People want to put you in a box.
Help them put you in an expensive, high-sentimental-value, glittering, easy to reach box. Preferably at eye level, near Checkout, next to other nice looking boxes.
Help them put you in an expensive, high-sentimental-value, glittering, easy to reach box. Preferably at eye level, near Checkout, next to other nice looking boxes.
You don't have to market to the whole world.
You can target specifically the audiences you want to work for, and no more.
As long as you are well-known in those circles, you don't need a public presence at all.
You can target specifically the audiences you want to work for, and no more.
As long as you are well-known in those circles, you don't need a public presence at all.
Branding is the stuff that uniquely identifies you. Marketing just gets your awesome in front of people.
The strongest branding *creates its own market*. It's really easy to sell to a market in which you are the only seller. Nobody can compete with you at being you.
The strongest branding *creates its own market*. It's really easy to sell to a market in which you are the only seller. Nobody can compete with you at being you.
Your Personal Brand is how people talk about you when you're not in the room.
You create a Personal Brand *from thin air*, with the full dimensionality of all human personality has to offer.
You create a Personal Brand *from thin air*, with the full dimensionality of all human personality has to offer.
Average is Boring. Anything not "average" is a good candidate for your Personal Brand.
In particular: Diversity is strength. Adversity is strength. Weakness is strength. Nothing is off limits.
Stay positive: Entertain, Educate, Inspire, Motivate.
In particular: Diversity is strength. Adversity is strength. Weakness is strength. Nothing is off limits.
Stay positive: Entertain, Educate, Inspire, Motivate.
One formula for a Personal Brand:
Identity + Opinions. Who you are + What you're about.
These are as good as tagging them on Twitter:
- Knitter + Accessibility
- Pianist + State Machines
- Applitools + Test Automation
- Coursera + GraphQL
Identity + Opinions. Who you are + What you're about.
These are as good as tagging them on Twitter:
- Knitter + Accessibility
- Pianist + State Machines
- Applitools + Test Automation
- Coursera + GraphQL
Your profile is seen more than your face.
Take it seriously:
- Take a great photo and use it *everywhere*.
- Show your real/professional name if possible.
- Your bio should display your affiliations/current projects.
Take it seriously:
- Take a great photo and use it *everywhere*.
- Show your real/professional name if possible.
- Your bio should display your affiliations/current projects.
Thought experiment: Can people make memes of you?
If yes: that's a Personal Brand.
If yes: that's a Personal Brand.
You Need A Domain:
1. Set up a domain (yourname dot come) that has all your best work
2. Pick a field that you are About. Plant your flag. Put up your personal Bat Signal.
1. Set up a domain (yourname dot come) that has all your best work
2. Pick a field that you are About. Plant your flag. Put up your personal Bat Signal.
Picking a Domain: Connect yourself to something important that you love, that you are also ABSURDLY unsatisfied with.
That love-hate tension can fuel you for years.
Plant a flag on your domain, and say: "This is What I Do".
That love-hate tension can fuel you for years.
Plant a flag on your domain, and say: "This is What I Do".
Give Up Freedom - For Now.
Once your flag is planted, don't plant it anywhere else. People like to see commitment. You signal commitment by giving up optionality. What you lose in freedom you gain 10x in marketing.
You can still pivot if you need to.
Once your flag is planted, don't plant it anywhere else. People like to see commitment. You signal commitment by giving up optionality. What you lose in freedom you gain 10x in marketing.
You can still pivot if you need to.
Marketing Business Value:
Have at your fingertips all the relevant statistics, data, quotes, and anecdotes for when you solve major product pain points, or contributed a major revenue generating/cost saving feature.
It will come up without warning, and you want to be ready.
Have at your fingertips all the relevant statistics, data, quotes, and anecdotes for when you solve major product pain points, or contributed a major revenue generating/cost saving feature.
It will come up without warning, and you want to be ready.
Marketing Coding Skills:
Do Cool Stuff. Cover Your Bases.
Cool can mean: solves common problem, uses new tech, has great metrics, you were paid, live in production.
Shortcuts: Clone Well Known Apps, Win Hackathon, Build X from Scratch
Do Cool Stuff. Cover Your Bases.
Cool can mean: solves common problem, uses new tech, has great metrics, you were paid, live in production.
Shortcuts: Clone Well Known Apps, Win Hackathon, Build X from Scratch
Portfolios display work and diversify appeal. Portfolios also overemphasize breadth and visual elements. Depends what you are trying to market.
More important to show instantly verifiable Proof of Work. Blog is universal medium for this.
More important to show instantly verifiable Proof of Work. Blog is universal medium for this.
Marketing Yourself in Public:
Pick a Channel, stick to it.
Don't Lie.
Don't Share Secrets.
Aim for Inbound Personal Marketing.
Do more than you're comfortable.
Customize your message.
Careful what you market for - you just might get it!
Pick a Channel, stick to it.
Don't Lie.
Don't Share Secrets.
Aim for Inbound Personal Marketing.
Do more than you're comfortable.
Customize your message.
Careful what you market for - you just might get it!
Marketing Yourself at Work:
Easier, because smaller pond. Harder, because it can backfire.
Don't overstep.
Don't be obnoxious.
Do share credit.
Don't take credit for something that wasn't yours.
Easier, because smaller pond. Harder, because it can backfire.
Don't overstep.
Don't be obnoxious.
Do share credit.
Don't take credit for something that wasn't yours.
Log your own metrics.
Your company probably has an expensive, comprehensive and well instrumented metrics logging system (This is a joke - one does not exist).
Don't trust it. It will fail you.
Your company probably has an expensive, comprehensive and well instrumented metrics logging system (This is a joke - one does not exist).
Don't trust it. It will fail you.
Hand collect metrics, links, press coverage. Take screenshots. Collect qualitative anecdotes, quotes, shoutouts.
The best time to do this is right after you see a good result - you will never have time in future to go back for it.
The best time to do this is right after you see a good result - you will never have time in future to go back for it.
Make Status Updates Awesome. Most people put no effort. You can buck the trend, "flip the bits" in team morale.
No scheduled status updates? Great - Make Your Own. Management always appreciates this.
No scheduled status updates? Great - Make Your Own. Management always appreciates this.
Do Demos. This is internal marketing people regularly turn down. Not you.
Since we're all remote + async - Do recorded demos. Good demos will spread virally, and so will you.
*NOTE: don't demo others' work that isn't ready for a demo
Since we're all remote + async - Do recorded demos. Good demos will spread virally, and so will you.
*NOTE: don't demo others' work that isn't ready for a demo
Signature Initiative: Showcase your abilities and ideas outside usual org chart.
Examples:
-
- Book club
- Lunch & Learn
- Talk series
- @MatthewGerstman started JS Guild at @Dropbox
Examples:
-
- Book club
- Lunch & Learn
- Talk series
- @MatthewGerstman started JS Guild at @Dropbox
Recap: Assemble your Personal Brand, your Domain, and your Coding Skills/Business Value. Then Market Yourself in Public + at Work.
swyx.io/writing/market…
swyx.io/writing/market…
This is a public draft of a chapter I'm working on for the @Coding_Career book:
The main points end here. Read on only if you want extra "hacks" that can get you quick wins with Marketing Yourself
The main points end here. Read on only if you want extra "hacks" that can get you quick wins with Marketing Yourself
Help Others Market: find others who are brilliant but uninterested in marketing, and offer free marketing help!
Crosspost on Industry Blogs: Industry blogs (and newsletters) are pretty much always looking for quality content. For Frontend Dev, the ones with rigorous editing are @CSS Tricks, @SmashingMag, and @alistapart.
Collaborations: If possible, raise your profile by working with others who already have very high profiles.
The most common version of this is Pick Up What They Put Down:
The most common version of this is Pick Up What They Put Down:
Industry Awards. Microsoft MVP, Google GDE, AWS Heroes.
Having a bunch of logos on your site/slides generally helps you, so long as they are not your biggest claim to fame.
Having a bunch of logos on your site/slides generally helps you, so long as they are not your biggest claim to fame.
Memorable words/catch phrase/motto. Nike spends billions to make sure that every time you think of the words "Just Do It", they come up. You can do that on a smaller scale.
Friendcatchers. Win friends while you sleep.
Visualize your work.
If you draw, you can be WORLD BEATING at marketing. Draw everything you can. Even the invisible stuff. ESPECIALLY the invisible stuff:
If you say you cannot draw, that's a lie. Use @Excalidraw.
If you draw, you can be WORLD BEATING at marketing. Draw everything you can. Even the invisible stuff. ESPECIALLY the invisible stuff:
If you say you cannot draw, that's a lie. Use @Excalidraw.
I livestreamed 5 hours of writing this essay here
