It’s easier than ever to build software—and that trend isn’t slowing. Distribution is becoming the new competitive advantage. Every founder wants the same thing: grow the company. There are many ways to do it, but there’s one most of us can tap into: content marketing—both at the company level and through the founder’s personal brand (aka founder-led growth).

Yes, you should be talking to users and improving the product. Doing content doesn’t contradict that. In my experience, most people avoid it out of embarrassment, not because it’s a waste of time.

“Isn’t there too much content already?” Not really. Remember the 1/9/90 rule: 1% creates, 9% contributes, 90% just watches.

Over the last 3.5 years I’ve learned a lot making content: 15M+ organic impressions across value posts and 20M+ on a meme page. In my last three companies (including Torrenegra Organization), content has been the #1 source of inbound leads. I’ve also learned from creators like Diego Barrazas, Esteban Quiroga, Robbie J. Frye, Michael Houck—and from dozens of conversations with people at Spotify, Netflix, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.

This guide is the “Coke base formula.” You’ll still need to tweak it to your flavor.

Part 1: Identify your strengths

Short videos are trendy, but you won’t succeed with a format you hate. You’ll quit.

Question 1 — What format is easiest for you to create? I don’t mind being on camera, but I dislike scripting; I end up stalling. Writing lets me iterate as I go, so I default to writing.

Question 2 — In which market segment can you deliver real value? It’s easier to stand out where you already have experience. For me, that’s entrepreneurship: it’s my craft and I have social proof.

Question 3 — What tone and voice do you want? Formal or casual? Minimalist or loud? Memes or whitepapers? Decide the personality your brand projects—visually and in language.

Part 2: Define success (for you)

Your definition will evolve. First challenge: publish your first piece and get your first follower—then think monetization.

Set a clear, ideally numeric goal aligned with your strengths. Examples:

  • Hit 10,000 followers on a channel.
  • Generate 10 qualified leads/month.
  • Monetize $100/month on YouTube.
  • Share lessons so others avoid your mistakes.

Pick a starting hypothesis and iterate.

Part 3: Choose your distribution channel

Match format + goal:

  • YouTube: long-form (3+ min)
  • Shorts / TikTok / Reels: sub-3-min video
  • Spotify / Apple Podcasts: audio
  • Medium, Beehiiv, blog: writing

Part 4: Publishing cadence

The secret is consistency. Pick a day and time you can always hit. Great creators train their audience’s habit.

It matters less whether you post 1× or 3× a week—just be reliable.

Part 5: Generate original ideas (the easy way)

Founders often say, “I have nothing to share.” Wrong question.

Ask: What do I know today that would’ve helped me 2–5 years ago? Nothing here is invented; it’s hard-won lessons I wish I’d had sooner.

This prompt naturally ties back to your strengths and produces practical content—not “buy my finance service,” but stories, playbooks, and breakdowns. On LinkedIn, for example, startup anecdotes consistently perform for me.

Part 6: Ship it

We overrate the first post. That’s the spotlight effect—you think everyone’s watching. They aren’t. No one remembers their favorite creator’s first piece. MrBeast’s early videos were terrible.

Content is a fast product loop. Publish the first piece.

The real engine behind a winning post

Think of content as a three-sided marketplace:

  1. Creator wants engagement.
  2. Platform wants retention.
  3. Consumer wants to be educated, entertained, inspired, provoked—or to buy without feeling pressured.

Before you publish, ask:

  • How do I help the platform help me?
  • What specific benefit will the consumer get that triggers action?

Most people ignore the platform and the consumer and just try to sell.

Platforms aren’t good or bad—they sell attention. Help them do that and they’ll reward you.

The four rungs of reach:

  1. Retention (views): keep people on-platform → good.
  2. Engagement (comments): invite interaction → great.
  3. Cross-pollination (shares): pull people from other platforms → exceptional.
  4. Memorability (brand): people remember and identify with it → compounding moat.

Viral videos usually hit rung #3 (you saw it on TikTok because a friend sent it on WhatsApp). Brands that compound hit #4. “Just Do It” is shorthand for Nike because the message became part of culture.

Design for consumer benefit: If your goal is comments, a “Got a new certification” post won’t spark discussion. Polarizing, defensible takes do: e.g., “Most VC advice is noise for 95% of founders.” Some agree, some don’t—engagement happens.

A caution on pure virality: You can go viral with stunts, but ask what you’re risking. Reach without alignment can harm your brand.

Part 7: Substance > polish

At the beginning, gear doesn’t matter. Your first job is shipping v1.

Example: in Mexico, ex-special forces creator GAFE423 grew with low-quality video because the content was original and strong. Upgrade audio/video later—don’t over-engineer v1.

Part 8: Tactical Tips & Tricks

  • Memes work—even B2B. It’s still an underused channel in B2B; tasteful irreverence cuts through.
  • Don’t put external links in the main post. Drop them in the comments; platforms penalize off-platform clicks.
  • On LinkedIn, faces win. Posts with people in the image get roughly 3× interactions (observed across 5+ accounts).
  • Max 2 posts/day on LinkedIn. More usually cannibalizes reach.
  • No watermarks. Don’t upload TikTok-watermarked videos to Reels (and vice versa) or reach will drop.
  • Dead on arrival? Repost. If there’s zero engagement in the first 60 minutes, delete and try again 3+ hours later.
  • There is no “algorithm” scapegoat. If reach is consistently bad, the content likely isn’t resonating.
  • Structure wins: hook → body → call-to-action.
  • For video, lighting beats camera. Buy lights before you buy a new lens.

Closing

Less “likes,” more memorable content. Don’t just make things people consume—make things they want to participate in.

Pick your format, set a goal, choose a channel, commit to a cadence, and publish the first piece. Then iterate up the four rungs—retention, engagement, shares, memorability—until distribution is your advantage.