How I Would Build a 15K Medium Audience — If I Had to Start Over
(What I would do differently to get there faster)
doesn’t give a sh*t that I have 15K Medium followers.
But if you’re struggling to get your first 1000 followers, I’ve got your back.
Building an audience on Medium was never easy. It took me over three years to get here, and I want to share a bit of that journey with you.
When I started, I faced the same challenges every beginner does:
- Overwhelm — Creating fresh content every week while working a full-time job? It was hard to find time, and harder still to figure out what worked on the platform.
- Imposter Syndrome — I had no credibility at all. Everyone else seemed to be posting about major transformations and big results — things I didn’t have. Why would anyone listen to me?
- Writer’s Block — Even as I learned how to build a writing habit, I still struggled to come up with ideas. The blank page always felt like a mountain to climb.
At times, I honestly thought about quitting.
But I kept going — and if I had to do it all over again, here’s what I would do differently. I’d make it easier on myself and get to my goals faster.
Stop Creating “Unique” Content
Everyone tells you to write unique stories that are personal to you.
But here’s the thing: that advice is hard when you’re just starting out.
Imposter syndrome kicks in, and you start asking yourself:
Why would anyone listen to me?
How can I compete when I don’t have impressive results to share?
Where will I even find inspiration?
Instead of struggling to come up with something completely unique, I would:
- Make a list of 10 headlines that performed well
- Pick 3 favorite writers whose style I admire
- Study their top-performing stories
Then, I’d take those successful ideas and add my own twist — bringing my personality and results into them.
For example, I once read a post where someone shared how they earned seven figures from writing online. It inspired me, and I decided to write the article below:
The content structure was influenced by pieces I saw on social media and Medium — just with my personal touch.
And today, it’s even easier to do this with the help of AI tools like ChatGPT, saving you time and frustration.
Use AI Assistance to Help, Not Replace You
At first, I thought being a writer meant doing everything myself: coming up with ideas, writing them, and editing every word.
I also had this ego-driven fear that if AI could do it for me, I wasn’t a “real” creator. But here’s the truth: AI isn’t here to replace you — it’s here to support you.
Instead of spending hours doing all the manual work — like finding top headlines or studying popular writers — I could use ChatGPT to:
- Generate lists of top-performing headlines
- Identify influential writers in my niche
- Break down the structure of a high-performing article
This way, I could focus on the part of writing that matters most — creating.
And when I wrote my drafts, I could give myself permission to create imperfect first drafts. Then, I’d ask AI to help me refine them — using things like my favorite writer’s checklist (for instance, Dan Koe’s focus on simple language and varying sentence lengths).
Finally, I’d do a last pass myself to make sure it felt authentic.
Hyper-analyze Data in Your First Month
It took me six months to see any real traction. And honestly, it was frustrating. The advice I read kept saying to double down on what worked — but what do you do when nothing seems to work?
The trick is to look at small numbers. The internet loves big stats, but the reality is more nuanced. A post with just two views could perform better than a post with 1,000 views — if you dig deep enough.
Here’s what I mean: I started analyzing tiny things, like:
- Did I post at a specific time of day?
- Did I share the link on Twitter or in a comment thread?
- Was there a specific topic or angle that resonated more?
If I was focused on going viral or gaining followers, I would have been overwhelmed.
But instead, I turned it into a game — one I was willing to play for the long haul. And in the end, that’s what makes it exciting.
Building an audience on Medium isn’t about having all the answers right away. It’s about experimenting, adjusting, and being patient.
If you’re just starting out, take it one step at a time. Use the tools that help you, not hinder you.
And remember — this is a journey, not a race.
