What I'm actually thankful for after 30,000 followers

I've hit 30,000 followers on LinkedIn! And I want to write a thank you message... just kidding. Here's why follower count is an unreliable metric, and what I'm truly grateful for.

I used to highlight certain milestones on LinkedIn. I've since stopped doing it. Let me explain why and what actually keeps me going.

On follower count

Gaming follower count on LinkedIn isn't as straightforward as some platforms, but it can be done. This includes using software to connect with 100 people a day, cover only extremely popular topics, generate sensationalised posts with AI, or plagiarise popular posts for more impressions. Many of the techniques work because there is a clear correlation between high impressions and more followers.

After posting daily for almost three years, I've also noticed some patterns. For a start, it was much easier to gain followers in the past than it is today. You'll gain followers as long as you post occasionally, regardless of quality - even copied jokes seem to work. And if you come from a large organisation, followers accumulate much faster. Senior roles accelerate this even more. C-suite positions? The effect doubles again.

My point? Follower count is a pretty poor way to gauge anything at all.

What I'm grateful for

What I'm grateful for isn't my follower count, but the richness of the insights I've gained from experts around the globe who respond via comments or emails. I'm also grateful for everyone who has stepped forward to introduce themselves at a conference. It is an incredibly diverse crowd, and I often walk away wiser.

The most incredible story was someone I met by chance outside DCW Asia this year. It turned out I knew something about an urgent call he was having within the next hour. He later told me it made a difference.

But if you've ever dropped me an email, DM, or WhatsApp, that's you too. So, thank you. The journey has been rich beyond everything I've imagined, and you've played a part to make it all worthwhile.