You’ve done the work. You’ve created something smart, well-crafted, maybe even groundbreaking. And yet—nothing.
Meanwhile, something mediocre is raking in views, sales, and attention.
What gives?
The truth: The quality of your work does not guarantee success.
And before you say, “But great work always rises to the top,”—it doesn’t. History proves that some of the best books, films, and albums never broke through. Not because they weren’t good, but because making an impact is hard.
The Myth of Great Work
We like to believe that great ideas win. That talent rises. That if you just make something good enough, people will find it.
But history tells a different story.
- Vincent van Gogh sold one painting in his lifetime.
- Seinfeld was almost canceled after season one.
- The Beatles were rejected by Decca Records because “guitar music is on the way out.”
The inconvenient truth? Nobody knows anything.
Screenwriter William Goldman said it about Hollywood, but it applies everywhere—music, books, startups, podcasts.
The success of creative work is stunningly unpredictable. Hits aren’t chosen. They emerge. And most of the people we think of as “brilliant publishers” or “genius creators” were just persistent and lucky.
Why Your Masterpiece Might Not Matter
Pick any year—1970, 1990, 2024. Listen to 100 albums from that year without looking at their sales numbers. Most are pretty good in a general sense. Some are exceptional.
But the ones that sold the most? Often, they’re not the best.
- For every Abbey Road, there’s an Who Let The Dogs Out.
- Brian Eno made technically flawless recordings. Some sold well. Others didn’t.
- Hollywood producers greenlight hundreds of movies. The biggest hits? Some are predictable, but the full list almost always contains surprises.
Quality doesn’t correlate perfectly with success because humans don’t choose “the best” thing—they choose what resonates.
And what resonates is shaped by:
- Timing
- Social proof
- Distribution
- Luck
This is why:
- An author with a great agent and a mediocre book will outsell a self-published genius.
- A catchy, dumbed-down song will go viral while an intricate, beautiful one struggles.
- The creator who understands distribution and attention will always beat the one who only focuses on the work.
So What’s the Answer?
If making great things isn’t enough, then what?
Do we stop creating? Do we spend all our time marketing?
No. But we stop believing the myth that good work markets itself.
Here’s what actually works:
1. Find Your Smallest Meaningful Audience
Forget mass appeal. Find the 1,000 true fans who deeply care. If they love it, they’ll do the marketing for you.
2. Treat Publishing Like a Muscle, Not a Lottery
Most creators take one big swing and hope for a home run. The better strategy? Swing constantly. More at-bats = more chances to connect.
3. Make It Easy for People to Find You
Great work with poor distribution is invisible. Get in front of the right people, repeatedly.
4. Leverage Momentum
The Beatles weren’t the only band in Liverpool. But they got popular first. More people talking about them led to even more people talking about them.
Stop Waiting to Be Picked
The biggest mistake creators make? Believing someone else will make them successful.
- A publisher
- A record label
- A VC firm
- A viral moment
But nobody is coming.
Instead of trying to crack the code of what works, play the game differently.
- Persist longer than others.
- Focus on your core audience, not mass appeal.
- Create momentum instead of waiting for permission.
Because making an impact isn’t about making the best thing—it’s about making the right people care.
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