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Lessons from 3 months of posting.

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My account grew to ~15k in 3 months. I post about once a day.

Like chasing happiness, optimising for attention, in and of itself, is useless. This is more a guide on becoming interesting and some great ways to share that side of yourself.

For the attention deficit:

> Authentically share high signal thoughts that provide value and encourage conversation.

The algorithm.

> A thought in isolation can be a banger. But algorithmic traction begins with a conversation.

I posted this a few days ago and others shared their own experiences. It became an indie dev conversation about not using shampoo.

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2093331401877713080 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2093331401877713080 Posted: 2026-08-28T13:34:33.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> Some "weird" things about me: > > • Haven't used shampoo in 9 years. > > • Don't wear underwear anymore. > > • Sleep in seperate bed to wifey. > > • Cut my own hair, getting better at it. > > • Ear plugs/airpods in public spaces. > > image

Media:

The algorithm sees collective interactions as forming a conversation around a topic, and pushes them, collectively. Put another way: the algorithm incentivises the sharing of opinion. This is why you often see quote posts from an article doing really well.

Algorithmic weighting drives activity & engagement (and therefore ad revenue for the platform) but also incentivises discussion, which is amazing.

How do you leverage this?

  1. Share valuable or interesting information that people want to share their own views on. Novel insights on the world that can help people. I think the new "organic" monetisation model also tries to reward this.

  2. Even better, tap into the zeitgeist: share your views on the "feeling of the times." The things people already feel, and if possible, the feelings they are not conscious of.

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2092947077135315389 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2092947077135315389 Posted: 2026-08-27T12:07:22.000Z Reply to: none

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> I'm leaving the UK. My brutally honest reasons why.

Media:

  • video: /media/posts/lessons-from-3-months-of-posting/1.mp4

I shared some of the reasons why I'm leaving the UK, and some of the issues the UK is facing. It clearly resonated with the collective feeling of the times.

Tapping into the zeitgeist is very hard to do. Levels is a great example of someone who manages to consistently do it across tech, politics, health etc.

There are a few simpler concepts we can learn: signals, value and authenticity. Let's go over them.

The Power of Signals

Every post, whether intentional or not, is a signal. About who you are, your values, your ability to get what you want out of life. In order to grow on platforms, and really any area of life, you need to learn to produce high signal.

> High signal is information you need to know.

Your life may measurably change upon your finding it. High signal can be understood as value, but value is a bit one dimensional and misses the more complex nature of signals. This post is high signal, as it's the blueprint for what worked for me when building & marketing my app.

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2080603050327097694 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2080603050327097694 Posted: 2026-07-24T10:36:37.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> My app just hit $7k/m. > > I'll hit 10k/m before I quit my job & fly to vietnam 🇻🇳 > > This is how I did it. > > Part One: The App. > > 1. Built an iOS app. > > 2. Found a validated niche. > > 3. Improved upon existing apps. > > 4. Read reviews to see pain points. > > 5. Improved everything: UI, onboarding, features. > > 6. With AI and good taste it's so easy to win. > > 7. You can build beautiful & useful product in a week. > > 8. Stack: Native Swift & RevenueCat. > > 9. Pricing of 7.99/w, 14.99/m and 49.99/y. > > 10. Typically weekly + yearly combo is good. > > 11. Adding monthly increased my conversions. > > 12. This will vary by niche: see what competitors do! > > Part Two: Apple Ads to 1k/m. > > 1. Used the $100 free credits to get data! > > 2. Measured my onboarding & paywall with posthog. > > 3. Already had 70% onboarding completion. > > 4. Reduced all friction: got it to 85%. > > 5. Ran AB tests using remote paywalls. > > 6. Kept everything compliant with Apple guidelines. > > 7. Achieved 8% install to paid. > > 8. Split campaigns by territory groups: US, AU, TH etc. > > 9. Used competitor names as strict keywords. > > 10. User searches for competitor: > > • My app way better so they download mine instead. > > 11. This relies on a really good app store page. > > 12. Mock up screenshots in Figma then enhance with AI. > > 13. ChatGPT Image-2 is free with Codex. > > Part Three: Scaling to 7k/m with Tikslop. > > 1. Scrolled in my niche, found organic viral posts. > > 2. Remade them myself: film with friends or use AI. > > 3. Seedance 2 mini is the best ROI video model I think. > > 4. I made ~8 formats, ~15 creatives. > > 5. Give each creative $50 of spend. > > 6. After $50, if CPA < LTV then scale it. > > 7. If CPA > LTV then stop spend. > > 8. LTV is hard to calculate. You can ask Rico. > > 9. Better for me: Aimed for profit on first transaction. > > 10. This is simpler & more ambitious. > > 11. Expect to burn at least $500! > > Part Four: Scaling Ad Spend (The Big Leagues) > > 1. If the CPA is staying consistent. > > 2. Increase spend by < 30% each time. > > 3. My advice: ~15% each time. > > 4. 50, 60, 70, 90 etc. > > 5. Performance can be volatile. > > • Yesterday I made ~$170, a small loss. > > • A few days ago I made ~$600, big profit. > > 6. Measure averages over time. > > Remember: there are infinite ways to win, this is mine. > > It took me about 3 years to make a successful app. > > Winning is simply losing on a long enough timeline.

Media:

  • video:

> Low signal is information which does not provide value.

Low signal is noise. It’s irrelevant, misleading or low-quality information. Worse still, low signal is inherently frustrating. It’s very existence requires your active filtering of it. Imagine: if everyone only posted high signal, you would never need to dig for gold. So, when we encounter low signal, we experience annoyance at its presence, and by extension, its author.

A Few Examples of Low Signal.

> Low effort engagement bait.

Do you prefer x or y. You may get attention, but no high signal accounts will engage, and, whether consciously or unconsciously, the author and anyone engaging, are aware that it is low signal.

> Reply guy is low signal.

Everything you produce inevitably carries signal, including replies. Very broadly, you should comment things which are authentic. To most this is natural, but a lot of people use AI slop or spam. I'd encourage you to never use AI in your own personal writing, because writing is thinking, and you should not outsource your thinking.

The highest signal form of engagement, and more beneficial for the author, is to quote post, providing your own genuine views or experience. As we covered, the algorithm pushes conversations. So, by quote posting, you contribute to the author's success.

> Jester content can be low signal.

"I made $0 this month" posts, if you identify as a builder, is low signal. People might engage, but they'll view you as a failure, because, in this particular endeavor, you currently are.

Being a pure jester - only posting bangers, can be high signal, but this is hard. These accounts almost always have a unique voice. Humor and interesting perspectives come naturally; the jester archetype is impossible to pretend long term.

The worst signal is something that makes you look objectively bad, for example: stealing, plagiarism, or obvious incompetence.

What is high signal?

> A crude, but strong signal, is evidence of revenue.

Making something from nothing is hard; it's a signal that you know something about the world that others do not. Revenue posting is the lowest bar for high signal.

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2090456949322051921 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2090456949322051921 Posted: 2026-08-20T15:12:30.000Z Reply to: none

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> I'm genuinely terrified of what I've created. > > $1,298.30 in a ONE DAY bro?!! > > I'm looking to exit. > > If you know anyone hmu 🤙 > > image

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> Great design is also high signal.

Whether it be an app, or a website; it’s a visual indicator that you can create something that is beautiful. And beauty is always valuable. Good design is meaningfully high signal, but it is not exceptional or special.

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2076009750727110854 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2076009750727110854 Posted: 2026-07-11T18:24:29.000Z Reply to: none

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> What if your onboarding was a conversation?

Media:

  • video: /media/posts/lessons-from-3-months-of-posting/2.mp4

The strongest signal encourages platform wide conversation. It reveals something valuable about the world. Something special, possibly unique, or touching on the zeitgeist.

For example, my first big article was about running Apple Ads. It was special in that it had not been covered in such a complete or viral way before. Another example was Will, who did the same with TT ads. Finding unique and novel ways to win, and sharing them with others, is perhaps the best way to grow in the indie dev space.

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2071187278286733629 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2071187278286733629 Posted: 2026-06-28T11:01:42.000Z Reply to: none

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> http://x.com/i/article/2070159995958702080

> An interesting thing about The Algorithm, is that follower account doesn't matter nearly as much as people think.

> I think a following can increase your surface area for virality, but I had ~100k posts when I had under a thousand followers, and I get lower posts with ~15k.

Value

> All good accounts provide some form of value.

We've talked a little bit about value. The jester makes us laugh, and the MRR screenshot, while crude, is valuable in that it inspires us: making internet money is possible, we can pursue our dreams. We can combine value and signal to help us understand why some things do well.

Value is the simpler concept.

> Did I find this useful, entertaining, or inspiring?

Signal is broader and a bit more important.

> What does this make me believe about the author?

Put another way:

> Value can get you solid engagement, and consistent high signal can earns you a following.

Authenticity

> Value is only valuable when it is authentic.

Authenticity is synonymous with aura, and authentic people are high signal because an honest view of the world is valuable.

> Value without authenticity is low signal because the author is not trustworthy.

If you're highly authentic, you can likely get away without providing value. But all authentic people tend to naturally deliver value. Explaining authenticity is it's own article. In lieu of that, study the late Patrice O'Neal.

Video

I would be remiss not to include video in this article. Obviously video was a big part of my growth. I think this is in part due to video helping convey authenticity, getting closer to the audience.

Good video content is also in it's infancy on 𝕏, primarily being a text based platform. If you make good video content, you will naturally stand out and come across as interesting.

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2078429081851298285 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2078429081851298285 Posted: 2026-07-18T10:38:03.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> In ~2 months I quit my job. > > And fly to Vietnam 🇻🇳 > > My app is doing $5.5k/m, but: > > • $200/day Ad Spend > > • 15% Apple Fees > > • 19% Business Tax > > About ~$1.5k profit/month. > > Relying on one main creative. > > Tomorrow I go to Netherlands. > > For one month. The lock in begins!

Media:

  • video: /media/posts/lessons-from-3-months-of-posting/3.mp4

For video, you obviously need a few more skills, talking to the camera is hard, but you can learn through repetition and watching yourself back. If you're seriously considering video, I'd recommend getting a DJI Osmo Pocket camera and mic to start (not sponsored).

How do you become interesting?

I'm telling you to share valuable and high signal thoughts. But where do these come from? They come from your unique view on the world. The more unique your viewpoint, the more interesting things you'll have to share. To cultivate a unique view on the world, you can:

  1. Have new experiences: travel the world, have relationships, take risks. Find your limits: where you begin and end.
  2. While obviously not an endorsement, trauma (a subset of experience), is highly effective in producing interesting people. Pain is a precursor for growth both physically and mentally.
  3. Neurodiversity. This inherently gives you a unique view of the world, because you think differently to other people. If this is you, just start posting!

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2091859340835639444 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2091859340835639444 Posted: 2026-08-24T12:05:06.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> My journey started years ago. > > • Told I might have cancer: false positive. > > • Interviewed at Anthropic: unsuccessful. > > These events changed my life. > > • Decided to go all in at $0/m. > > • Made $20k in two months. > > • Will fly to Vietnam soon. > > This is who I am & where I'm going.

Media:

  • video: /media/posts/lessons-from-3-months-of-posting/4.mp4

This is the key part, where this article might feel a bit redundant to you. Because the advice for interesting and authentic people simply boils down to "don't think about it, just post what you feel." But of course, if it comes naturally to you, you don't need to be reading this!

Going viral is easy. Building foundations is hard.

Once you understand these concepts, you'll find that going viral can be, to some extent, engineered. But consistently optimising for virality is neither useful nor good. People will view you as optimising for attention, which is very likely inauthentic. A byproduct of that is gaining tens, and even hundreds of thousands of followers and getting comparatively very little engagement.

It's infinitely better to authentically share the cool things that you work on, think about, and achieve. This will get less attention, but you'll meet amazing friends along the way, and your community are the people you'll have the platform wide conversations with that get picked up by the algorithm.

Embedded post:

Author: Frederick James (@frederickjames) Post ID: 2091125572806090802 Source: https://x.com/frederickjames/status/2091125572806090802 Posted: 2026-08-22T11:29:22.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> Yesterday, I resigned from my job. > > I also hit $10,000/month. > > It took me 88 days. > > Keep going friends. The world is yours.

Media:

  • video: /media/posts/lessons-from-3-months-of-posting/5.mp4

> You should cultivate and nurture these relationships. I've found insane value and opportunities from the friends I've met on this platform (thank you, friends).

In short:

> Authentically post high signal thoughts that provide value and encourage conversation.

Tags:#X#Aura#Guide#Chatgpt

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