Joe Patchell

Curated Marketer

Founder, Writer

Follow for posts about LinkedIn growth.

Currently building curatedmarketer.com to 10K newsletter subscribers.

Writer

Building my personal brand before I need it.

Smriti Maan

I’ve nothing to pitch about right now
I’ve no digital product to sell. 
I’ve no service to offer. 

Yet I:

Started writing on LinkedIn during my career break with the intention to learn, improve, and grow online before I need it. 

You might ask… why?
Just chill. You’re on a career break.

But here’s EXACTLY why I write…

- To learn how to talk/network with strangers online
- To learn how to hook people with writing
- To learn how to build trust online

And since I started doing this, I

- Got hired by Charlie Hills during my break
- Learned how to get up after flop posts 
- Improved my broken writing skills
- Building my online presence 
- And trust slowly. Fail a lot.
- ( but still doing it)

Doesn’t matter if you’ve got a job or not…

Write online. Focus on 1 skill online, and always write from your lived/current experiences before you need it.

Because careers are very uncertain. 

You never know what will happen overnight, move as you might dip. You’re 
replaceable at every job.

Your experiences and perspective are your real MVP.

Now the choice is yours…

P.S. Should I launch a small digital product to see what happens? very scary though lol

You aren’t getting awesome at LinkedIn writing because:

You're too stressed about your broken writing, not fixing it.

You stay stuck instead of experimenting.
You overfix instead of improving.
You are in a broken writing trap.

At the end, you quit writing. 

I started on LinkedIn with broken writing, too.

But here’s how I fix it every single day:

1. I increase my experimentation rate.

• I don't only write short-form and long-form.
• I write both, experiment with rhythm 
• Hook lengths and formatting

→ This makes writing interesting.

2. I write about my life, career, and work

• I removed randomness
• I decide topics and subtopics
• Accordingly, I write every single day 

→ This helps me write clearly

3. If a post flops, I learned to embrace it.

• I switch my mood quickly
• Learn from it and move on.
• This is how I improve and test fast

→ It helps me keep going on. 

4. I rely on a routine

• I fix my time for research
• Ideation and writing
• No time wastage

→ This builds discipline despite my mood

5. I stopped scrolling on LinkedIn for endless hours

• Block time for comments
• Block time for scrolling
• Block time for writing

→ I save time for other things as well

6. I have one goal right now on LinkedIn

• Write damn good content.
• Learn how to write clean copy
• Learn how to get and hold attention 

→ I stay focused because I know my WHY.

7. I write and learn appealing and clear hooks

• Some days, I just write hooks 5-6 
• To understand the psychology
• I spend some time on it. 

→ Psychology is everything in the writing

(That's how I went from 19 likes to nearly 100.)

You will write trash first to fix it later. 
So, stop worrying - start executing.

Write broken - fail - learn - improve - grow 

P.S. Do you also worry about your broken writing?

100+ days ago, I started writing on LinkedIn with…

No prior writing experience. No clue how to write online.

Just an intense drive to improve my trash writing skills.

But I didn’t wait to “learn writing” - I started writing.
I started showing my perspective

- I write from my lived experiences.
- I document every small win or failure. 
- I write about my career learnings and failures.
- I write about the process of improving my writing.

And you know what…?

My perspective became my unique edge
My confidence shot up in writing online
My broken writing skills are improving. 
I got hired during my career break.

(Before I need it.)

And if you also wanna start writing online.
Just jump into it. Start experimenting.

Simply use your perspective.

- Find what exactly you want from LinkedIn
- Write about your current or past learnings daily
- Grow your network. Make friends. Meet new people
- Don’t just provide value, write from your lived experience

You are the next million-dollar deal
You’ve got a personality - use it.
Your story is your edge - own it.

The Internet doesn't need your degrees.

It wants YOU.

Build your online presence. Write on the internet. 
(Before you need it)

P.S. Do you enjoy watching & scrolling reels?

Writing on LinkedIn is like a horror movie at first. 

• You don't know what to write
• You don’t know how to write
• You feel it's useless

And you started thinking I’m not cut out for this...

That’s the moment when 99% of people quit
Because they don’t get a (quick) outcome

I know because it happened to me.

Here’s how I pushed through my first 90 days
→ Without quitting, so you can, too:

1. Detach from a quick outcome

- Understand that it takes real time
- Focus on improving how to write
- Focus on helping people

2. Drop your ideas faster online

- Don't just keep it in your brain
- Put it out and let the world decide
- If you don't, you never know what's working

3. Focus on having fun online

- It's a social media. Don't be serious.
- Find and talk to people you find interesting.
- Talk to people without expecting anything back.

4. Build your own consistency. 

- Be it 3x, 5x or 7x
- Start small and slowly increase it.
- Don't post 7x because someone said it.

5. Write what you know, not what you don't

- Write what you learn. Show your process
- You started liking writing slowly
- Show your personality often

If you're just starting out and feel it's all useless?

Don't quit – improve yourself/your skills
Don't get sad – slowly embrace the newness 
Don't get bored – talk to new people, find your vibe

It's not easy, but it will be worth your time.

P.S. Do you watch horror movies?

All drugs destroy you. But THIS one saves you.

It improved my broken writing skills in 100 days
People will love you for using it.
It releases real dopamine.

The best part? It’s limitless...

It's not weed.
It’s not heroin.
It's not even cocaine.

It’s what I name it as "PERSONALITY DRUG"

Use it once, and you'll use it daily.

1. Find your HUMAN edge.

- Ex: My edge is wit and sarcasm. 
- I don't try to hack someone else's edge
- I hack myself, my personality, and my thinking
- It is reflected in my comments, writing, and DMs.

2. Find your real mini-stories.

- The ones only you can write
- Ex: In 2024, I didn’t think I could go beyond CVs
- Ex: Out of my 100+ LinkedIn posts, 90% flopped
- Ex: 2 "rare" assets I’m building during my career break

3. Forget being "unique.” 

- You already are. Share how you think
- Ex: “LinkedIn writing isn’t as glamorous as it looks.”
- Ex: You don’t need (fancy) ideas to write on LinkedIn.
- Ex: Happiness doesn’t exist just for BIG breakthroughs.

4. Find words that reflect you and your brand.

- People identify you quickly/remember you too
- Ex: I write on LinkedIn before I need it
- Ex: Mine is "vibe"

5. What do you love? Find it. 

- Is it a bagel, ice cream, or vodka shot?
- That's how you create a unique connection
- Shake it in your writing. Ex: My vodka writing test.

But never forget one thing:

Without using this DRUG...
You can't show your personality
People won't know about you/your thinking

If you wanna DAZZLE on LinkedIn in 2026...
Just use this DRUG.

And see what happens next for YOU

P.S. Do you get ideas for posts from comments?

I knew 0 about LinkedIn writing till February 2025

Didn’t know - WHAT. HOW and WHEN to write?

Just had a *wild* goal to write online

Now in 2025 + 2026?

- Written 100+ posts
- Going beyond the CVs
- Fixed my trash writing skills
- I fail a lot, but also improve too
- Getting confident in writing online
- Talking to strangers and making friends
- Best thing is? Doing everything in public 

100+ days ago? This felt next to impossible.

But here’s what I got to know: 2 things:

You don’t need to know everything at first, then execute.
You need to fix your mindset to start.

And one awesome thing?

I got hired by a viral AI guy without a CV
(Yes, I also didn't believe it at first lol)

But one thing that helped me a lot is:

I refused to delay the execution. I just executed it.

And if you can execute it without delaying?
You can do it easily, too

YOU only need to do 5 things to start:

1. Write what you genuinely know 
2. Write what you like to write
3. Find what you enjoy/write
4. Try to enjoy this game 
5. And learn from others

In today’s world, your online presence is everything

(Do it before you need it)

Today, just pause for a minute and rethink...

Are you building your online presence for real?
Or just thinking in the head?

P.S. What’s one career thing you promised yourself you'd achieve in 2026? Me? Growing my LinkedIn, and I’m doing it.

You don’t need (fancy) ideas to write on LinkedIn.

You just need "simple" ideas to write.

This sounds lame, but when I started writing on LinkedIn…

• I had no fancy ideas
• No fancy experience
• No fancy titles

Just wanted to improve my (trash) writing skills. 

Today? I improved my trash writing skills
And slowly building my online presence, too. 

→ Just by writing a simple idea every day.

(Before I needed it.)

Since then, I've learnt one important thing...

+ Anyone can write online with simple ideas, too
- You don’t need fancy ideas.

And if you also want to write online, do this:
(Instead of finding fancy ideas)

1. Extract mini-stories from your career and life

Ex 1: I logged onto LinkedIn for a job. Didn’t get one.
Started writing. But hated it and quit.

Ex 2: In 2024, I made a massive career mistake.
(Still, regret it to this day.)

These may seem simple and boring to you...
But not to your reader.

2. Don't limit yourself just to education

- Share what you do right now.
- What's going on in your career/life
- I learnt this from Matt Barker. Follow him.

Ex: I share I'm on a career break at 27.

3. Document your journey in real time

- What skills are you stacking?
- How & why are you learning those skills?
- Solve your problems first – that's how you solve others

Forget about your fancy ideas.

Sit down – think – extract – write. 
That's what you need to do ASAP.

If you want to build your online presence/skills.

P.S. How's your Wednesday vibe? Me? goddamn lazy.

2024: Broken writing. Nobody will listen to me on LinkedIn.

2025: Let’s write and see who will listen to me.

I listened to my *gut*, and THIS made me:
(despite feeling fear as I'd die)

Improved my broken writing skills in 100 days.

Building my online presence before I need it. I went from hating writing to liking it. I went from 18 likes to nearly 100 and more.

(not just this...)

I made awesome friends in the process, got hired through LinkedIn, and am going beyond CVs and cover letters.

My endless posts and ideas flop.

But I didn't stop to drop my ideas faster. I test, see, and do more of what works and discard the rest. (it still happens…)

But you know what?

Flop posts made me understand what's broken. How to fix it quickly. My ideas are out. Not sleeping somewhere empty.

This led to (even if it's 1%)

Raise the quality of my ideas
Raise the quality of my writing 
Raise the bar of formatting daily

Experimentation is a VIBE for a reason.

Most of you stop writing after your 50th flop. But it’s best if your ideas flop.

Because that's how you find the right ideas. 

So, don't think "nobody will listen to you."
(see who will listen to you.)

- Drop your ideas, use what you've got
- Find what you know and write about it
- See what works for you and do more of it
- Spot your lived experiences, frame, and post
- Study, observe, learn, and figure out on the go

If you wanna write, go for it. (even if you feel fear)

You'll dazzle and feel the difference as it happens :)

P.S. What's the weather like on your side? If it's winter, are you feeling lazy too, like me?

You can simply write on LinkedIn without frustration if you:

1. Focus on how to improve your broken writing skills
2. Focus on how to help others with your content
3. Focus on quantity at first to find quality later
4. Focus on the experiment with writing style
5. Focus on making a simple plan to move
6. Focus on making consistency fun
7. Focus on your pov/personality 

That's how I've been writing for the last 100+ days

- Improved my broken writing skills
- Enjoy what I write every time
- Building my online presence 
- No stress/frustration

(before I need it)

It's simple - if you put in the effort.

→ Happy simple writing.

P.S. What are you doing this weekend? Chill, work, or both? Me? chill

I improved my trash LinkedIn writing in 90 days because

- I f*cked the growth mindset on day 1
- Instead, I focused on improving my skill "first". 

Most of you love "growth". I do too.
But growth only happens after your skill gets better.

For growth, you have to go through 3 steps first.

In 90 days, here’s what it looked like for me:

First step:
(Days 1-30)

• Check out everything. How can I use LinkedIn?
• Get the hang of it. Understand how it works.
• Started commenting on other posts.

Result: Got overwhelmed and seemed like nothing was possible

Second step:
(Days 31 - 60)
 
• Find my favourite 2-3 creators
• How they write and format their posts
• Which of their posts works well and why

Result: First posts - useless. Wanted to quit.

Third step:
(Days 61 - 90)

• I started understanding a few things. 
• Consistently test the posts and formats
• To see what works and ignore everything else.

Result: Feeling overwhelmed, but started experimenting with things.

This is how I improved and am still improving
Because the point here is...

Growth is earned from doing the daily reps.
(Test. Experiment. Execute.)

First, it’s about your skill. Your REAL work.
Second, it’s about your growth.

P.S. How's your Tuesday going? Me? vibing...

taplio

The Battle

Joe Patchell

Smriti Maan

Followers

Posts

Engagements

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Performance ScoreSmriti Maan's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Joe Patchell

Smriti Maan

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Smriti Maan's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreSmriti Maan's LinkedIn Performance