Scene hook
I know that feeling too well: after a project has changed direction several times and the clients still haven’t stabilized, I’d sit in front of my computer at night wondering whether I was just keeping myself busy again. I’ve been stuck there too. I kept wanting to find a “more profitable direction” first, and the more I changed course, the emptier it felt.
What this method is + who’s already using it
What I saw this time wasn’t some new software, but an old-school method that’s still genuinely useful: go to the right community and clearly explain what you’re making, why you’re making it, and who it has helped. The founder of Recurse Center posted their project on Hacker News. Looking back 15 years later, that post didn’t just bring in the first group of people; it also helped him confirm that this was work he was willing to keep doing for the long haul. I’ve seen something similar in a cafe in Wangjing, Beijing. Last November, A-Lan, an independent consultant, was revising a proposal while telling me how she had written a reflection post in a niche community about helping two clients improve content conversion. The post didn’t blow up that day, but three weeks later her first long-term client came in. That was the moment she finally relaxed: what she actually wanted wasn’t to “take anything,” but to go deep on this one kind of work.
What it costs to copy today
The cost to try this is actually pretty low: money, $0; time, 60–90 minutes; technical barrier, being able to clearly say “who I help solve what problem for” — no coding needed. The first step is simple: open the industry community you use most, your Moments feed, your WeChat Official Account backend, or Xiaohongshu, hit the “publish” button, and start with three sentences — who I am, what I’ve been repeatedly refining lately, and who has already benefited from it. Not everyone needs this. If I still haven’t even figured out who I serve, it’s also fine not to force it yet; just finishing the work already on my plate can be enough for now.
Advice by stage
If I were just getting started, I’d begin with a “process post.” I wouldn’t rush to sell; I’d first see whether anyone even wants to hear me talk about this.
If I already had 1–2 clients, I’d turn the before-and-after changes into small case studies and use real scenes instead of empty claims. I messed this part up before too — I wrote it too much like an ad, and it worked badly.
If I were scaling up, I’d start showing up consistently in 1–2 niche communities. I wouldn’t expect every post to convert. I’d only watch whether it helps attract people on the same wavelength, potential collaborators, or reminds me whether this path is still worth staying on.