# Demonstrate Evergreen Proof

To prove yourself, share your knowledge.

Test your beliefs in the marketplace of ideas. The public will scrutinize your
experiences.

Jog your dream machine! Consider creating case-studies, stories, post-mortems,
processes, tools/calculators, instructional videos, critical reviews, open
letters, summaries, curated lists, rules-of-thumb, printables, open
questions/problems, instructional guides, cheat-sheets, blueprints, etc.

## Spoil your secret sauce. {spoil}

Write about things _only you_ can write about.

[Spoil your secret sauce:](/secret-sauce)

> Go on an adventure. Find a New Thing™. Bring it back. Share it, and
> demonstrate why the New Thing™ is worth sharing.

Stand by your opinions. Don't be milquetoast.

Don't compete with [content farms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_farm).

## Be a trendsetter. {trendsetter}

Write about nameless, murky mysteries. If a trend already has a name, you're
late to the party.

Find something that matters and distill it into as few words as possible.
[Marie Kondo's "Spark Joy"](https://konmari.com/marie-kondo-rules-of-tidying-sparks-joy/)
is a masterclass in trendsetting.

## Shelf-life is the best barometer. {shelf-life}

Will your works be worthwhile 40 months from now? Do things
[that outlive fancy rats](/fancy-rats).

As you get comfortable with your craft, aim to
[create masterpieces:](/eschew-the-new)

> It's exhausting -- unceasing streams of series, seasons, and sequels.
>
> Artists create art. Content-creators create content.
>
> I don't want _content_. I don't want reboots or remasters or reimaginings. I
> don't want pandering or product-placement or pop-politics. Breaking news is
> broken.
>
> Content corrodes. Classics last. Masterpieces matter.

Search will continue to improve. Great works eventually get recognition.

## Don't spam. {spam}

The quickest way to create enemies is to disrespect their attention.

Avoid tracking, pop-ups, frequent newsletters, or cold-calls. Don't sell your
reputation for a few clicks.

It's okay to maintain a blog, but remember: quality is king. Never post anything
that isn't worthwhile.

## Beware the social-media rat-race. {rat-race}

Avoid [vanity metrics](https://www.julian.com/blog/vanity-metrics).
Followers/friends/subscribers/retweets/views are
[dangerous because they're easy to measure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McNamara_fallacy).

Use [POSSE](https://indieweb.org/POSSE) to gather a crowd outside of the walled
gardens.

Don't send content into the void. There are billions of people and trillions of
bots vying for attention. Don't add your voice to the cacophony.

When in doubt, make a positive impact in a small community.

---

[^note]:
    This essay is part of [How to Productize Yourself](/productize-yourself).