I came across a post by Zara Zhang (@zarazhangrui) today that completely changed how I think about X.
One idea really stuck with me: “Lower the bar for posting. Raw and authentic beats polished but empty.”
It also made me realise just how important X is for AI founders and builders. So I logged back into my long-dormant account and decided to start posting regularly.
Why do I think X matters so much? I’ll get to that at the end. First, here’s what I learned from Zara about using X.
Stop treating X like a stage
Most people treat X like a stage. They step up, deliver a speech, and imagine an audience listening.
In reality, they’re often just talking to an empty room.
A better way to think about X is as a party.
Find a group of people having interesting conversations, listen to what they’re talking about, and naturally join in.
Four practical ways to grow on X
1. Curate your feed. Get rid of the noise.
Like, repost, and bookmark content you genuinely find valuable. This trains the algorithm to show you more of what you care about.
Think of it as choosing which parties to attend and which communities to hang out with.
2. Leave thoughtful replies on bigger accounts.
Engage with people who have larger audiences, but make sure your replies add something meaningful to the conversation.
If they respond, the algorithm may give your interaction more visibility. And if they repost your content, you could suddenly reach a much wider audience.
3. Post every day, and lower the bar for posting.
How do you find something worth sharing every day? Zara suggests three approaches:
- Learn in Public: Share something you’ve learned that day, especially something that resonated with you. Tag the original creator to give them credit and start a conversation. Everyone appreciates being recognised.
- Give Feedback in Public: Discover a product that impresses you? Write a public recommendation or share constructive feedback. Early-stage founders especially appreciate this kind of attention.
- Build in Public: When a new tool comes out, try building something with it. It could be a tiny product, an experiment, or a simple demo. Share what you’ve made and what you’ve learned.
4. Don’t let AI write your posts.
Raw and authentic beats polished but empty.
Find your own voice first. Develop your own taste and perspective. Then use AI to support you, rather than letting it speak for you.
The goal isn’t just to grow an audience. It’s to grow an audience while still being yourself.
Why X matters so much for AI founders
A huge part of the AI community is on X: researchers, developers, founders, engineers, and investors.
New models, research papers, product demos, job moves, and technical debates are constantly being shared and discussed there.
Often, new products, technologies, and ideas gain traction on X before gradually spreading to other platforms.
If you want to stay close to what’s happening in AI, X is one of the best places to be.
But more importantly, for AI founders, X isn’t just a source of information. It’s a way to become part of the industry itself.
Thanks to Zara Zhang for inspiring me to dust off this account and start participating again.
You can find me on X at @xiaobofu_.