Don't Find A Niche, Find A Mode

This is a bit meta, because this article is really about publishing online and while I find this stuff interesting, I often find it far too marketing heavy. I do like the idea though of finding people to connect with, and sharing value. That is why I make the Weekly Thing after all.

This article presented something new though, the idea of a mode over a niche. I've always struggled with the idea of creating a content about a niche. Most every piece of advice you can find about creating a website or newsletter is about finding your niche. I can never answer that question. It has made me feel like it is something I’m missing by not doing.

But this idea of a mode I love. I think about this often. I love the mode of discovery, exploration, and learning. Those verbs tend to align with nouns like technology, leadership, privacy, productivity. Very notably the nouns may evolve and chnage as a result of, well, discovery, exploration, and learning.

I think of the Weekly Thing as a way to share that journey. I guess it is a mode, not a niche.

I've been asked by a lot of people how to start publishing a blog, or writing a newsletter. I think my advice to them always fall flat. The first step is to just start writing. About what? Whatever is on your mind. I love to highlight that one of my very first blog posts from 2004 was about getting rain gutters installed.

Now though I understand that they are looking for a niche. I think the best thing is to get into the mode. The mode will take you wherever you end up, and that will be right.