Trust Me. You Don't Want to Go Viral.
Going viral feels like winning the lottery. A rush of dopamine, notifications flooding your phone, thousands of new followers appearing overnight. Everyone wants their shot at Internet fame.
But viral content creates false prophets.
Most viral creators never repeat their success. They spend years chasing that high, posting increasingly desperate attempts to recapture lightning in a bottle. Their work becomes hollow, engineered for algorithms rather than impact.
Real influence doesn’t spread like a noxious weed. It spreads like a tree — slowly putting down roots, branching out deliberately, and growing stronger over decades.
When you focus on going viral, you optimize for temporary attention. You trade depth for breadth. You sacrifice the chance to build something lasting.
Consider the creator with 100 true fans who buy everything they make. The writer whose essays change how people think about the world. They didn't build on the shifting sands of virality. They grew their influence one meaningful connection at a time.
Virality tricks us into believing that attention equals impact. But attention without retention is worthless. Going viral might get you followers, but it won’t get you disciples. It might get you noticed, but it won’t earn you respect.
Build for the minimum viable audience. Create work that matters for people who care. Focus on depth over distribution. Let your ideas spread through trust networks instead of trending algorithms.
Because here’s what nobody tells you about going viral: It’s usually your least important work that catches fire. The throwaway tweet. The reactionary hot take. The oversimplified idea that lacks all nuance.
Your best work — the stuff that actually matters — rarely goes viral. It’s too complex, too challenging, too real for mass consumption.
Resist the trap of pursuing virality. Stop creating for the algorithm. Start creating for the people who need what only you can offer.
Plant your tree. Put down your roots. Branch out slowly.
