relationships Built - **No deep relationships yet**: Haven't formed meaningful individual relationships or partnerships at this stage. - **Community vibe**: The overall X community—especially builders and tech creators—feels genuinely supportive, open, and professional. This creates a positive environment for continued growth and future relationship-building. ## The Final Push (75 → 100) ### Current Plan - **Target**: 100 followers by end of October 2025 - **Followers needed**: 19 more (from current 81) - **Expected timeline**: ~7-10 days at current pace - **Strategy**: Continue with proven tactics—connection calling posts, strategic replies to influencer posts, consistent daily posting (2-3 posts/day), and reciprocal engagement ### Tactics to Scale - **Connection calling posts**: The 25-follower breakthrough on Oct 19 validated this approach. Will continue using variations of simple, relatable connection calls that align with X's algorithm. - **First-reply strategy**: Continue replying early to influential posts in the builder/tech space with thoughtful, value-added comments. - **Engagement on low-follower accounts**: Prioritize interaction with other small creators—they're responsive and reciprocal. - **Consistency**: Maintain 2-3 daily posts via Typefully to keep profile active and visible. ### Progress Updates - _To be filled in as you progress toward 100_ - _Date/milestone updates here_ ## Achieved! 🎉 - **Date reached 100 followers**: _Fill in date when you hit 100_ - **Total time invested**: _Calculate from Oct 1 start date_ - **Key breakthrough moment**: Connection calling posts on Oct 19 (26 followers in one day) demonstrated that algorithm alignment > content polish - **Final reflection**: _What did reaching 100 followers mean to you? How has it changed your perspective on marketing and building in public? What surprised you most about the journey?_ - **What's next?**: _Next milestone? How will you leverage these 100 followers? What's your marketing strategy for the next phase?_