Show Your Work!

Points clés

• You do not have to be a genius; you have to be findable and generous
• Share the process, not just the polished product, because people love seeing how
• Post one small thing every day and let the pieces add up to a body of work
• Tell good stories about your work, since the story changes what people see
• Teach what you know and give credit freely; it multiplies your reach

À l'intérieur de ce bit

1. Being found beats being brilliant

   Think of a talented cook in a small town whose food nobody outside the family has tasted. Now think of a decent cook who posts one recipe a day and has thousands of followers.

2. Think process, not product

   Most people only show the finished thing: the launch, the book, the award. Kleon argues the process is more interesting and far easier to share.

3. Share something small every day

   Daily sharing sounds exhausting until you see how small the unit can be. Kleon suggests asking one question at the end of each day: what did I work on today that I could show?

4. Tell good stories and teach

   Work does not speak for itself. The same painting sells for more with a compelling story behind it, and the same code gets more stars with a clear readme.

5. Take the punches and stick around

   Putting work in public means some people will not like it, and a few will say so rudely. Kleon's advice is to expect it, to distinguish between criticism of the work and attacks on the person, and to keep going.

6. Passez à l'action

   This week, register a simple website or profile with your own name and put three things you have made on it. Each evening, post one small piece of your process, a sketch, a paragraph or a lesson learned, and stop at one.