Thread by @jackbutcher

Why promoting yourself/your business/your ideas feels uncomfortable:

You must repeat things that are obvious to you until they become obvious to others.

This is why most people hire marketers or outsource the amplification of their message.

The problem with that is no one is an invested as you are, and no one knows your message like you do.

And why those who break through their discomfort reach an escape velocity that eludes most.

This is a difficult and unnatural process, hence the upside on the other side.

Another way to think about it is the famous shelf analogy:

No one wants a drill they want a hole, no one wants a hole they want a shelf, no one wants a shelf they want to a place to put books to look smart, etc.

People care about the 2nd, 3rd, 4th order effects of your work.

And the further away from the perceived benefit you are, the harder it is to market what you do.

I have a narrow and incomplete perspective on this but want to share incase it can be helpful:

Start by helping one person, and pay a massive amount of attention to how they feel as a result of having worked with you.

That's the feeling you're marketing.

Originally, when I worked as a designer/consultant, that feeling was:

"I feel much more confident in my ability to explain exactly what I do as a result of building out this visual narrative."

Until you have this locked in your marketing will feel like an absolutely brutal process.

It's a chicken and egg scenario, hence why the "permissionless" approach is a great way to start - market by solving the problem vs. talking about solving a problem that you haven't solved.