503. 16.5 Proven Audience-Building Secrets

The ONE Thing

When Jay Papasan launched the Twentypercenter newsletter, it was his personal version of a Rocky-style training montage. He committed to writing, editing, and publishing a new piece every single week—no matter what. 137 newsletters later, he’s gained more than just consistency. He’s built a powerful, intentional audience and uncovered key lessons about what it takes to grow something meaningful.

In this solo episode, Jay shares 16 and a half of the most valuable lessons he’s learned along the way. From the importance of patience and vulnerability to the surprising power of simplicity and repetition, Jay opens up about the creative systems and mindset shifts that helped him grow from 89 subscribers to over 12,000—with zero paid ads.

Whether you’re starting a newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel, or just building something of your own, these lessons will help you create with purpose—and keep going long enough to see it pay off.

Challenge of the Week:

Pick one idea you’ve been waiting to start—a newsletter, podcast, blog, or creative habit—and publish the first version this week. Don’t overprepare. Don’t wait until it’s perfect. Just hit send. Then, create a simple system that will help you show up consistently from here on out.

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To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:

• Why creativity snowballs once you start creating consistently

• How quality beats quantity—and why 1,000 true fans is enough

• The critical role of systems, habits, and reader feedback in sustainable growth

Links & Tools from This Episode:

• Build Your Audience Resources

• Kevin Kelly's “1000 True Fans”

• Read Humor, Seriously by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas

• Read Getting Things Done by David Allen

• Read Atomic Habits by James Clear

• Free Resources

• Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.

Produced by NOVA