Neal O'Grady 🍉

Demand Curve

Demand Curve (YC S19) creates courses, content, and events to teach founders and marketers how to grow companies. Our weekly newsletter goes out to over 97,000 founders and marketers.

Co-Founder

GrowthPair

We've partnered up to help startups hire top-tier growth talent that fits into their budget.

Advisor

Bell Curve

Bell Curve is a paid marketing agency explicitly built for startups. 

We've worked with companies like Invoice2Go, Pilot, Segment, Microsoft, Framer, Perfect Keto, Feedly, Stacker, Techcrunch, 1build, and Ancestry.

UNIGNORABLE

People wanna buy from people—not faceless brands. Un-ignorable is a 4-week group challenge designed to help you build an audience of future buyers.

Founder + Instructor

Segment

Demand Curve and Segment had a deep partnership. We collaborated on projects where our intersection of growth and tracking expertise can help companies grow revenue.

Growth Advisor

Webflow, Inc.

- Ideated blog post topics on topics most relevant and interesting to web designers 
- Produced high-quality blog posts each week that were engaging, educational, and got people excited about web design and Webflow 
- Sourced images and supplementary material and references - Work with the founders, CMO, designer, and editor

Copywriter/Content Marketer

Lighthouse Labs

The job of a TA at a early-stage web development bootcamp was 3 main things:

1. Developing curriculum.
2. Helping students with their coding challenges.
3. Providing emotional support to extremely stressed students wondering if they've made a horrible decision dropping $10k on a career change.

Demand Curve | 93,000 founders get 3 startup growth tactics in their inbox each week. Join the Growth Newsletter below.

I'm 34 years old. I've never had a full-time job.

Not once.

No, I did not grow up rich without needing to.

My dad passed when I was 13, my mom made $26,000 CAD, and he left her with an invalid life insurance policy. He had changed it to void unless he was 65 years old or older

He did that 2 days before local laws changed where your spouse needed to approve life insurance policy changes. 

He also left her with tons of debt on credit cards she didn't know about.

So she was forced to file for bankruptcy.

We were real poor.

I managed to go to university only because she moved to Vancouver with me.

And I paid for it by aggressively applying for scholarships. 75% of it was covered.

Yet, I've never used that degree.

Since then I've:

- Taught myself programming
- Worked as a freelance developer
- Worked as a freelance copywriter
- Lived out of a backpack for 3.5 years as a digital nomad
- Started two 7-figure revenue businesses in the marketing industry

At no point was I hungry, broke, or homeless.

People think that forging your own path is risky.

What I think is risky is taking out a mortgage based on a full-time job that can be taken away from you at any moment

As a freelancer, you have numerous income streams—losing one isn't existential.

As a business owner, your job can't be taken from you. You make more if you find a way to provide more value to people at scale.

This is why I've dedicated my life to helping people start, build, and grow companies. 

My ads agency, Bell Curve (www.bellcurve.com), helps startups grow through ads—the most scalable channel there is.

Demand Curve (www.demandcurve.com) teaches founders and marketers to grow their companies and passion projects. We were accepted into Y Combinator's summer of 2019 batch.

My goal is to make entrepreneurship easier and more approachable. Because we all benefit when we each build the future we want.

Demand Curve (YC S19) creates courses, content, and events to teach founders and marketers how to grow companies. Our weekly newsletter goes out to over 60,000 founders and marketers.

On a mission to become a better writer, thinker, and entrepreneur • Ex-dentist, now building an internet business (at ~$500k/year)

When I was 16 I was diagnosed with a brain tumor and broken neck.

Doctors found them by accident during a scan. Without surgery, I'd be disabled by 30. I'm 32 now.

It was the best thing to happen to me.

Let me tell you why.

I came out of that period wanting to make an impact. That's why I became a dentist.

I enjoyed helping patients, but I didn't enjoy the lack of leverage. I wanted to make a difference on a broader scale.

The problem was I was working two jobs, so I had no space to think. 

Then I discovered the power of the Internet, and began writing in my spare time.

This was July 2020. I fell in love but I sucked. For 13 months, I created content  without crossing 1,000 followers. 

But on August 21st, I shared the story about my neck and it went viral.

 I had hundreds of DMs saying how my ideas had helped. 

I learned the most important lesson about writing that day: 

It’s not about the number of impressions. It’s about making an impression.

I quit dentistry 2 weeks later to go all in.

It was a rough start. I made my first dollar 18 months after my first blog post. But gratefully, over the next 31 months, I made $1,000,000. 

250,000 people read my content and 35,000 enjoy my newsletter.

My aim is to help you make more impact with your ideas. The Internet is our greatest gift to serve at scale and be rewarded well.

But there's a lot of noise, superficiality, and generic content out there. Especially with AI on the rise.

Which is why writing is so powerful. 

It is a magnet for opportunities. 

And the entrepreneur who builds the best bond with their audience best, wins.

I’ll help you grow your business through meaningful relationships. You’ll see how to sell without being sleazy. And how to write so that you can earn with your mind and not just your time. 

If we haven't met before, a few ways I can help:

1. Daily insights to sharpen your writing and grow your business
2. Deep-dive newsletter and free resources to build your system
3. Courses and coaching used by 3,000+ students, with occasional coaching programs for closer support

It's a pleasure to have your attention.

Kieran Drew

If you want to stand out as a writer, let me give you a crucial tip. 

I recently started on YouTube.

And whilst it’s a video, the same principles apply for attracting an audience.

You must become known for one thing.

The mistake early writers make is spreading themselves too thin. I understand why. I love to write about various ideas too. But specificity is the shortcut to authority. The key is to build a reputation in one area, then use this to springboard your success.

But this does not mean you must limit yourself to one topic. 

Instead, the key is to niche down by transformation. 

This way, you can cover more ideas, so long as you tie it in to a specific transformation for your One True Fan. For example, on YouTube, my first 100 videos will (almost entirely) focus on how to build your writing business. 

Because this way, I'll earn the trust and attention of a specific group of people.

So if you are early in your writing journey, make sure you narrow down:

• Who you serve
• How you serve them
• Why it is important

Focus is the answer.

**
P.S.

Do you want to grow your brand and business by writing online? You’d love my YouTube channel. I share videos twice a week to help you make an impact with your ideas.

https://lnkd.in/gmi_m3nB

On a mission to become a better writer, thinker, and entrepreneur • Ex-dentist, now building an internet business (at ~$500k/year).

My first viral post was a personal story.

I had been writing for 13 months with no wins. Then, I shared a story about a medical issue I had, and my audience doubled overnight.

It made me realise the power of storytelling. 

Not because it went viral.

But because of what I saw in the DMs.

I had hundreds of people reach out to say how my ideas impacted them. They shared their own struggles and stories. And it led to many deep, meaningful conversations.

The truth:

There is a difference between the number of impressions and making an impression.

And storytelling is the best way to create a connection.

So I set a rule:

I have shared a story online every single day since. I don’t post without at least a couple of sentences sharing an anecdote from my life.

At first, this was a hard commitment.

But storytelling is a skill like any other. The more reps you put in, the better you get.

And importantly:

The better your business goes.

Trust me on this, share more stories.

Your audience will thank you for it.

**
P.S.

Do you want to grow your brand and business by writing online? You’d love my YouTube channel. I share videos twice a week to help you make an impact with your ideas.

https://lnkd.in/gmi_m3nB

One of Charlie Munger’s best ideas:

Take a simple idea and take it seriously.

It changed my life because when I started online, I was seriously overwhelmed. There are so many things that you can do, you end up pulled in many directions.

But then I decided to take Munger’s idea seriously. I committed to three things:

1. Write every day
2. Share personal stories
3. Be damn useful 

Because writing is the most powerful skill in the world. Personal stories lead to the deepest connection. And you will always do well within your business if you keep solving problems.

When you put the reps into these 3 domains, great things happen.

You attract a quality audience.

You become a niche authority.

You open many opportunities. 

You just gotta be patient enough for the results to roll in.

Simple ideas get serious results.

**
P.S.

Do you want to grow your brand and business by writing online? You’d love my YouTube channel. I share videos twice a week to help you make an impact with your ideas.

https://lnkd.in/gmi_m3nB

I used to be a dentist.

5 years ago, I started writing online because I didn't enjoy my career.

My plan was to build something slowly. Maybe quit dentistry after 5 years. But I soon became obsessed, and every day I drove to work felt like a massive mistake.

So I went hard:

• Learned to write at 5 am before (long) work shifts
• Studied in evenings and weekends
• Quit well before I was ready

I know the advice is to wait until you replace your income before you take the leap.

And absolutely, you should make sure you don’t take stupid risks (save FU money).

But if you've proven you could do something in 10 hours a week, what happens when you give it 50?

If you love something enough, give it your all.

Life's too short to live lukewarm.

The hardest part about writing a book is not writing a book.

It’s having the energy to do anything else.

I have found myself doing less and less in my business. But it’s not a bad thing. It’s been great to realise how much energy I was wasting on things that don’t move the needle. Or how lazy I had been with hiring help, or setting up automations and systems. 

Writing a book has been the most challenging yet freeing project of my life.

We’re operating much leaner and more efficiently now. 

And I’ve started sending out chapters to clients, so it’s starting to buy back time now. I can see that once it’s done, I will have endless material to repurpose for content and offers. Not to mention an asset that works day and night to build relationships at scale. 

Can’t wait to get it out.

Can’t wait to write many more.

**
P.S.

Do you want to grow your brand and business by writing online? You’d love my YouTube channel. I share videos twice a week to help you make an impact with your ideas.

https://lnkd.in/gmi_m3nB

Last week, a client asked me:

”What’s one mistake you see early writers make often?”

I gave one answer:

A lack of specificity.

Many newer accounts try to model people with established reputations. They write about many topics, but have depth in none.

They don’t clearly state what problem they solve…

Or how they solve it.

But here’s the problem:

The aim of the game online is to be remembered. Big brands already have social capital. They don’t need to try like you do.

If you are vague about your value proposition, you are easy to forget.

Another commodity in a crowded market…

Instead, you need to zoom in.

Focus on:

1. Who you serve
2. What problem you solve
3. How you solve it
4. Why you’re different

This way, you become a big player in a narrow niche. Your reputation grows 100x faster. You can use this to expand later on (although you might not want to—they say the riches are in the niches for a reason).

Specificity creates authority.

Don’t get stuck with the crowd.

The biggest mistake online brands make:

Writing about one topic.

I know this spits in the face of what you’re told, but let me explain. 

I spoke with a popular brand yesterday. They were feeling deflated because they felt trapped by their content. They thought they could only speak about one topic because that is what they were known for.

But this is a mistake, for three reasons:

First, people follow people. 

Despite what social media gurus say, you are not a USP. You are a unique blend of interests and beliefs. You are your best differentiator. And the more you share of yourself, the stronger the relationships you build.

Second, how you feel seeps through into the page. 

If you are bored when you write, people will be bored when they read. And boring is a digital death sentence. You need to explore your curiosity, or you’ll soon join the crowd. 

Third, the writer who persists wins. 

Sure, you might gain an advantage banging one on a drum. But nobody can compete with you if you are having fun. You must love what you write, or you will not last.

So what’s the solution?

Yes, you have your vehicle for transformation. This is the service you provide. 

But the key is to write about your life too. Then tie it back into the overarching purpose. You’ll stand out more as a result because you are bringing a new perspective on an old problem.

Don’t get stuck in the web of superficial marketing. 

Play games you will win.

I got called a fraud this week.

It was a great compliment. Let me explain. 

I sent an email about my experience with Somatic Therapy. Someone replied saying that they were unsettled.

Why?

Because, in their words:

The therapy and personal struggles you've described seem to be somewhat at odds with the vision of an ideal, unencumbered life of freedom that you typically project. A truly free and fulfilled individual isn't plagued by depression, doesn't struggle with self-acceptance, and, frankly, doesn't require a therapist.

For context:

I’ve been doing Somatic Therapy for 6 months because I am fascinated by self-awareness. I’ve spent my life running from fear, living to impress other people, and making stupid choices.

But these past two years, I can say with confidence that I am content.

I have my dream business. I make reasonable money doing what I love. I rarely feel anxious. I rarely feel like I’m ‘not enough’. I’ve almost kicked my people-pleasing habits.

It’s been a tonne of work, but a beautiful journey. 

And that’s the point:

This reader thinks that living a free life is free. But freedom has a price. You have to dive deep into your faulty wiring to peel apart your thoughts, you have to make difficult choices and go against the crowd.

And trust me:

I know many ‘big brands’ who seem like they are killing it. But their mental health and personal lives are a mess. Everyone has shit to deal with. 

So don’t consume content and think you’re learning from perfect people.

In fact, the more they project perfection, the more skeptical you should become. 

I couldn’t be more proud about the fact that I’ve had a lot of trouble in my life. If thinking clearly came easily, it wouldn’t be worth the work.

Hope this helps,
Kieran

**
P.S.

Do you want to grow your brand and business by writing online? You’d love my YouTube channel. I share videos twice a week to help you make an impact with your ideas.

https://lnkd.in/gmi_m3nB

I just finished building my Black Friday deal. Here’s a cool lesson on leverage:

The offer is a live training on how to grow your business by writing online. I break down the 4 phases, and how to systemise everything so the more you write, the more you earn.

On top of this, I have included 6 of my digital products at a massive discount. 

The training itself I am extracting from the book I have been writing. 

And the emails to sell it?

Mainly focused on client stories from the work I’ve done this year. These emails were fun to write, and I am just expressing my strong beliefs about writing.

To build the bundle, I spent 30 minutes on a call with my VA.

She is now handling everything:

• All content uploads
• Building the bundle
• Upsell pages
• Creating the training
• All customer communication during the weekend

So this means my Black Friday offer has taken me around 10 hours to prepare. And that’s just the writing and delivering a training. 

Which feels like play anyway. 

And the cool part? I get to offer a TONNE to my audience. 

All my best material, swipe files, etc. And I have zero doubt the training will be one of the best they’ve heard on the topic.

It is a great win-win.

And only possible because of leverage.

Leverage is your ability to get more done with less. 

An audience. A reputation. Popular courses. Useful products. Testimonials and case studies. A virtual assistant. Systems for every step.

All these things build like pressure behind a dam. 

If you are intentional with how you build, one day, you’ll completely disconnect your time from results. And this gives you the freedom to keep pushing for projects you love.

And on that note…

Adios. 

Back to the book. 

P.S.

The deal is only available through my newsletter, so check out your inbox. If you’re not subscribed, drop me a DM.

If you want to grow your business by writing online, here’s a bet I’m making:

Doubling down on long-form, story-driven newsletters. 

Why?

Because everyone is chasing the easy wins. 99% of content is just short bursts of dopamine-fueled garbage. 

But the aim of the game is to be remembered.

As competition increases, audiences aren’t looking for another surface-skimmer. They want a writer who makes them think and feel differently.

You should:

1. Post daily on social media with polarising points and personal perspective (short bursts to catch attention
2. Send a weekly story-driven newsletter
3. Build offers to serve different levels of your audience

Nail these 3 things, and you will have no problem with your business in 2026.

**
P.S.

Do you want to grow your brand and business by writing online? You’d love my YouTube channel. I share videos twice a week to help you make an impact with your ideas.

https://lnkd.in/gmi_m3nB

I started posting on YouTube 2 months ago.

Here’s a lesson I’ve learned about focus:

I wanted to start YouTube years ago—it’s a smart bet for any brand. 

But I also wanted to be a writer. So I made a commitment to spend almost all my time on the craft. I might’ve missed out on growth, but I re-invested that time into skill. As a result, I've begun building a strong presence online. 

Which has made growing on YouTube 10x easier. 

Too many creators think the key to success is attention. 

But it's not. It's reputation. Because attention doesn't mean shit if you haven't got anything worthwhile to talk about. 

Commit to your craft. Do something interesting. 

Share your journey online, but dont spread too thin, too early.

Focus is the answer.

An interesting observation:

Last month, I began an experiment.

I started sending longer newsletters that are personal and vulnerable.

I was scared about what people would think. But the responses have been amazing. The reply rate is 10x the norm. But more importantly, the depth of replies is fantastic.

People are sharing deeply vulnerable things about themselves, too.

I'm a firm believer that every brand should be embracing personal storytelling to share their ideas.

Especially in an AI-driven, superficial world.

Connection is everything.

**
P.S.

Do you want to grow your brand and business by writing online? You’d love my YouTube channel. I share videos twice a week to help you make an impact with your ideas.

https://lnkd.in/gmi_m3nB

This year, I ran several experiments that led to over 2,000 email subscribers.

No social media required.

And I even made a profit.

I shared how you can do the same on my most recent YouTube video. 

You can check it out at the link below.

Great to see 89 people picked up my Black Friday Bundle Deal.

Delivering the live training in 3 hours. Sharing the 4 phases to growing your business through writing online.

Love these strategy sessions. And grateful to be able to help people on their path.

Let’s go 💪

P.S.

Missed my emails? Here’s the bundle deal. We’ll take it down when I start the call. You get a recording if you want to pick it up now but can’t attend: 

https://lnkd.in/gDBtgvx5

Not gonna lie, that’s a hell of a compliment for yesterday's newsletter. 

On the right track 💪 

Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/g5nPJPXF

I used to take myself far too seriously.

But if you walk around with a face like a slapped arse, the world responds accordingly. 

You stop having fun, and joy is such an underrated tool for success. 

You should be serious about setting goals, but silly in executing them. I don’t mean doing things poorly, just lightly. With a smile. 

Because you must learn to get out of your own way. 

For example, I just finished the first draft of my book. I know it sucks. But if I gripped it too tightly, I would hate writing it. I would pressure myself to be better, pushing for perfection from day 1. I’ve danced that dance too many times to fall for it again. 

You work best when you feel at your best. And the simplest way to feel good is to learn to laugh at your lack of skill. 

You might suck now, but you won’t for long. 

When the purpose is play, work feels light.

The hardest part about online business:

Finding clients.

But only if you take the wrong approach. 

I shared 7 places you can search to get clients right now (even if you have no audience). 

You can watch it on my YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/gmi_m3nB.

$1,000/month.

Penthouse. Pool. Gym. Sauna.

Good weather and good food.

It is incredible how much further your money goes when you work online.

Location is a choice.

“So what did you get up to in Paraguay?”

Eat steak.

Write book.

Speak Spanish (poorly).

Simple life. Very fun.

I’ve had 5 $100,000+ months with one method:

Launches.

That’s with just me and my VA, so almost all profit. 

The best part? 97% of the work is done before the launch. 

For example, this Black Friday, everything is scheduled, automated, and ready to go. Which means we can run launches without the business breaking down. I’m about to go explore Buenos Aires instead of putting out fires all weekend. 

We have one big SOP to do this. Here’s a summary:

1. Check customer/client feedback for core problems (AI analyses the data)
2. Decide the launch big idea (AI recommends)
3. Create launch incentives (essential—no reason to buy, people won’t. AI assists with the build)
4. Brainstorm email ideas (100% story-driven, AI will recommend 30 contrarian ideas after the big idea analysis)
5. Write emails, repurpose into social content (AI will check my 2nd and final drafts to suggest improvements)
6. Schedule content across platforms (VA handles)
7. Collect analytics (non-buyers, but also testimonials and feedback after incentive delivery, all automated with software)

All in all, it’s around 10-15 hours of work for me, and the same for my VA. 

A note on AI:

I never write with it. I’ve tried, I’ve trained it to use my voice, I still think it sucks because writing is thinking, so outsourcing it is dumb. But I use it for every single step of my business. As a friction remover and thinking partner. 

 A year ago, launches used to KILL me. Now it feels almost effortless. Which means I can focus on creating other assets for my audience (at the moment, my key priority is the book).

Don’t just work hard. Work smart.

taplio

The Battle

Neal O'Grady 🍉

Kieran Drew

Followers

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taplio

The Battle

Neal O'Grady 🍉

Kieran Drew

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);}Kieran Drew's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreKieran Drew's LinkedIn Performance