From 0 to 20K: what I learned at each stage of growing on LinkedIn

Hey friend,

I just got back from a long weekend in Ipoh, Malaysia.

Check out them fluffy alpacas. 🦙

It was a great break.

I made zero plans for work. Just space to breathe.
And somewhere in the middle of that slower pace, we hit a small milestone:

It didn’t come from one viral post or big launch.
It came from small, consistent building—figuring things out one season at a time.

So I wanted to share what that journey looked like.

0 → 5K: Testing the waters

This was all about experimenting:

• What kinds of posts do I enjoy writing?

• What gets traction?

• What makes people comment or DM?

It was messy—but it helped me get comfortable just showing up.

5K → 10K: Studying the craft

I got more intentional here.

I started learning:

• How to design better visuals

• How to write sharper hooks

• How to make my posts feel more personal and useful

This was when I realized: the way you say something matters just as much as what you're saying.

10K → 15K: Lead magnets + leverage

This is when growth started compounding.

I created AI-powered lead magnets using ChatGPT:

• Prompt libraries

• Swipe files

• How-to guides

Each one was designed to solve a real problem—fast.

These brought in thousands of subscribers and made my content work harder after it was posted.

15K → 20K: Slowing down to go deeper

Oddly enough, I posted less during this stretch.

Not out of burnout, but because I wanted clarity:

• Who do I really want to serve?

• What products feel aligned?

• What’s sustainable, not just scalable?

I spent more time listening. Planning. Building things that feel true to me—not just trendy.

So, what now?

I want to keep things:

• Genuine → rooted in what I’ve actually learned

• Grounded → no overpromising, no gimmicks

• High-value → useful, repeatable, and worth saving

That’s the kind of creator I want to be from here on out.

If you’re building too, here’s my advice:

Because the right people will find you—if you keep showing up with intention.

Catch you next week ✌️
- Justin

PS - What kind of content would you like to see on this newsletter? Hit reply and let me know. I reply to all messages

PPS - Want to make your AI-written content feel more human?
Use the HEART editing checklist I created to give your writing that extra layer of authenticity and connection.

Click here to download the HEART Editing Checklist.

(It’s the same checklist I use to make sure my posts don’t just inform—but resonate.)