VIRALITY AIN’T VALUE

Published On: March 29, 2026Categories: Work

From Clarissa We, who wrote “Made in Taiwan, Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation (A Cookbook),” which “earned out in two years and has sold far more copies than I have social media followers.”

“Don’t confuse virality with value. Follower counts are just noise. Quality is what actually sells.

We don’t exist in a meritocracy. The best stuff doesn’t always “win.” But as they say, you don’t need to outrun a bear, you just need to outrun your friends.

You don’t need to be the best in the world, you need to be the best for 10 people, then 100, then maybe a 1000. Your mileage will vary.

But we’re not gonna win anything with mediocre work, or cos-playing as a social media manager and expecting great results.

The work comes first, and it’s a good practice to make it great.

💬 Questions or thoughts? Send me an email.

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