I recently received an email from someone asking:

I'm curious if you have advice on what might be the best way to get traction/visibility? Seems like you have had a great deal of success positioning yourself to be easily found and known.

Here's what I told them:

This is a tricky thing. Often it can be hard to backtrack and identify the source of success and share tips in a context that works for you and your situation. But I'll do my best and I'll focus on telling my story rather than making specific recommendations for you.

First, I think it's useful for you to know that when I was starting out in my career, I wasn't really planning on building a "following." Instead, it kind of happened naturally as I shared and created stuff.

I was just really curious about web development, so I'd dig into topics, learn as much as I could, then share what I learned—whether that was on my blog, Twitter, or StackOverflow and then eventually at meetups and conferences.

At the time, I was just trying to contribute and engage with the community, but those small acts of sharing consistently added up over time.

One big factor that helped my content stand out was the choice to teach concepts in a way that reflected the things I wished I'd known earlier. This wasn't a strategic move, but more just something I enjoyed doing.

I tried to break down complex topics into manageable steps, demystifying them as much as possible. That process took me deeper into each topic, and the result was that I ended up building resources that resonated with people who wanted a more accessible path to learning.

When I created something like EpicReact.dev, for instance, I focused on the core challenges I saw people face and tried to deliver something they'd find genuinely useful in their day-to-day work. I determined what these core challenges were by teaching a lot over time.

Another part of it was simply about being present and showing up regularly. People come to rely on that consistency, and it builds trust.

I think consistency in sharing—whether it's a tweet, a blog post, or an open-source contribution—can compound over time in a way that builds credibility and a sense of connection with others in the community.

It also opens up collaborations and opportunities you don't expect when you're just actively sharing what you know. The more questions you answer, the more people ask you. I made myself the kind of person people wanted to ask questions to because I was simply there to answer the questions. And I magnified the answers by posting them online.

Finally, a huge component of this has been embracing an approach of continuous learning and sharing. As I grew and gained experience, I adapted my content and approach to reflect where I was in my own journey.

The willingness to evolve, try new things, and respond to what I see happening in the community has been key to staying relevant and resonant. And I'd say, don't underestimate the power of staying true to your unique voice and values—that's what makes people feel connected and engaged in the long run.

You can read more about my story in my 2010s decade in review post. But hopefully this gives you a sense of how it all started and evolved.

Good luck!