Content @ Kurogo | LinkedIn Creator Accelerator

I just moved from Bangalore to London on a fully sponsored writing job. Here's my story so far:

Age 17: did 4 internships in a gap year before my undergrad
Age 18: started writing online on Instagram, Medium, and LinkedIn
Age 19: signed my first ghostwriting client
Age 20: graduated uni with first-class distinction
Age 21: one of the youngest members of LI's creator accelerator, got paid lakhs to write here (wild)
Age 22: beat 700+ people to get my dream job in personal branding
Age 23: dropped out of a Masters degree from KCL
Age 24: moved back to London for work

I've had quite the unconventional story. 

The fact I'm the proudest of isn't any of the "achievements" but that I did it all my way.

I write mostly to my younger self. 

My journey is an example of how your life can change if you refuse to conform and earn the right to play your own game.

Today, the clients I work with at my job are multi-millionaires dominating their industries. I'm lucky I get paid to learn from them everyday.

If you'd like to get in touch with me, email me at varunkhadri@gmail.com.

Varun Khadri

Luxuries most people don’t realise they have:

1. Having your parents still alive
2. A partner who always backs you
3. A full belly
4. Clean water running through your taps
5. Enough in the bank to not worry about rent
6. Your limbs work flawlessly
7. Doing work you like
8. Paid time off

We’re all luckier than we realise.

3 simple rules I’ve set for myself for a good year:

- With a good habit you’re trying to adopt, never miss two days in a row. Once is a mistake, twice is a pattern, thrice is a new habit.

- Do what you say you’re going to do. Forget about other people, this is how you teach YOUR own mind that you’re someone worth talking seriously.

- If anything harms my health, I want no part of it. “You only live once” should never be an excuse for unhealthy coping mechanisms. You get one life, so take care of yourself.

What’s one rule you’ve set for yourself in 2026?

The older I get, the more I realise that my parents were right all along.

A good life to me today is:

- Eating more home-cooked food
- Reading/learning continually
- Playing every evening
- Using my phone less 
- Drinking less soda
- Going to bed early
- Working hard
- Being honest

All the things my parents tried to get me to do as a kid.

Funny how life comes full circle!

The superflu is no joke.

Last Tuesday, I proudly announced to Sam G. Winsbury  “I’m going to try to not take a single sick day in 2026”

Next day, I got the flu and had 104 degree fever for the whole week.

I couldn’t get out of bed for days.
I lost 4 kgs in 6 days.
I didn’t have enough strength to even stand in the shower.
I dissapeared from LinkedIn for the first time ever.

All this isn’t to say “wow pls cry for me”.

The point is that you can have the best of intentions but…

When your health breaks, when life comes for you, every plan goes out the window.

Then, you gotta adapt and readjust.

Life will never follow your script, but hey - isn’t that what makes it worth living?

14: Wrote my first words online (WordPress blog).
15: Quit my pursuit of professional Badminton in Bangalore.
16: Started making money for the first time, working for myself.
17: Did 35 model UNs in one year, won at some.
18: Took a gap year to do internships and get formal work-ex.

19: started writing on Instagram.
20: miserable in undergrad, being taught outdated stuff.
21: started writing on Medium and signed my first ghostwriting client.

22: somehow graduated with first-class distinction.
23: LinkedIn paid me $2500 to write on the platform, wild times.

24: got into King's College for post-grad and moved to London.
24: was disappointed at the calibre, dropped out, and moved back home.
24: ended a long-term relationship I knew was wrong for me.
24: started working my dream role at my dream company.

25: moved back to London for work on a sponsored visa.

29/01/26 - writing this post at 6 am before starting work in one of my all-time most hectic weeks.

Growing up, all I heard was:

"Writers are starving artists"
"Stop posting everything online"
"You'll never amount to anything if you don't study".

I begrudgingly listened for a few years.

Then I realised:
If I don't want their life, why am I taking their advice?

The takeaways from my journey:

1. Try lots of things, something is bound to stick.
2. You can have the best plan, but life will still surprise you.
3. You're capable of building the life you want - if you put in the work.

Tell me in the comments - what's the most interesting part of your story?

Every single positive outcome in my life was born out of a single decision I made.

From the job I work to the city I live in to the people I know, 

It was all shaped by one choice:
Building my personal brand.

Most people think a personal brand is about followers.
It’s not.
A personal brand is leverage.
And leverage touches every goal in your life.

➡️ Career?
Your brand speaks before you enter the room.
Opportunities find you - jobs, clients, partnerships, because people already trust your thinking.

➡️ Money?
When people know what you stand for, they’re willing to pay for your perspective.
They’re more willing to pay not just for your time.
But also your point of view.

➡️ Freedom?
A strong personal brand gives you options.
You choose who you work with, what you say yes to, and where you spend your energy.

➡️ Confidence?
When you articulate your ideas publicly, you stop second-guessing yourself privately.
And clarity creates confidence.

➡️ Impact?
Your experiences don’t just stay experiences.
They become lessons that help other people move faster, avoid mistakes, and believe in themselves.

But here’s the real truth most people miss:
You already have a personal brand.

The only question is - 
are you shaping it intentionally…
or letting others define it for you?

So build your personal brand.

Not for attention.

But for everything else - better career, higher income, more freedom, and deeper relationships, that visibility unlocks.

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As a young person, you have two choices.

Live it up in your 20s.
Travel. Party. Say yes to everything.
Stretch adolescence a little longer.

Or put your head down early.
Work when others are playing.
Build skills, discipline, and direction while you still have the most energy to do so.

Neither path is WRONG.
But they do compound very differently.

One optimises for memories now, and optionality later - often with more pressure, more catching up, more trade-offs in your 30s.

The other delays gratification.
It looks boring from the outside.
But it buys leverage: confidence, competence, and freedom that most people only start chasing a decade later.

What people don’t say enough is this:

You don’t magically “figure it out” with age.
You inherit the consequences of how you spent your time.

The real question isn’t fun vs grind.

It’s: WHEN do you want life to feel lighter?

I’m choosing to build early, so future me doesn’t have to sprint forever.

What are you choosing?

You trust the bartender to not spit in your drink.

You trust the pilot to not crash the plane.

You trust the doctor operating on you to not be a fraud.

You trust your barber to not mess up your hair.

You trust the barista to make your coffee properly.

Then tell me, my friend, why do you refuse to trust that you're capable of more?

Why do you refuse to believe you can achieve your wildest goals?

If you can trust strangers blindly, you can back yourself to build the life you want!

♻️ Share this with a friend to remind them to believe in themselves.

A day in my life as a 25-year-old in London (21/01/26) 👇🏻

- Up at 7 am, usually an early riser but it’s my first winter here and it’s been harder to wake up early lately.

- Coffee, quick meditation, and at my desk by 8.30 am

- Start my day by writing my LinkedIn content before anything else and commenting on the team’s posts

- Leave from home as we’re having a co-working day in Paddington, 35 mins on the tube door to door

- Get to the coffee shop at 10 am and meet a couple of colleagues, we work remotely, but it’s always nice to catch up in person, the vibes are good, plus working in person pushes me to work harder

- I’m nervous to take a client call at 11.30 because it’s a new client and I usually avoid doing meetings when I’m working out of public spaces, thankfully the cafe wasn’t too noisy so the call went well

- Break at 12.30 for lunch with my colleagues, over lunch we talk about workout routines, the company's 2026 strategy, a few problem clients, and where we see the industry heading - we’re all obsessed with what we do

- Back to work at the restaurant we were lunching at, it’s a nice quiet spot and we were the only ones there, so it was the perfect spot to work from

- Around 4.30 pm we wind up for the day to avoid the rush hour on our way back home, on my way back I do a food shop because the nice supermarket I like getting my groceries from is closeby. I also grab a quick pain au chocolat as a pre-workout snack

- Back home an hour later, quick call to catch up with family and then it’s time to get a lift in with my friends, it’s super convenient having a gym in my building so no excuses of “I’m too tired to get out of the house”.

- Dinner at 8 pm, my friend made curry so I shamelessly steal some from her and heat up frozen naans

- 9 pm: I do the dishes, watch a little bit of Netflix (just finished a show called Run Away), and in bed for 10 pm

📷 On days that I feel a little homesick, happening days like these make me glad I took the leap of moving away from my hometown. Still hard being away from my loved ones though.

But that’s a day in my life, what do your days look like?

A perk of my job is I get to pick the brains of the top 1% performers daily.

A surprising pattern I’ve noticed in them is:

They have ridiculously boring habits.

They do the same things over and over again,
Longer than would be considered reasonable by most others.

The top 1% prioritise the simple things like being up early, reading, exercising consistently, and so on.

From the outside, it’s easy to assume your idols live a super happening, exciting life.

And maybe they do - at times.

But most of their days, and how they got where they were in the first place, is by doing the boring things right consistently.

Excitement is overrated in the pursuit of excellence.

I’ve never been told by someone more successful than me to have more work life balance and take it easy.

I’ve never been told by someone fitter than me that I need to let loose and eat out more and drink more with them.

I’ve never been told by someone wealthier than me that I need to buy more designer brands and spend more than I make.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

I can’t believe I’ll log into work on Monday and not see a familiar face.

We’ve never agreed on everything but we’ve never had to.

I’m going to miss us bickering so much!!! 🫣😆

We’re sad to be losing you Megan Bishop but also so happy for you as you head off on your next adventure. You’re doing something equal parts terrifying and exciting. We know some days are sh!t and chaotic but we’re so proud of you - now and always ❤️

This isn’t goodbye but an “until next time” 🥂

The fastest hack for behaviour change is controlling your environment.

If you don’t get liquor home, you’re less likely to drink.

If your friends work out, you’re more likely to go to the gym.

If you hang around smokers, you’re more likely to smoke.

Control who and what you allow around yourself.

Behaviour change is downstream from the right environment.

I’ve been so much better with my habits once I got clear on what my bare minimum looks like.

When I’m sick and can’t get to the gym, I try going on just a short walk after a meal.

When I’m unmotivated and don’t feel like creating content, I fire off a quick tweet and I’m done for the day.

When I’m tired and don’t feel like doing my skincare routine, I just put moisturiser and call it.

When I’m lazy and don’t feel like working, I do the tasks that HAVE to get done that day and finish up.

The goal isn’t perfect consistency.

It’s to have no zero days.

What version of the habit can you manage to do even on your worst days? 

That’s what you’ve to figure out to make a habit stick.

📷 - is it socially acceptable to still use Christmas pics?

Sunday reminder: do hard things to feel good about yourself.

My 2026 motto: say yes more.

Last year was a lot - I moved countries, juggled a demanding job with hobbies like sports and content creation, as well as maintained my existing close relationships.

As a consequence, however, I said no to most other things.

Going to events, meeting new people, travelling more, new interests - everything took a backseat.

And I’m glad I did that and narrowed my focus to prioritise the most essential.

But saying no to everything won’t serve me well in this next phase.

I didn’t move to London to be in a shell.

So I’m saying “yes” more this year.

I’m realistic though, as an introvert, most things still don’t appeal to me.

I like my own little world and simple daily routine.

But every now and then, I’m pushing myself to do new things, meet new people, and have new experiences.

I’m more open to widening my perspective and changing my opinion on things.

Let’s see how it works out.

What are you saying yes to more this year?

Being healthy is actually really simple: 

Sleep enough, drink less and don’t smoke, eat nutritious food, do work that fulfils you, and stay away from toxic people. 

Doing just these basics right will already put you ahead of 99% of the crowd. 

Don’t overcomplicate it.

📷 - having an active Sunday here in London, what are you doing today?

January was the longest 6 months of my life.

I start every week by studying virality on LinkedIn.

Every Monday on our team standup, Bruce Martinus and I break down a high-performing post for the rest of the team.

We do this because:

- It teaches the rest of the team at the agency how to reverse engineer viral content, even if that might not be their core role.

- It keeps us sharp and helps us keep our ears close to the ground.

- Social platforms are constantly evolving, what worked last week might not work this week, so if you're not keeping up with the platforms, you'll get left behind.

I've been in the personal branding space for years and have written thousands of posts, hundreds of viral ones.

Yet I still learn new things about LinkedIn every single day.

Always a student of the game :)

Building Personal Brands That Stand Out | Ghostwriting • Personal Branding • Copywriting • Content Strategy | 2M+ Impressions on LinkedIn & Counting | Brand Collabs

Your posts deserve more than 2 likes and 100 impressions.

And with the right strategy, they will.

Hi, I’m Harsh,
A personal branding strategist, ghostwriter, copywriter, and content strategist helping people turn quiet profiles into compelling personal brands on LinkedIn.

What I do:

I help founders, professionals, and creators

→ Show up with confidence online
→ Communicate clearly, without sounding like everyone else
→ Build content systems that grow both reach and trust

How I do it:

→ Through story-driven ghostwriting
→ With hooks that stop the scroll
→ Backed by strategy that’s consistent, not chaotic

What I've done:

→ 2M+ impressions on my own profile
→ Took a client from ~5K to 50K+ impressions
→ Grew their engagement from 2-digit likes to 3-digit traction within a few weeks
→ Built content strategies tailored to personal voice, not templates

How I can help you:

→ Want your content to reflect you?
→ Need consistency without the headache?
→ Ready to build a brand not just a profile?

DMs are open. Let’s get your content working for you, not against you.

Harsh Dubey

Stop blaming the platform for your lack of clarity, it won’t help even a bit!!!


More than half of LinkedIn is crying about this every single week:

→ My impressions are down by 70%.
→ I heard PDFs are dead, should I stop doing carousels?
→ Is 10 AM still the best time to post?

They start treating LinkedIn like a math problem instead of a media platform.

They think if they just find the CHEAT CODE, they will win.
But the thing is, there’s nothing like a cheat code.

You cannot outsmart a machine that has 1,000 engineers working on it.

And the good part is that you don't have to.

Because the algorithm's job isn't to trick you.
Its job is simple: Show people what they want to see.

If you write content that people stop scrolling for, the algorithm will push it.
If you write content that people ignore, the algorithm will ignore it.

So, stop obsessing over the HACKS that change every Tuesday.

And start obsessing over the only thing that hasn't changed in 5,000 years: 
HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY.

Instead of asking will the robot like this?, ask the first principles of attention:

- Is it RELEVANT? Does it solve a specific pain point my audience has today?
- Is it READABLE? Can a busy CEO scan it in 10 seconds and get value?
- Is it RESONANT? Does it make them feel understood?

If you just get these three right, you don't need hashtag optimisation.

Because the algorithm is just a reflection of 
Whether your content is good enough to hold attention.

So, stop writing for the code and start writing for people.

There is a specific reason their vague posts go viral and yours get ignored.



>> You see Kunal Shah posting one-liners that blow up.
>> You see Ghazal Alagh talking about her journey.
>> You see Kiran Shah with his signature storytelling style.

You think, If I write like them, I’ll grow like them.
So you try to copy it, but it falls flat.

Why????

Because they have earned the right to be cryptic. You haven't yet.

They spent years building trust, sharing their journey, and being consistent.
Now they can post a vague one-liner and people will engage.

But you're still building that foundation.

And when you post something cryptic without context
People just scroll past.

Because they don't know you yet.

And these founders also didn't start posting like that.

They started by explaining, sharing, and being transparent about what they shared.

That's how they built the audience that
Now reads their cryptic posts and calls them genius.

But you're trying to skip that part.

You want the polished, minimal, effortless style
Without putting in the messy, transparent, trust-building phase.

And that's the reason why it's not working.

Your audience needs context before they care about your conclusions.

They need to understand your perspective before they trust your opinions.
They need to know your story before they engage with your one-liners.

So stop copying the end result of someone else's journey.
Start at the beginning of yours.

You’re already ahead If your 2026 content strategy is 
BE MORE HUMAN!!!


Because the Information Age is officially over.
We're entering the Context Age now.

But most founders are still playing by the old rules.

They think their job is to be a teacher.

 >> 5 ways to scale.
 >> 10 tools for productivity.
 >> How to optimise your morning.

That worked in 2023.
But in 2026, that’s a commodity.

ChatGPT can give anyone those 5 tips in 0.3 seconds.
It can write perfect grammar. It can structure a perfect listicle.

So if you're trying to compete on INFORMATION, you’ll lose for sure.

You cannot out-teach a robot.

But the one thing AI cannot do is, it cannot give CONTEXT.

And that's your competitive advantage.

❌ Here are 5 tips to hire better talent.
✅ I ignored a red flag during an interview and it cost me $20k.

❌ Consistency is the key to growth.
✅ I almost quit posting last Tuesday because I felt like a fraud.

❌ How to handle a crisis as a leader.
✅ I froze during the board meeting when they asked about the churn.

That's what people actually want.

Not being smarter than everyone else.
Not having better tips than everyone else.

Just being more human than the robots flooding everyone's feed.

Trust me, in 2026 people are starving for HUMANS.

Low engagement is actually a good sign (if you’re doing it right)!!!


100,000 views on a post feels amazing.
But you know what feels better?

Five DMs from qualified leads who actually want to work with you.

There is a dangerous obsession with going VIRAL among founders right now.

They see the big creators posting memes, generic motivational quotes, and platitudes.

And they think, I need those numbers to be successful.

That’s the biggest trap.

❌ Viral content is usually broad, shallow, and attracts a generic audience.
✅ Targeted content is specific, deep, and attracts buyers.

If you are selling a $5,000 service or a B2B SaaS product:

>> You don't need a college student liking your post.
>> You don't need the random bot commenting Great share!

You need the VP of Operations.

Who is currently struggling with the exact problem you solve.

So if you're chasing numbers, ask yourself why.

Is it because you want to feel successful?
Or because you're trying to build a business?

Because if it's the second one, focus on the right metrics.

Not how many people saw it. But who saw it and what they did next?

Five DMs from qualified leads will change your business.
100,000 views from random people won't.

Write for the right people. Not for the algorithm.

There are two ways to use LinkedIn and one of them gets you ignored!!!


As a founder, you can use this platform in two ways:

1. As a Resume.
2. As a Reputation.

Most founders are stuck on #1.
They write as if they are applying for a job, not building a business.

       - Managed 50 people.
       - Increased revenue by 20%.
       - Ex-Google, Ex-Amazon.

That's great if you're looking for a job.

But if you're looking for customers, investors, or talent.
Nobody cares about what you did in the past.

The only thing that matters is your perspective.

A resume says look what I DID.
A reputation says look how I THINK.

And thinking is what people actually want to see.

Because achievements are in the past.
But how you approach problems is happening right now.

Anyone can read your resume and think IMPRESSIVE
But they won't remember you.

When you show your perspective on how you handle team conflicts 
The same people will think this person gets it.

And they will remember you for sure.

That's the difference.

If you want your personal brand to get you right opportunities:

Stop listing your tasks.
Start sharing your philosophy.

Don’t tell anyone you’re a great leader.
Tell them how you handle a team member who is underperforming.

That is the difference between a static profile and a personal brand.

I’m a ghostwriter who hates writing.
Sounds ironic, right? But hear me out.


If you think as a GHOSTWRITER my job is typing words into a Google Doc.

Trust me, you’ve got it wrong.

Typing is the easy part.
I can type 80 words per minute. So can a high school student.

And mind you, I don't hate typing.
I just hate the idea that more words equals more value.

Let me tell you what what my actual work looks like:

1/ Unclogging the brain jam: 

Most founders I work with don't lack ideas.
They have too many ideas.

Ten years of experience trying to come out at once.

So when I sit to write for them, it's messy, complicated, and way too long.

My job is to delete the nine ideas that don't matter 
So the one idea that does can come through.

2/ Killing the corporate robot:

There's a weird switch that flips when smart people open LinkedIn.
They stop talking like humans and start talking like brochures.

And my role is to make them sound like the person their team actually likes having coffee with.

3/ Finding the scar:

You think your audience wants to hear about your awards.

I know they want to hear about the time you almost went bankrupt.
I know they're the only thing that builds trust.

That's what GHOSTWRITING actually is.

Not typing faster or writing prettier sentences.

Filtering. Simplifying. Finding the human underneath all the corporate speak.

Because people don't connect with perfection, showing the real side matters.

Stop listening to GURUs who tell you to post daily.
They don't have a company to run. You do.
 

Post every day to grow is a terrible advice for founders, CEOs
And people actually running companies.

If you are a full-time creator? Sure, post daily.
But if you are running a company? Please don’t

Let me tell you what actually happens:

- Week one: You post seven times a week with high energy.
- Week two: Posts start getting shorter and quality drops.
- Week three: Complete silence. Too busy with actual work.
- Week four: Sorry I've been gone, guys...

And this cycle keeps repeating constantly.

You announce you're committing to daily content.
You show up strong for a few days.

Then life happens, work gets busy, and energy runs out.
But, instead of ADJUSTING, you just disappear.

Because the goal was never to be sustainable in the first place.

Daily posting works when content is your full-time job.

When you’re not, daily posting is just setting yourself up to fail.

What works is, pick a schedule you can maintain even on your WORST week.

It might be four times a week, three times, or just twice.
Whatever that number is, that's your schedule.

Stick to that, no matter what.

People don't need you to post every day.
They need to know you'll actually be there next week.

That’s it, that's how you build a real presence.

I feel like a fraud admitting this, considering the title that I carry with me.....



You know me as a LinkedIn ghostwriter and personal branding strategist for founders, CEOs and CXOs.

But I bet there's a lot that you don't know about me.

Here's the unfiltered side:

- I'm that introvert who ghosts group chats for days but will sit and talk for 3 hours straight with someone I vibe with. No middle ground exists.

- People think I read a ton because I write all day, but I've barely finished 3-4 books. Still building that habit and failing beautifully at it.

- I have a WhatsApp chat with myself that's basically my second brain. It's where all my content ideas live... until I accidentally delete them.

- I take longer to think about a post than to actually write it. The research and ideation can take hours more than writing it.

- Coffee is my personality at this point. If we ever meet and I'm not holding a cup, that's concerning.

So yeah, there's more to me than just content tips and personal branding strategy.

Thought you should know after all this time.

The only 3 metrics that actually matter on LinkedIn (and none of them are LIKES).....



Don’t lie, we all do it.

Open the dashboard, see green arrows, and think 
Great, the strategy is working.

But after writing posts for founders, CEOs, and leaders from diverse industries

I’ve realised that the LinkedIn dashboard is actually misleading.
IF you don’t look at it with the right lens.

It measures what the platform did (reach), not what the human did (behavior).

And the latter one is what actually matters more than the first.

If you really want to know whether your content is building a brand.

Look at these 3S (that’s what I do for my clients and my own profile) :

1/ STOP (The Attention Metric):

If your hook doesn't break their pattern in 0.5 seconds, you don't exist.

❌ Here are 5 tips to hire better talent.
(Everyone scrolls past this because it sounds like a generic textbook).

✅ I ignored a red flag during an interview and it cost me $20k.
(This creates immediate tension and curiosity).

The thing is you aren't fighting for a LIKE yet. 
You want the reader to click READ MORE.

2/ STAY (The Retention Metric):

This is where most creators lose the room.
You hooked them, great. But did you keep them?

❌ Dumping a wall of text that looks like a legal document.
✅ Using white space and short sentences that makes the reader stay.

3/ SHARE (The Resonance Metric):

This is the holy grail.

When someone shares your post, they're telling their network this is worth your time.

❌ Posting Humbled to announce updates that only feed your own ego.
✅ Giving them language for a feeling they’ve had but couldn't articulate.

That’s it. These three metrics tell you if your content is resonating.

Next time when you check your analytics, don't just look at the big numbers.

Look at the behaviour, because reach without action won’t make any difference.

taplio

The Battle

Varun Khadri

Harsh Dubey

Followers

Posts

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Performance ScoreVarun Khadri's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreHarsh Dubey's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Varun Khadri

Harsh Dubey

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);}Varun Khadri's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreHarsh Dubey's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreVarun Khadri's LinkedIn Performance