Writing for the Individual

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Writing for the individual instead of the stadium can lead to hitting a broader audience. Keeping a journal for a friend can bring out the best writing, as there is intimacy and personal connection. Despite the valuable content, the fear of losing intimacy with a wider audience can prevent publishing such personal reflections.

Packy McCormick is proof that writing online can attract real-world opportunities you never dreamed of. He went from 20 Substack subscribers to a $40 million venture fund — and he’s still growing. In this episode, we dive into the three main “how’s” of Packy’s growth.

First, he has a distinct, unforgettable style. His business-meets-memes newsletter, Not Boring, has amassed 220,000+ subscribers because his “funny finance guy” flair gives him an edge. Not to mention, it all started when he took the first-ever cohort of Write of Passage. (I may be biased, but seriously, that’s when it started.)

Next, Packy shares his domain expertise. He sees writing and investing as the perfect one-two punch. His goal? Share what he knows, and make a behind-the-scenes world accessible to the average audience.

And finally, Packy adds value to his readers. Relentlessly. Not by telling them what to think, but by trying to change the way they think. In a world filled with Beta content — cheap entertainment that disappears in 24 hours — Packy creates Alpha content — quality work that has long-term relevance.

Style. Expertise. Value. This is just a sneak-peek into our conversation. If you want to find your distinctiveness in a modern digital world, this episode is for you.

SPEAKER LINKS:

Website: https://www.packym.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/packyM

Newsletter: https://www.notboring.co/

WRITE OF PASSAGE:

Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?

https://writeofpassage.com/

PODCAST LINKS:

Website: https://writeofpassage.school/how-i-write/

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos