Dayum!!! This is so good. And operating this way REQUIRES a kind of fierceness and courage to be seen. I mean really seen. For who you are, what you value and desire most. It requires you to be fearless enough to be your most radical if-anyone-really-knew-me kinda self online. Amidst the keyboard-courage haters who live to knock you down. This has been my experience. How do I BE who I am (cannot do 9-5, corporate bullshit) in integrity and make money in integrity. This is everything Dan. Thank you for stating it so clearly!
I think this evidently depends on the person. Some need to narrow down, others build multi-verticals based on capacity. Just depends on where you are at in your journey.
This is very valuable as I actually was thinking that my Substack is not niche as I offer brand storytelling and help business owners with no fluff marketing I thought I needed to follow that but I started The 1% Edge and I didn't want to write just about that, I want to write and help business owners (well humans) in finding the 1% edge to redefine the impossible. So this blog post actually is spot on.
I have a question my full time gig is a brand storyteller consultant for fitness and wellness brands but I'm a endurance and online fitness coach as well, should I include it in my bio? Or leave it?
I still believe you have to go narrow in some way or another. You don't have to put yourself into box either. I think of it this way:
1. You explore and find out what you and the market wants. I call this Niche Wide. The outcome of this is a unique angle/viewpoint.
2. From your experiments you apply your unique angle to one niche. You don't box yourself in because you write about it with your unique angle. This allows you to clearly define an audience and help the algorithm understand what you are about. I call this Niche Down.
3. After you build an initial audience (or minimal viable audience) you can branch out into other areas, still with your unique angle. I call this Niche Out.
Let's say you are a multi-passionate designer and you tried a couple of things during your Niche Wide phase. Maybe you tried to build an e-commerce brand. Through your experiments you realized a need for branding and design for e-commerce sellers and you started to offer a solution, maybe as a done for you service. You also start to post tips about branding for e-commerce. After some time you grow an audience (Niche Down). After some time you realize your philosophy (that you developed) applies not just to e-commerce. Maybe you even start to give design tips for other designers. At this stage you can almost do anything (Niche Wide).
A great post. Love that you addressed this niche-battle going on.
This post reminded me of the universal law of polarity. Both, topic-based and mission-based niches, can co-exist and work. One isn’t better than the other.
This was a needed reframe. You are the niche still holds, but reframed through mission, it becomes fuel not a box. The bit about building a world, not a one-liner, really landed.
Instead of just reading and forgetting this valuable content, here’s what you can do:
Copy the entire post and paste it into ChatGPT.
Then, describe your situation, your goal, and your current context (e.g., “I’m building a personal brand”).
Ask ChatGPT to act as a strategic advisor with a 180 IQ and, based on the insights from the content, give you a set of instructional steps you can apply within the next 24 hours — not vague tips, but actions you can actually execute today.
Let’s not just absorb information. Let’s turn it into a progress.
I think AI will kill narrow topic-based niches. There will be apps and programs everywhere to help people achieve super specific goals in a very affordable and customized way.
What AI can’t replace is our brains, and that’s what I think a niche is. Our brains are the unique intersection of interests (mine are spirituality, personal growth and business) applied toward a goal that, when filtered through our values, experiences and personalities, form our niche.
I think people absolutely do follow people, especially women who are more relationship based. I follow people whose topic I don’t even care about bc I find the person herself interesting.
These are addictive man - keep them coming.
Hi
Dayum!!! This is so good. And operating this way REQUIRES a kind of fierceness and courage to be seen. I mean really seen. For who you are, what you value and desire most. It requires you to be fearless enough to be your most radical if-anyone-really-knew-me kinda self online. Amidst the keyboard-courage haters who live to knock you down. This has been my experience. How do I BE who I am (cannot do 9-5, corporate bullshit) in integrity and make money in integrity. This is everything Dan. Thank you for stating it so clearly!
This is such a powerful take Kristen, thank you for sharing!
I’ve reported your account as you’re trying to pose as @thedankoe and get money from people.
I love your work, Dan, and I read Dickie and Nicholas work too. So I’m probably a hybrid of topic-based and mission-based!
Another post ❤️
I think this evidently depends on the person. Some need to narrow down, others build multi-verticals based on capacity. Just depends on where you are at in your journey.
Super insightful. Thank you Dan!
This is very valuable as I actually was thinking that my Substack is not niche as I offer brand storytelling and help business owners with no fluff marketing I thought I needed to follow that but I started The 1% Edge and I didn't want to write just about that, I want to write and help business owners (well humans) in finding the 1% edge to redefine the impossible. So this blog post actually is spot on.
I have a question my full time gig is a brand storyteller consultant for fitness and wellness brands but I'm a endurance and online fitness coach as well, should I include it in my bio? Or leave it?
Great that you clarify your stance.
I still believe you have to go narrow in some way or another. You don't have to put yourself into box either. I think of it this way:
1. You explore and find out what you and the market wants. I call this Niche Wide. The outcome of this is a unique angle/viewpoint.
2. From your experiments you apply your unique angle to one niche. You don't box yourself in because you write about it with your unique angle. This allows you to clearly define an audience and help the algorithm understand what you are about. I call this Niche Down.
3. After you build an initial audience (or minimal viable audience) you can branch out into other areas, still with your unique angle. I call this Niche Out.
Let's say you are a multi-passionate designer and you tried a couple of things during your Niche Wide phase. Maybe you tried to build an e-commerce brand. Through your experiments you realized a need for branding and design for e-commerce sellers and you started to offer a solution, maybe as a done for you service. You also start to post tips about branding for e-commerce. After some time you grow an audience (Niche Down). After some time you realize your philosophy (that you developed) applies not just to e-commerce. Maybe you even start to give design tips for other designers. At this stage you can almost do anything (Niche Wide).
A great post. Love that you addressed this niche-battle going on.
This post reminded me of the universal law of polarity. Both, topic-based and mission-based niches, can co-exist and work. One isn’t better than the other.
Build a Marvel Cinematic Universe 🦸🏽♂️
This altered my DNA and still don’t know how to fully process it
This was a needed reframe. You are the niche still holds, but reframed through mission, it becomes fuel not a box. The bit about building a world, not a one-liner, really landed.
After Writing 120+ posts and 1 year you have provided me clarity on most important topic. I am always struggling with what to write about. Thankyou.
Thankyou
Instead of just reading and forgetting this valuable content, here’s what you can do:
Copy the entire post and paste it into ChatGPT.
Then, describe your situation, your goal, and your current context (e.g., “I’m building a personal brand”).
Ask ChatGPT to act as a strategic advisor with a 180 IQ and, based on the insights from the content, give you a set of instructional steps you can apply within the next 24 hours — not vague tips, but actions you can actually execute today.
Let’s not just absorb information. Let’s turn it into a progress.
I think AI will kill narrow topic-based niches. There will be apps and programs everywhere to help people achieve super specific goals in a very affordable and customized way.
What AI can’t replace is our brains, and that’s what I think a niche is. Our brains are the unique intersection of interests (mine are spirituality, personal growth and business) applied toward a goal that, when filtered through our values, experiences and personalities, form our niche.
I think people absolutely do follow people, especially women who are more relationship based. I follow people whose topic I don’t even care about bc I find the person herself interesting.
Serious dopamine hit reading this!