--- title: 'From 21 to 1000 - Lessons in Growth' date: 2024-12-03 excerpt: 'What I learned from growing Tiny Improvements to 1000 readers' tags: [newsletter, creator, founder] canonical: https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/lessons-in-growth-from-21-to-1000 --- # From 21 to 1000 - Lessons in Growth ## The Big Idea Reaching milestones is gratifying, but the growth that comes from sharing your work is the real difference maker. --- ## Milestones, Growth & Putting Yourself Out There This week, πŸ’Œ Tiny Improvements hit 1,000 readers! It's a milestone I couldn't have imagined when I sent my first dispatch to just 21 friends in 2020. The first newsletter went out *months* after I set up a mailing list, and it was almost 2 full years before I started sending them regularly. ![The very first Tiny Improvements Newsletter, from 2020, went out to just 21 people](https://res.cloudinary.com/mikebifulco-com/image/upload/q_auto:eco,f_auto/v1/newsletters/lessons-in-growth-from-21-to-1000/stats) *The very first Tiny Improvements Newsletter, from 2020, went out to just 21 people* Growth has been uneven - spurts, plateaus, and lots of introspection - but every new dispatch and reader is a reminder of why I started sharing my work. Here's what this journey has taught me: 1. **It takes guts to start.** Sharing your work feels vulnerable at first. My first newsletter sat in drafts for months before I hit send. But once I did, the real growth - for the newsletter and for me - began. 2. **Feedback is fuel.** Hearing from readers is always validating, whether it's close friends or strangers. If you've ever hit reply to one of my emails, know that your words mean more than you think. 3. **Writing changes you.** This newsletter has made me more thoughtful-about my own work and about the content I consume. I notice lazy clickbait more than ever but also have a deeper appreciation for simple, impactful writing. One unexpected highlight lately has been Bluesky. It's a refreshingly open and real space right now, and I've been connecting with incredible new people there. (Follow me: [@mikebifulco.com](https://bsky.app/profile/mikebifulco.com)). --- ### Why This Matters Whether it's an article, video, app, or something else - sharing your work can feel daunting, but it's a great way to grow. Your journey will be different from mine, but every step will be valuable. If you've been waiting for the β€œright time” to start, this is your sign: start today. > πŸ“’ If you're working on something you're proud of, [hit reply and share it with me](mailto:hello@mikebifulco.com)! I'll give it a signal boost and cheer you on. ### Closing Thoughts To each of you: thank you for letting me into your inbox. I'll keep writing, learning, and sharing, and I hope you'll do the same. --- ## Some Other Things I've Shared Recently - [Migrating from next-sitemap to sitemap.ts](https://mikebifulco.com/posts/migrate-from-next-sitemap-to-app-directory-sitemap) I've been starting the process of migrating my personal site from Next's lovable Pages directory to the new App directory. While doing so, I put together a guide on migrating your sitemap, if you're looking to do the same. - [APIs You Won't Hate: Mr. Bluesky](https://apisyouwonthate.com/newsletter/mr-blue-sky/) the latest newsletter from APIs You Won't Hate is all about Bluesky, and has some great articles about the platform and its API. You can find [APIs You Won't Hate on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/apisyouwonthate.com), too! - Speaking of lumpy growth and uneven solutions - I recently published a video series on [using Posthog to improve conversation rates](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nWcB1a8M1s\&list=PLhd5wwaTOKLuI6UNjGpBnPKxWiUW4iBhg) for πŸ’Œ Tiny Improvements signups. It was a fun experiment, and results were mixed! All part of the journey. --- ## Where I've been learning - πŸ“• [Good Services](https://hardcover.app/books/good-services) by *Lou Downe* - as recommended by my friend and colleague Niki, Good services is all about building services businesses, looking after customers and employees, and building systems that benefit both. - πŸ“— [Supercommunicators](https://hardcover.app/books/supercommunicators) by *Charles Duhigg* - This was a great lead in the run up to the election - coming to a better understanding of how great communicators listen to people and make connections. If you have challenging relationships at work, with family members, neighbors, or friends, this book has the capacity to be transformative. - πŸŽ™οΈ [Getting Ready to Interview Trump - an exercise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx7IDERbRWk) is the latest episode of the podcast *Question Everything* from Brian Reed, who you may know from podcasts like *S-Town* and *The Trojan Horse Affair*. Question Everything is an ongoing analysis and inspection of Journalism's role in society. Each episode so far is well-worth a listen. ## More from mikebifulco.com - [The first 90 days as a technical cofounder - building a startup in 2023](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/building-a-startup-in-2023-90-day-report) - [Building your brand in the developer community](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/be-intentional-about-building-your-brand) - [Put a fork in it - how to know when your work is ready to publish](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/how-to-know-when-to-publish-your-work) --- Written by Mike Bifulco. Originally published at https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/lessons-in-growth-from-21-to-1000