Shaan Puri on Curating First Impressions

4 installments into Social Proof, and we’ve landed a powerhouse interviewee. Shaan Puri is a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, investor, and creator with platforms that attain thousands and thousands of individuals each day.

From his two newsletters, one private and the opposite known as The Milk Highway speaking about crypto, to his viewers of over 300,000 individuals on Twitter, to his widespread My First Million podcast, Shaan’s inventive output is fascinating. And his platforms are only a facet hustle – he additionally offered his startup, Bebo, to Twitch and now runs a rolling fund investing in different startups.

On this interview, uncover how Shaan has grown and leveraged his private model, in addition to an fascinating train in private branding that everybody ought to attempt.

Callout: This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.

Q: Thanks for taking the time to fulfill with me for Social Proof Shaan! We’re beginning with a two-for-one query: What do you concentrate on private branding, and would you name what you have got a private model?

The way in which I give it some thought is: I’m simply making an attempt to place myself on the market. It’s like once you’re in a automotive and have the music so loud that different individuals can hear it from their automobiles. No matter I’m, I would like it to be loud sufficient that if anyone hears it and so they like that music, they will begin nodding alongside.

My objective is that by placing my ideas, concepts, and persona on the market, I’ll appeal to like-minded individuals who take pleasure in these ideas and have related ones to share. It’s simply my method of attracting like-minded individuals to me.

Q: And when did you begin this technique of attracting like-minded individuals?

I began after I was first interviewing for a job. I requested myself, “what am I making an attempt to do on this interview?”

In the end, I needed to stroll in and go away an impression on whoever I used to be assembly. And that is a model, proper? That is what a model does – Nike and McDonald’s need you to know one thing about them. They need it to be memorable, and so they need it to be favorable. So I believed that, as an alternative of getting ready solutions to their questions, I ought to contemplate what I needed them to know and keep in mind about me.

I used to be interviewing with two firms that day – Stripe and an concept lab known as Monkey Inferno. And I made a decision that once they mentioned me, they’d all say, “He’s actually ‘clean’, ‘clean’ and ‘clean’.” I believed rigorously about what phrases ought to go in these blanks, which is how I labored backward from determining my model.

Q: I like that you simply talked about the phrases as a result of that ties in properly to my subsequent query: what three phrases would you utilize to explain your private model?

Going again to my interview prep story, I keep in mind writing: I would like them to know that I am

• Daring aka I take motion
• Enjoyable/Humorous, i.e., somebody they might need across the workplace
• Intelligent in order that I won’t be the neatest individual within the room, however I might all the time consider inventive methods to win.

Naturally, rather a lot has modified since I first did this train, and my most popular final phrase is: Profitable as a result of I discover that folks wish to do enterprise with people who find themselves already profitable.

And I used what I name a “pillar branding train,” the place I draw out pillars – just like these on the entrance of the White Home. That is meant to assist visualize the pillars that maintain up my model. On the high of every pillar, I wrote daring, humorous, and intelligent.

Placing it into motion was a bit totally different. I couldn’t simply come out and inform [the interviewers] I am daring as a result of no person would imagine that. What I wanted to do was inform them tales about issues that I’ve accomplished that will make them have just one conclusion about me: he’s fairly daring, or he takes motion. To facilitate that, I began pulling tales from issues I’ve accomplished that will assist that pillar. And I might fill [the pillar] out.

And for a few of the pillars, I had extra tales than others, which helped me understand that despite the fact that I needed to be perceived a sure method, I hadn’t taken sufficient motion in that path. So this train was additionally a be aware to attempt extra issues I needed to be a part of my model. It grew to become greater than only a branding train – extra of a roadmap for a way I needed to strategy life.

There’s additionally one final piece of the puzzle you can additionally add as a pillar which is what you aren’t. I would like individuals to say, “He’s not clean.” I might say the phrases to replenish the house listed below are: pretend and robotic. I don’t wish to come off as both when interacting with somebody.

Q: You do many issues – podcasts, newsletters, posting usually on Twitter, launching a course. Which of those has been your favourite medium of expression? Which one do you assume is the best to your model? And the way do you stability doing all these items on the identical time?

I feel all of them go collectively. You requested a query about time, and lots of belongings you talked about are what I do in my spare time – work is occupied by the 2 companies I run. For this reason I don’t purchase the excuse of time – a number of these actions are ardour tasks, issues I take pleasure in doing. They don’t really feel like work to me.

By way of worth, I feel essentially the most priceless content material medium for me has been the podcast, however all of them go collectively. It’s like a funnel – on the high is the place individuals uncover you, and that discovery tends to be via Twitter for me. I grew my Twitter within the final yr from perhaps 20,000 followers to 300,000 followers. And I did that as a result of I needed individuals to have a simple, light-weight touchpoint.

And there could be individuals who needed to go a bit additional down the funnel, which leads them to my publication. So past the shorter-form Twitter content material, I may be in my viewers’s inbox and share extra in-depth ideas.

Anybody that needed to go additional can then be led to the underside of the funnel via my podcast, the place you hear my voice, tone, and inflection. It’s the closest I get to my viewers and the place I can construct essentially the most belief. If I’m in your ears 50 hours a yr, that’s greater than you speak to most individuals. So it helps construct a really priceless relationship with individuals.

Q: What three ways would you suggest individuals attempt when determining which automobiles they will use to construct their manufacturers?

I might say do not do it when you’re simply making an attempt to construct a model. As a result of then you definately’ve simply created work for your self. And truthfully, if you are going to work that arduous on it, you would possibly as effectively construct a enterprise or work at a job. The way in which I take a look at it’s I would like the tasks I do to be what I already take pleasure in.

I counsel you discover what sort of content material you prefer to create, whether or not interviewing individuals or curating stuff to your feed. No matter it’s, simply do what’s enjoyable and pure for you. And the byproduct can be your model getting constructed. You are able to do some issues alongside the best way to go a little bit sooner or be extra intentional about it, however the extra essential half is discovering what you take pleasure in.

And even when no model acquired constructed out of it, it will nonetheless be price it. For instance, my podcast is effective as a result of it will get about 20 million downloads a yr. However after I began, I did not plan for individuals to hear – I believed that was impossible. I used to be extra excited about having interviews and conversations with fascinating individuals. Positive, some individuals would possibly take heed to it, however that wasn’t my cause for doing it. And that is why I caught with it.

Most individuals have some exterior objective like fame or cash for beginning inventive tasks. And once they don’t instantly see outcomes, they get discouraged and quit. The individuals who win are the individuals who do it as a result of it is enjoyable for them. The act of doing it’s the reward – they do not want the opposite stuff, and due to this fact the opposite stuff comes as a result of they maintain going.

And yet one more be aware: individuals can inform when you’re having enjoyable together with your content material since you’re nerding out about this subject that you simply love. That can also be what makes content material pop.

Q: You tweeted just lately that every thing you’ve accomplished, irrespective of how random, has labored out and contributed to your success. Which of your tasks was the turning level for you? When did you understand, “Yeah that is working?”

I’ve a philosophy: the people who find themselves my prospects are those who love what I do. If I like what I do, then the fitting individuals will discover it as a result of it will resonate with them the identical method it is resonating with me. So the primary signal of success is simply liking your personal work. Most individuals fail at that, both as a result of they’re method too harsh on their work, or they’re making an attempt to please different individuals, and so they do not even like what they make. And that is a recipe for failure, in my view.

And second, earlier than the numbers get large, you will begin to get emails or feedback that can maintain you going. And it is superb. You may have 5 feedback on a YouTube video that maintain you motivated for a yr since you’re assured that anyone someplace actually likes this factor. I do know, I am not loopy, this factor does work.

Q: Attention-grabbing. You talked about in an interview with Sacra that you simply have been in a position to elevate funds from the individuals who had engaged together with your content material and constructed a relationship with you. What has been the most important reward from publishing content material for you?

Some background right here is that we’ve got a rolling fund that lets different individuals make investments alongside me within the startups I put money into. I’ve an excellent community and expertise with angel investing, so different individuals who stay exterior the US, or don’t have the community or time, can select to take a position on this rolling fund. However the creation and development of the fund wasn’t one thing I might have predicted moving into – it was a byproduct of doing the work.

The podcast and my Twitter account had began getting widespread. Then I tweeted, “Hey, I will elevate a rolling fund, and I wish to elevate one million {dollars} from individuals on Twitter, and I will take no conferences,” doing it as a problem to myself. And we hit that objective in like two days. After which it simply stored going.

Now, the fund invests between eight to 10 million a yr throughout the startups we work with. To today, I feel I’ve taken perhaps one assembly with somebody to clarify what we do – the entire thing has been pushed largely by individuals who already listened to me and trusted me.

These usually are not individuals I’ve met in actual life, however they have been listening to the podcasts and following me on Twitter for some time. And so they felt sufficient conviction to have the ability to put money into the fund.

Seeing that conviction come via, particularly as a result of individuals have been giving me their cash, was the sign that constructing a private model and persistently placing out content material actually builds belief.

Q: It’s superb that you could possibly get to that time with two constant content material codecs – and your years of expertise, in fact. I’ve a rooster or egg query for you. Did publicizing your tasks result in you publishing on social media? Or did you get the concepts to your tasks after publishing persistently on social media?

I began making content material as a result of I believed it would be enjoyable and I’d be good at it. And I had extra time as a result of I had offered my firm – that is after I began.

Q: And which of your efforts, whether or not it’s the podcast or Twitter has led to the chance you contemplate essentially the most priceless?

I wrote a thread about Clubhouse when it was actually widespread. All people thought it was the subsequent large factor and I form of learn a thread saying, “Hey, I do not assume so. And here is how I feel it is gonna play out.”

And it went viral – 10 million plus individuals learn that thread – which led to a bunch of actually fascinating individuals emailing or DMing me saying, “Wow, that is nice, we love the best way you assume, we might like to get to know you.”

An analogous tweet and consequence was one I did on the metaverse, basically saying, “Individuals take into consideration the metaverse a technique, here is how I give it some thought in a different way.”

That additionally reached many individuals, and Mark Zuckerberg referenced it and talked about that it influenced the best way he thinks concerning the metaverse.

Q: What would you inform your previous self about constructing your private model when you have been ranging from scratch?

I might say, “Hey, what you are hoping will occur will occur.”

But when I used to be going to do it in a different way, I would simply area of interest down a little bit extra.

Presently, I am fairly broad – I’ve The Milk Highway, which talks about crypto, and I’ve Twitter, the place I discuss no matter. Then there’s my private publication, curating tweets, and the My First Million podcast, which is extra about enterprise breakdowns and concepts. So fairly unfold out.

But when I actually centered on a type of areas, I feel I might grow to be perhaps essentially the most well-known individual in that department in that area of interest, however I did not do this. So I feel that will be the one enchancment that I might counsel to myself.

Q: What are some downsides you have skilled in your journey as a creator?

To be trustworthy, not many. The content material is a little bit of a treadmill – you must maintain doing it. It is in contrast to software program the place you make it as soon as, and other people simply use it each day. I feel that is in all probability the most important draw back – you’ll be able to’t automate creativity. One other factor is the extra widespread you get, the extra individuals will say imply issues to you on-line. So you have got to have the ability to not fear about that an excessive amount of.

Takeaways

What I like most about this interview is how actionable it’s. Shaan’s ardour for the tasks he takes on has led him to some superb alternatives – listed below are a few of the largest takeaways from our chat:

• Take management of your narrative: With out prompting, Shaan talked about the three-word train that has grow to be commonplace in Social Proof interviews, framing it as “pillar branding.” Utilizing the pillar-branding train is a inventive technique to visualize what you need different individuals to get out of their interactions together with your on-line persona. Tell us on Twitter when you’d like a templatized model of the pillar branding template.
• Do issues that match up with the way you wish to be perceived: When describing the pillar branding train, Shaan additionally talked about that he thought a sure method about himself however didn’t have sufficient tales or “proof” to again that considering. This exhibits that it’s important that you simply not solely take into consideration the way you wish to be perceived but additionally take actions that correlate with that notion. Wish to be seen as educated about social media? Experiment with totally different platforms and ways together with your accounts.
• Leverage your repute: Crafting and finally benefitting out of your on-line persona is one thing that has come up in earlier interviews, however Shaan’s use of his repute is kind of fascinating. You might not be elevating thousands and thousands of {dollars} for an funding fund, however the work you’ve put into rising your on-line presence shouldn’t be siloed. Reap the benefits of the connections you make to get the alternatives you want.
• Choose mediums and niches that you simply take pleasure in: Whether or not it’s via writing or talking, Shaan has discovered his most popular strategies of getting his ideas on the market. You may’t be in all places or discuss every thing, however prioritize discovering and settling in your most popular private branding medium first. This may help pave the best way so that you can uncover what you wish to be identified for (your area of interest) and concentrate on creativity

💡Shaan says it finest: you’ll be able to’t automate creativity. What you can automate is how you set your inventive work on the market – and that’s the place Buffer can assist you. Reap the benefits of our stacked Freemium tier to construct a behavior of consistency and assist maximize your creativity.

Get began now.