--- title: 'The 3 Mistakes New Creators Make' date: 2025-03-25 excerpt: 'Most new creators stall before they start. Avoid these 3 common mistakes - and learn where to focus instead. Create. Publish. Share.' tags: [creator, tools] canonical: https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/mistakes-new-creators-make --- # The 3 Mistakes New Creators Make ## The Big Idea Starting is harder than it looks. And it's easy to waste time doing the wrong things first. I've had the same conversation a handful of times lately - with friends ready to publish, build, create. They're excited. They're asking about tools, hosting, platforms. They're planning *big*. And they're already off track. Here are the 3 mistakes I see most new creators make (and how to avoid them): ### 1. You can't buy creativity New gear. Fancy tools. Premium subscriptions. It *feels* like progress, but it's not. It's tempting to whip out your credit card from the jump, but you can't buy your way into being a creator. Buying a domain, a newsletter service, podcast hosting, or a fancy camera *feels* good, but doesn't move the needle. > **Do this instead:** > Harness your excitement and energy - use it to make something (a video, a blog post, a podcast, whatever it is you're trying to create), and share it. Then do that again. And again. > > Your work will get better, and your audience will grow. You can't buy creativity -- and you also can't buy more time. Don't waste your time and money on gear until it's the *only* thing in the way of growth. ### 2. Don't skip the basics: how to find your niche Many of the folks I talk to want to create something, and they fall on two extremes: (1) they want to create something on a *wide variety* of topics, or (2) they can't decide what topic they want to create about. These sound like different problems, but they're both symptoms of the same root cause: a lack of clarity on who you're creating for. The most successful creators I know have a clear, focused niche, and a deep understanding of their audience. > **Do this instead:** > > Do a deep audit of your interests, passions, and skills. For each, ask yourself: > > **Where are people interested in this topic finding each other online?** > Look for forums, subreddits, youtube channels, social media accounts, etc. where people are talking about your interests, and see what they're saying. > > **What do successful creators in this niche have in common? What do they do well?** > Look at the creators who are already successful in your niche. What do they do well? What do they say? What do they share? > > **What perspective do I have that can add to the conversation?** > Answer these questions, and see where you fit in. You may be surprised at what you find. ### 3. There is no bar, but there should be a target I'm the first to tell you that [there is no bar](https://chriscoyier.net/2022/06/27/there-is-no-bar/) when it comes to creating online. Step one is simple: publish. Put your work out there. Do it often. Once you've built that habit, try aiming higher: create something a creator you admire would genuinely love. Seriously - keep them in mind as part of your process. When you share work you're proud of, and it resonates enough for someone you look up to to share it, that moment is both validating and a powerful way to grow your voice in your niche. To be clear: this isn't about spamming people. It's about raising the bar for yourself - making something so thoughtful, useful, or entertaining that it naturally earns attention. > **Do this:** > Make a list of 20 people who shape the conversation in your niche. If they notice your work, it's a sign you're breaking through. > > Next time you sit down to create, focus on one of them as the target audience for your work. Build something they'd love, and *share it* in places where they're active. ## The Takeaway: Get good at one thing first. Create. Publish. Share. Earn your audience, once post at a time. Then, once people care, *maybe* it's time for the podcast, the YouTube channel, the empire. Until then: focus. --- ## Some great creators to follow There is nothing I love more than learning from people smarter than me. Here's a couple of my favorite voices on the internet: - [Tony Mastrorio](https://www.threads.net/@tonydotcoms) is a fellow YC founder who has been exploring new audiences regularly over the past few months. He's done a great job of sharing his journey on Threads. It's inspiring to see his process: he's trying new things, and sharing them with his audience. - [Amy Hoy](https://bsky.app/profile/amyhoy.bsky.social) is a great example of someone who has been building online for *years*. She co-created [30x500](https://30x500.com/academy/), and has *deep* expertise in launching products online. Her Bluesky posts are a masterclass in sharing what she's passionate about - from photography and emerging tech tools to supporting civic engagement and progressive causes. --- ## Some useful links - The most recent episode of Citation Needed, about [Audie Murphy](https://www.citationpod.com/audie-murphy-the-most-decorated-combat-soldier-of-ww2/) is a great reminder of why I love the podcast so much: I can simultaneously unwind, learn, and laugh a bit. - There's a [*super important security update* for Next.js](https://nextjs.org/blog/cve-2025-29927) that you should know about if you're using the framework. Not the type of thing I'd typically share here, but -- this feels like a big one. --- ## Give 'em hell It might feel like you're paddling a tiny canoe in the shadow of looming battleships - but keep paddling, and stay nimble. There's plenty of room in the pond for all of us. Bet on yourself. Bet on the people around you. I'm rooting for you - and I want to see you win. ✌🏾 - M ## More from mikebifulco.com - [My 2026 Developer Tech Stack](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/developer-product-engineer-tech-stack-2026) - [AI Prompt Secrets - what the leaks tell us](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/learn-from-llms-leaking-their-prompts) - [Tools I Love - Resend and React Email](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/tools-i-love-resend-react-email) --- Written by Mike Bifulco. Originally published at https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/mistakes-new-creators-make