Kurogo

Content Writer

We create thought leaders through personal branding

Post-Grad Survival Guide

Took over the publication from my friend Tom. With 44K+ followers on Medium, we're one of the biggest publications on Medium. We help 20-somethings live happier & healthier lives.

Editor in Chief

FinGhost.io

Helping finance and real estate professionals build their audiences on LinkedIn

Writer

Foundry 

Writing content for world-class professionals and industry leaders across niches such as Law, Tech, AI, Business, and more.

Kohort

Head of Content

Building the copy for the website, creating eye-catching LinkedIn posts for the founder, and writing informative articles, among other things.

Ghostwriting & Copywriting Consultant

Mobco Media

Helped build the CEO's personal brand through LinkedIn and writing articles on highly reputed websites like Forbes.com and Entrepreneur.com.

Ghostwriting Consultant

LinkedIn

The LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program is an initiative designed to invest in creators. In India, 200 creators were selected from all over the country and given financial grants, resources, and mentorship from the country’s leading creators and executives. I was one of the youngest people selected for the program and worked alongside thought leaders from various industries.

LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program India 2022

upGrad

I was a part of the Business Intelligence team for most of my tenure at the company. Among other things, I also worked in Talent & Acquisition, helped organize and manage the National Sales Meet 2021, and worked on researching colleges and subject matter experts in the course-building process.

Business Intelligence

WellnessCalendar.ai

Wrote, edited, and published content, based primarily in the niches of Health, Wellness, and Fitness. I also wrote captions for Social Media, emails, and posts for the Founders’ handles.

Torrey Pines Foods

Responsible for designing, creating, and publishing all of the company’s Social Media content, campaigns, and generating leads through Social Media platforms and other online mediums.

Social Media Strategist

Content @ Kurogo | LinkedIn Creator Accelerator

I just moved from Bangalore to London on a fully sponsored writing job. Here's my story so far:

Age 17: did 4 internships in a gap year before my undergrad
Age 18: started writing online on Instagram, Medium, and LinkedIn
Age 19: signed my first ghostwriting client
Age 20: graduated uni with first-class distinction
Age 21: one of the youngest members of LI's creator accelerator, got paid lakhs to write here (wild)
Age 22: beat 700+ people to get my dream job in personal branding
Age 23: dropped out of a Masters degree from KCL
Age 24: moved back to London for work

I've had quite the unconventional story. 

The fact I'm the proudest of isn't any of the "achievements" but that I did it all my way.

I write mostly to my younger self. 

My journey is an example of how your life can change if you refuse to conform and earn the right to play your own game.

Today, the clients I work with at my job are multi-millionaires dominating their industries. I'm lucky I get paid to learn from them everyday.

If you'd like to get in touch with me, email me at varunkhadri@gmail.com.

Varun Khadri

What people see:

1. Financially sorted
2. Moved to London at 24
3. Get to ghostwrite for a living
4. Work with the smartest people

What people don't see:

1. Said no to everything and saved £ for years
2. Felt alone and depressed for a long time
3. Hated every job and gig before this
4. Outgrew almost everyone I knew 
5. Chronically anxious

Social media is never the full picture.

Don't compare your dark moments to their highlight reel.

I ordered Paneer ghee roast. I was served Prawns ghee roast.

I was too hungry to notice the visual difference in the texture so I took a couple of bites.

I'd never eaten non-vegetarian food in my life before, so I quickly realised something was off upon tasting it.

This was a week ago, I was on vacation with my family, in one of the most popular restaurants in Coorg.

Understandably, I was fuming.

And I wanted to throw up.

But I knew I had a choice.

I could cause a scene, hold the restaurant accountable, post bad reviews, get into a screaming match, demand reparation, etc.

For my non-Indian audience, this might feel like an overreaction.

But we Indians take our vegetarianism pretty seriously 😅

So the mistake the staff made was pretty much the worst thing you can do in F&B here.

But it was just that, a mistake.

The waiter/chef simply misheard our order.

Getting into a fight wouldn't fix or undo anything.

So I sent the food back, let the manager know what'd happened, and told them I wasn't pleased.

They apologised, served us the correct dish, I ate it half heartedly (having lost some of my appetite), and moved on with my life.

Sometimes, you just gotta put a pin in things, be the bigger person, and leave it at that.

Who among us hasn't made a bad mistake at our jobs?

So why is it hard for us to empathise when someone from the hospitality sector makes one?

Being kind in situations where being unkind would be an understandable reaction is what reveals the kind of person you really are :)

P.S.
My no. 1 pet peeve is people who treat waiters badly, I instantly lose respect for these people.

P.P.S.
What would you do if you were in my place?

7 unhinged things I did to build my dream life that paid off:

1. Ended a 3-year relationship that wasn’t going in the right direction

2. Dropped out of a Masters program at one of the best universities in the world

3. Moved to another continent for a remote job I could do from anywhere

4. Cut off childhood friends who I knew were toxic and bad for me

5. Stopped aimlessly partying, getting wasted, and chasing girls

6. Played multiple sports at a competitive level until I became a Jack of all trades

7. Invested 50% of my income for 3 years straight, lived way below my means

The result: I’m healthier, happier, freer, and wealthier than I’ve been in years.

This is your reminder to make the “crazy“ choices that make sense for your personal goals.

Seek advice from others, but remember only you know what’s best for you ✌🏼

Top 5 feelings I love:

- Drinking a hot cup of coffee on a chilly morning and having it slowly warm you up from the inside

- Going through a client’s LinkedIn posts and only seeing triple digit reacts

- Cutting open a piece of burrata and watching it melt over the pizza

- The sound of a feather shuttle when I hit a jump smash with a newly strung racquet

- Being in bed after a warm shower at night in fresh sheets

I’m trying to appreciate the little things in life that we take for granted more.

What’s your favourite feeling?

Friendly reminder: if you don't ask, the answer will always be "no" :)

I’ve experienced heartbreak, almost lost all my money once, and survived childhood trauma for years.

But leaving my friends and family behind and watching them cry at the airport,

Will always be the most painful thing I experience.

These are the people who’ve stood by me for a decade.

My flights from Bangalore to London are always a teary mess.

But this time, I’m choosing to remind myself that for a few weeks a year, I still get to live life, travel, and laugh with my day 1 people. 

Not everyone gets that.
Not everyone is so lucky.

There are still tears as I write this while touching down at LHR - but some of them this time are also happy tears and me thanking God I get to live this life ❤️

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Taking care of myself is a non-negotiable.

Not because I love self-care.

But because I want to be the best version of myself.

I want to be the best writer, athlete, and person I can be.

This means eating right, sleeping enough, reading more, not drinking as much, and cutting off bad energy.

I do these things because I have high standards for myself and big goals.

So I better align my actions with my ambitions.

High performance starts with taking care of yourself better.

“Being the best in the world requires you to set your standards higher, and to demand more of yourself than anyone else ever would” - Graham Weaver

3 lessons I've learnt the hard way this year:

- If you don't have your health, nothing else matters.
- Narrow your focus, don't try doing everything at once.
- You're allowed to outgrow the people/places you still love.

What's been an eye-opening lesson for you in 2025?

I've been on my first real break from work all year.

Here's what I've been up to over the last 2 weeks:

- Being a tourist in the city I grew up in has been fun
- Playing sports each evening (padel, Badminton, pickleball, Football)
- Playing FIFA every other night with the boys
- Spending time with the people I grew up with
- Plotting my next move on my content journey (YouTube)
- Trying out as many breweries and cocktail bars as possible 😅
- Dentist visits (9+ cavities filled in one week, I'm dead)
- About to go on an annual trip to Goa with my closest friends

Life is good.

I'm very lucky I get to experience the best of both worlds - my life in London and the comfort of being in familiar territory with my people back home.

As my India trip comes to an end, I can't help but think how grateful I am to have the kind of inner circle around me that I do.

Your people are who shape you, so be mindful whom you allow around you!

A good friend asked me what to post about on LinkedIn.

I write LinkedIn posts for a living, this is what I told him 👇

1. Document your journey, tell people what you’re learning, show them the life you’re living, share your wins and losses, your story is more interesting and relatable than you think

2. LinkedIn isn’t a journal though, make sure you’re adding in something valuable for the audience to take away in each post, even if it’s just stirring a positive emotion in their minds

3. Packaging is everything, format your posts carefully, nobody likes reading long paragraphs, add in personal pictures whenever possible, insider tip: aesthetic pics with your face in them do better

4. To write banger hooks, ask yourself: what’s the most interesting part about the post, lead with that, remember - the hook is THE most important part of a post

5. Don’t overthink it, nobody cares as much as you assume they do, yes - some people will judge you and make fun of you for posting here, but I guarantee you: if someone’s trying to pull you down, they’re already beneath you anyway (literally and figuratively speaking)

Posting on LinkedIn can change your whole life, it’s certainly changed mine :)

P.S.
Please don’t post crying selfies though. What’s your most hated LinkedIn trend?

My weird visualisation routine that sets me up for a calm workday:

I visualise everything that can go wrong.

The client who's being a pain, the colleague that's on your case, the mistakes that I'll make at times...

I picture it all.

Then, I inevitably think about how I'd deal with it.

- What's the kind of mindset I need to have?
- What are some possible solutions?
- Where must I be extra careful?

Startup life can be complete CHAOS at times.

But when I've already pictured the worst in my head and thought of ways to cope,

Very little can faze me throughout the day.

Negative visualisation centres me. Try it tomorrow and let me know how your Friday goes :)

The best consistency hack I’ve discovered with habits I want to build:

Never miss 2 days in a row.

One day is okay - life happens.

But 2 days missed? 

That’s a choice :)

I had 1:1s with our new starters this week at Kurogo - Personal Branding Agency.

These are the 3 biggest pieces of advice I gave them:

- You’ve already made it.
You beat hundreds of people to get the job.
You’ve earned your seat at the table.
So give yourself a pat on the back.
We’re all rooting for you.

- Our goal is to be the best personal branding agency in the world.
Nothing less.
Of course, we’re all human and have crap days at times.
But keeping our North Star top of mind is key.
We can’t forget that what makes us an elite team is our standards.

- The hardest part about working in content is not burning out.
What looks like all fun and games from the outside,
Is bloody hard work in the day-to-day.
Pace yourself and take care of yourself well.
At some point, the sheer volume can get overwhelming, but don’t burn out pls.

What’s something you wish you'd been told when you started your job?

Things nobody taught me to do but are insanely important at my writing job:

1️⃣ How to stick to daily deadlines

This is unheard of for my corporate friends who have project deadlines that span months. 

In 2+ years at my job, there hasn’t been a single time I’ve missed a deadline by more than a day.

2️⃣ How to talk to clients

We have very different conversations with our startup clients than we do with the CEOs managing thousands of people. 

Some clients need to be hand held, others want to be left alone. 

Some send us too much info, others are a closed book. Knowing what each client needs is something you develop with time and experience.

3️⃣ How to get figure things out

I’m a copywriter. But I’ve also written PR blurbs for clients, written tweets, edited videos, designed graphics, and god only knows what else. 

Most of what you do at a startup/agency isn’t going to be in your job description. 

But you gotta learn. 

If you’re always saying “that’s not my job”, you’re not going to get very far in this game.

I’ve written 5475 LinkedIn posts over 3 years.

A short guide to high-performing hooks:

Hooks that win nail these basics:

- Short (under 12 words)
- Emotional or tense
- Outcome-driven (why this matters to me)
- Pattern-breaking (something surprising or contradictory)
- Specific to your worldview

Hooks work best when they signal:

➡️ Stakes
➡️ Shift
➡️ Tension
➡️ Contradiction
➡️ Earned wisdom
➡️ Future insight

Hooks that stop the scroll leverage psychology:

· Curiosity gaps
· Authority claims rooted in lived experience
· Contrarian tension 
· Identity hooks
· Strong POV 

How good your post is doesn’t matter if you can’t get people hooked in the first 2 lines.

P.S. My fav hook I spotted on LinkedIn this week: 
“How are people in jobs finding time to cheat on their partner?”
Tell me yours in the comments 🤝🏻

3 reasons I ghostwrite:

- I’m naturally a curious person and get paid to amass knowledge about new industries everyday. 

- I get to learn from the smartest minds in the world.

- I get to practice my craft and put in the reps, this improves my personal writing tremendously.

Ryan Holiday is a multiple times bestselling author and still occasionally ghostwrites books.

That’s a pattern across all the greats.

They say yes to things that enable them to learn.

Ghostwriting is a cheat code for personal growth - and this weekend I’m extra grateful I get to do this for a living.

Remember this feeling.

Remember how much you f*cking hate losing.

Then tell yourself that I'm going to do everything in my power not to lose at the next thing.

Use every loss to remind you how important it is to:

- Have the right prep
- Build the right team around you
- Win

Use every loss to remind yourself how hungry you are to win and how important winning really is to you.

Remember how much you hate this feeling and do everything you can to never feel this way again.

Building Personal Brands That Stand Out | Ghostwriting • Personal Branding • Copywriting • Content Strategy | 2M+ Impressions on LinkedIn & Counting | Brand Collabs

Your posts deserve more than 2 likes and 100 impressions.

And with the right strategy, they will.

Hi, I’m Harsh,
A personal branding strategist, ghostwriter, copywriter, and content strategist helping people turn quiet profiles into compelling personal brands on LinkedIn.

What I do:

I help founders, professionals, and creators

→ Show up with confidence online
→ Communicate clearly, without sounding like everyone else
→ Build content systems that grow both reach and trust

How I do it:

→ Through story-driven ghostwriting
→ With hooks that stop the scroll
→ Backed by strategy that’s consistent, not chaotic

What I've done:

→ 2M+ impressions on my own profile
→ Took a client from ~5K to 50K+ impressions
→ Grew their engagement from 2-digit likes to 3-digit traction within a few weeks
→ Built content strategies tailored to personal voice, not templates

How I can help you:

→ Want your content to reflect you?
→ Need consistency without the headache?
→ Ready to build a brand not just a profile?

DMs are open. Let’s get your content working for you, not against you.

Harsh Dubey

I might sound stupid but I walked more than 11k steps in Banaras last weekend and came back as a better writer.


So, I took a two-day break last weekend.

First one in nine months.

I was in Banaras, walked over 11,000 steps, and did absolutely nothing work-related.

Although I was still on LinkedIn, engaging here and there, scrolling a bit.

But no writing, no drafts, no client calls, no "I should post about this" thoughts.

Just walking, eating street food, and sitting by the Ganga like I had all the time in the world.

And it reflected this week.

Content ideas started flowing like they used to.

Writing felt easy again, not forced.

I finished drafts in half the time it was taking me before.

Yes, that’s what two days of break can do 

My brain finally got a chance to breathe.

And I didn't realise how burned out I was until I wasn't anymore.

The last break I took was back in February.

Nine months of grinding without a pause.

I kept telling myself "just one more week" and that week turned into months.

And you know what, I always knew breaks were important.

I've written posts about rest, about avoiding burnout, about taking time off.

But knowing and doing are two very different things.

I convinced myself I couldn't afford two days.

Where in reality it was I couldn't afford not to take them.

So, if you're reading this and thinking "I haven't taken a break in months either," trust me you need to.

Because two days won't ruin your momentum.

But months without a break definitely will.

I learned that hard way in Banaras.

And I'm not waiting another nine months to do it again.

Your LinkedIn profile as a founder either opens doors or gets ignored.
There's no in-between.

Most founders think a strong LinkedIn presence is about getting noticed.

But, a strong personal brand on LinkedIn won't just get you likes.
It changes how people see you before they even meet you.

When you build a real personal brand, it starts making the difference.

→ Investors start following you before you pitch:

Your content becomes your introduction, by the time you get on a call, they already know how you think.

→ Top talent reaches out to you:

Good people don't just apply, they follow founders they respect. Your posts become your hiring advantage.

→ Clients come to you instead of you chasing them:

When people see you solving problems publicly, they trust you can solve theirs too and that’s when they come to you without any second thought.

→ Partnerships happen without forced networking:

Other founders, collaborators, and brands start conversations because they've been following your journey.

→ You're no longer just another founder in the space:

You become the one people remember, the one they refer to, the one they think of first when an opportunity shows up.

→ Your company's reputation grows with yours:

People trust companies led by founders they know and your personal brand becomes your company's advantage.

That’s not all, there’s a lot more to it.
All from showing up consistently on one platform.

So, if you’re treating LinkedIn like an afterthought.
Start showing up because it’ll build trust that opens doors without asking.

What if I say that your comments might be doing more for your personal brand than your actual posts.

Let me explain this with a story (not a long one I swear)

So, someone left a comment on my post yesterday that was better than the post itself.

Okay, not exactly better but it added a perspective.

He didn't just agree or add a generic "love this."

He shared their own experience, connected it to what I said 
Dropped a perspective I hadn't even thought about.

And I immediately clicked on his profile.

The point being, your comments can take someone to your profile.

But most people don't realise this.

They treat comments like they're checking a box:

"Great post!" "Thanks for sharing!" "Insightful"

You scroll past those. Everyone does.

But then there are comments that make you stop.

>> The ones that add a perspective the post didn't cover 
>> The ones that challenge respectfully 
>> The ones that share a personal example that builds on the idea

And those comments do more for your presence than your last three posts combined.

I've seen people get clients from comments (I myself got one that way) 
I've seen people build stronger connections through

Because comments show how you think, not just what you think.

And people notice.

They notice when you take the time to actually read what someone wrote.
They notice when you challenge an idea respectfully.
They notice when you're real, not performative.

For the past few months, I started treating every comment like a mini-post.

Either I have something worth saying, or I don't comment at all.

And I’m seeing the difference.

Your next big opportunity might not come from your next post.

But it might come from how you showed up on someone else's.

So before you drop another "Great post " think about this

Would you stop scrolling if you saw your own comment?

If not, either make it better or skip it.

Because the people you want to work with are watching how you engage everywhere.

Not just on your own content.

To every FOUNDER trying to "crush it" here: You might be wasting your time.

It might sound harsh, but hear me out


Most of the founders are treating this platform like a daily checklist.

Write a post? Done.
Reply to three comments? Done.
Check the analytics? Done.

But but you’re forgetting the most basic step.

Who are you actually trying to reach?

The first thing that you need to be sorted with before POSTING on this platform is being clear on your goal.

Because the way you talk to investors is completely different from how you talk to potential hires.

Or customers. Or partners.

If you want investors → talk about vision and traction.
If you want talent → you talk about culture and what you're building.
If you want clients → you talk about the problems you solve.

You can't do all three in the same post.

And trying to appeal to everyone means you connect with no one.

I've seen founders post for months without clarity.

Their content is fine. Their writing is decent.
But they don't know who they're speaking to.

So their posts feel generic.

They get likes from random people but zero ROI.
Because they're talking to everyone, which means they're talking to no one.

And trust me it’s not as tough as it might sound.

You just need to pick your audience first and then write.
Not the other way around.

If you're raising, your content should make investors pay attention.
If you're hiring, it should make great talent want to work with you.
If you're selling, it should make your ideal customer see themselves in what you're saying.

You can't hit a target you haven't painted yet.

That's when posting stops feeling like a chore and starts generating actual results.

Because you're not just showing up.
You're showing up for someone specific.

And that specificity is what makes content work.

If you're posting without a clear goal, you're wasting time.

And if you're not sure how to define that goal or shape your content around it, that's exactly what I help founders figure out.

If your LinkedIn feed is full of cringe, that's on you.
Not the algorithm.

When I started showing up here, my feed was a mess.

Motivational quotes on random backgrounds.
"Agree?" posts with zero substance.
Generic content that said nothing.

And I kept complaining about it.

Then I looked at who I was following and what I was engaging with.

I realised that I was the problem.

I'd follow people just because they had big followings.

Engage with posts because everyone else was, not because they added value.

And LinkedIn kept showing me more of the same.

Because that's how it works, the algorithm isn't random.

It shows you what you've told it you care about.

Through who you follow, what you like, what you comment on.

So I changed mine.

Unfollowed people who only posted fluff.

Started following founders and creators who shared actual insights.

Engaged with content that made me think, not just scroll.

And within a few days my feed completely shifted. 

I was seeing the content that was actually worth my time.

So, if your feed feels useless, don't blame LinkedIn.

Look at who you're following.
Look at what you're engaging with.

Because that's exactly what you're going to keep seeing.

Follow people who share real insights, your feed changes.

Engage with valuable content, and you’ll see more of it.

Your feed isn't happening to you, you're building it.

Every follow. Every like. Every comment.

You're telling the algorithm what to show you more of.
 
So if you don't like what you're seeing, change what you're doing.
Simple as that.

My content creation process is STUPIDLY simple. 
Actually it’s boring…..

I don’t sit and brainstorm for hours. 
I don’t stare at a blank Google Doc waiting for inspiration.

I just write down what's already happening.

Every post I write comes from somewhere real:

1/ I live my life/do my work.
2/ I look for what’s worth sharing.
3/ I open my Notes app (yes, the default one).
4/ I write 3 bullet points so I don't forget.
5/ I expand it when I sit at my desk.

That's it. Just documenting what's already around me.

Most people struggle with content because they try to "create" from scratch.

They sit down and try to sound smart.

Try to invent wisdom they don't actually have.
Try to come up with something profound.

And then they're stuck.

Because you can't force insight, it just doesn't work that way.

The content is already happening in your day.
You just need to notice it and write it down.

Solved a problem today? That's a post.
Disagreed with something popular? That's a post.
Failed at something and learned why? That's definitely a post.
Had a realisation while talking to someone? Post.

And in this way you're not creating content. 
You're documenting your work and your thoughts.

That's the difference.

When you try to create, it feels forced.
When you document, it feels real.

Because it is real.

I've worked with three types of founders on LinkedIn and 90% of them are stuck in the first two categories.

1/ The "Creative" Founder:

>> They go all-in on creativity.
>> Their posts are bold, fresh, full of spark.
>> Then they vanish after three weeks.

2/ The "Structured" Founder:

>> They post daily, follow templates, and stay consistent.
>> But it reads like a bot wrote it.

And you know what, both fail for opposite reasons.

Then comes the third type.

>> The one who has figured out that creativity and structure are non-negotiables.

>> They bring ideas that make people stop scrolling.

>> But they also show up consistently, not just when inspiration hits.

And that's where it gets better.

Because creativity without structure burns you out.

It really doesn’t matter if you're brilliant for two weeks and gone for two months.

The founders who get this balance right don't just get likes or impressions.

They build real trust.

Attract actual opportunities.

Create brands that get stronger over time, not louder then quieter.

Honestly, it's not different from running a company.

Like in a company vision without process becomes chaos and process without vision leads to stagnation.

The same thing happens with your personal brand.

You need the spark that makes people stop and the discipline to keep showing up even when the spark isn't there.

I've seen founders with incredible ideas disappear because they couldn't build a rhythm.

And I've seen founders post every day for months with zero traction because every post felt the same.

So if you're asking yourself "Should I focus on being creative or being consistent?"

You're asking the wrong question.

The real question is: How do I bring both into my content?

Because one without the other keeps you stuck.

If you're showing up here as a FOUNDER, you're already doing what most won't.


I don’t need to tell you how many founders don't even have a LinkedIn presence.

They are busy "building in stealth."

They are waiting for the "perfect time" to launch.

They are scared of looking stupid in front of investors.

They're convinced content doesn't matter.

And that’s why if you're showing up here as a founder, you're already ahead.

Not because posting makes you special.

But because most are building something that they aren't talking about publicly.

They think their product will speak for itself.

Or that content is a distraction from "real work."

Or that they'll do it later when things are more figured out.

But that later has a cost they don’t realise now.

They stay invisible.

Their competitors who post regularly start getting noticed.

Potential customers find someone else who's talking about the same problem.

Investors see other founders building in public and remember their names.

And they keep waiting for the perfect time to start.

But those who are showing up know that it doesn't mean posting every day.

It doesn't mean going viral or chasing engagement.

It just means being visible enough that people know you exist.

That's it.

Share what you're building. Talk about the problems you're solving.

But show up.

Because in a digital world, if people can't see you, they can't trust you.

Your work matters. But if nobody sees it, does it really?

Posting is visibility and visibility creates opportunity.

So if you're here, posting about what you're building, keep going.

You're doing something most founders aren’t.

And if showing up consistently feels hard or you're not sure what to say, that's normal.

Most founders struggle with this.

Finding their voice, staying consistent, knowing what resonates.

And if that's you, I'm just a DM away.

You can't be authentic and polished at the same time, one of them has to give.

And I see founders choose to be polished every single time.

The worst part is that it’s not because they want to.
But because they think they have to.

I've worked with enough founders to see this pattern repeat.

They want to be authentic, but they're scared of looking weak.

And I know why they do so.

They think there’s this pressure to look credible, professional, like you have it all figured out.

Investors are watching. Customers are watching. Competitors are watching.

So they share the wins loudly and the struggles quietly.

But that's where the disconnect happens.

People don't trust you because you never fail.

They trust you because you're honest when you do.

Everyone building something knows it's hard.

Every founder has faced rejections, made bad calls, and struggled to keep going.

Pretending you haven't just makes you unreachable.

And the founders who get this right aren't sharing every problem they face.

They're just not hiding when things go wrong.

They talk about what didn't work, what they'd change, what it taught them.

No corporate speak. No forced optimism.

Just real.

That's what people remember.

Because while everyone else is polishing their content, you're being human.

If you're only sharing wins, you're telling half the story.

And half stories don't build real connections.

Your audience doesn't need you to have it all figured out.

They just need to know you're being straight with them.

I sent a draft to my first international client.
They sent it back with one line: "Can you make this UK English?"

I stared at my screen for a good minute.

UK English? What's the difference?

I didn’t know there's a lot of them.

And I learned all of it the hard way.

Colour vs color. Realise vs realize. Organisation vs organization.

I thought spelling was just spelling, but apparently not.

Then came the real fun part.

After writing for a few weeks I realised that it's not just about adding a 'u' or 'z' here and there, the entire tone shifts.

US English is direct. Punchy. Gets to the point fast.

UK English? More formal. A bit reserved. It takes its time.

I remember rewriting an entire piece because 
I used "gotten" instead of "got."

Thankfully my client was polite about it 

But I could feel the cringe through the email.

"We don't really say 'gotten' here."

And I immediately made a doc.

Every time a client corrected something, I added it to the list.

My list grew fast.

And now, I can switch between both without even thinking.

But back then I was out here Googling "Is it grey or gray?" at 2 AM.

So, if you're writing for international clients, here's what I wish I knew:

→ Ask upfront which English they prefer 
→ Use tools like Grammarly set to the right region 
→ Read content from that region to get the feel 
→ Don't assume your way is the only way

Because getting this wrong doesn't just look unprofessional.

It breaks the flow for the reader.

And when you're ghostwriting, your job is to sound like them, not like you.

So yeah, I didn't know the difference when I started, but now I do.

And every time I catch myself before typing "color" for a UK client
I feel like I've leveled up.

This might sound like a small detail and tbh it is
But small details are what make you good at this.

Your LinkedIn post won’t survive if it doesn’t pass the 5-second rule….


When someone scrolls through LinkedIn, they’re not reading.
They’re scanning, looking for something that feels worth their attention.

That’s why your post has exactly 5 seconds to prove its worth.
And it all boils down to the way you open it.

If the first 2–3 lines don’t pull the reader in, the rest doesn’t matter.

It’s just like walking past a shop
You don’t step in if the window display doesn’t make you curious.

So how do you check if your hook works?

It’s simple, read only the opening out loud and ask yourself
Would I stop scrolling for this?

If you can’t answer with a confident yes, rewrite it.
The best hooks are rarely the first ones we write.

A strong hook tells the readers there’s value inside
And most importantly makes them want to lean in to find it.

Here are a few simple ways to test your own:

→ Does it challenge a belief?
→ Does it spark curiosity without giving it all away?
→ Does it promise an answer to a problem your audience cares about?

Because in the end, attention on LinkedIn is lost in the first five seconds.

So stop asking, Is my post good enough?
Start asking, Is my hook strong enough to make them care?

The founders who copy successful founders get 73% fewer likes than those sharing their own stories.

And I’m not saying this just for the sake of it.

Last month I analysed around 30-40 founder’s content on this platform 

More than 70% of the content was copied or rephrased.

And then they get frustrated that their content isn't working. 

"I'm posting the same stuff as [successful Founder], but nobody engages."

That’s exactly why this isn’t happening.

Because when you copy another founder's content: 

→ You're speaking to their audience, not yours 
→ You're sharing their experiences, not your journey
→ You're building their brand, not your own (unknowingly)

That viral post about "10 years of entrepreneurship lessons"

It worked because that founder actually lived those 10 years.

But your version of their story is just empty words.

Instead if you focus on your story as a founder and start sharing it. 

You’ll start seeing why it works. 

Because authenticity always wins over imitation.

Your 2-year journey is more valuable than someone else's 20-year story.

Your small wins are more relatable than their massive victories. 

Your current struggles are more helpful than their past successes.

Your audience doesn't need another copy of someone else. 

They need the original version of you.

So, stop trying to sound like the founders you admire. 

Start sounding like the founder you are.

That's where the real connection happens.

There’s this unspoken perk of GHOSTWRITING that nobody mentions, which is….


You get to learn about industries you'd never step into otherwise.

Most people think this job is just about writing catchy hooks or fixing grammar.

But that’s barely 10% of it.

I write for clients across finance, D2C, tech, and other spaces.

And I have never worked in any of them, but I write for clients who do.

Which means I have to understand their world to write in their voice.

That too, not just the surface-level stuff, but actual depth.

Because if I don't get it, the content won't sound real.

So I research. Like a lot.

Industry reports, articles, competitor content, market trends, customer behavior.

Whatever helps me understand how that business actually works.

And in that process, I get a front-row seat to how different businesses actually run.

So essentially, I'm getting a free MBA in multiple sectors while getting paid to write about it.

Isn’t that a pretty good deal?

As a GHOSTWRITER you’re not limited to one worldview or one way of thinking.

You keep moving between industries, understanding how each one operates, and taking the best ideas with you.

Most people spend their career in one lane.

They become experts in that space, but they only see through that lens.

Ghostwriting doesn't let you do that.

It forces you to understand multiple worlds at once (Obviously not trying to compare any industry or niche)

So yeah, the writing matters.

But the real value is the access to knowledge across industries that you'd never get sitting in one job.

And that’s  the part of the job that actually keeps it interesting.

You aren't just writing words; you're collecting knowledge.

If it looks like a wall of TEXT, no one will read it.
It might sound harsh, but it’s true.

We scan before we read.

If there’s a block of 10 sentences stuck together, it gets skipped in no time.

No matter how good the CONTENT is, the formatting is the lock.
And the reason is our brain processes formatted content differently.

If you want people to actually read what you write, you have to make it look effortless.

And it’s not that difficult, here’s how to do it:

-> One thought per line: Don't jam three different ideas into one sentence, give each point its own space to breathe.

-> Use visual anchors: Use arrows, bullet points, or numbers, it gives the eye a path to follow down the screen.

-> Varied sentence length: Mix short, punchy lines with slightly longer ones. It creates a rhythm that keeps people reading.

-> Break the rectangles: If a paragraph looks like a solid block on your phone screen, it’s too long. Hit 'Enter' and split it in half.

-> The "Mobile Check": Always look at your draft on a phone, what looks fine on a laptop usually looks cluttered on a small screen.
That’s it.

Your writing shouldn't feel like a wall, it should feel like a slide.
Make it easy for th e eye, and the brain follows.

That's the difference between getting skipped and getting read.

Why do some founders build brands that last while others burn out in weeks? (and it’s not what you think)

Most founders think personal branding is either authentic or strategic.
But never both.

The authentic ones share raw stories. 

-> Talk about failures openly. 
-> Post when they feel like it. 
-> But their message gets lost in inconsistency.

The strategic ones have content calendars. 

-> Post at optimal times. 
-> Follow proven frameworks. 
-> But it sounds like every other business profile.

And both fail for different reasons.

I've been watching successful founder brands for months now.
The ones who actually build something lasting don't pick a lane.

They follow both. (Authentic+Strategic)

→ They share real founder struggles that feel relatable.
→ They also show up with the discipline they run their companies with.

And that's what works on this platform.

Authenticity gets people to care and strategy keeps them engaged.
Your audience needs both the real you and the reliable you.

So stop thinking it's either-or. Start thinking it's both.

Building on LinkedIn isn't complicated until and unless you try to make it.

You just need three things.....


1/ Your content: 

→ Share what you're learning 
→ Talk about what you're experiencing
→ Write like you'd explain it to a friend

2/ The way you engage: 

→ Comment on others' posts with actual thoughts 
→ Show up before you ask people to show up for you 
→ Be visible even when you're not posting

3/ Your consistency: 

→ Pick a schedule you can maintain (thrice a week works) 
→ Your audience needs to know you'll actually be here 
→ Consistency isn't about frequency, it's about showing up

That's it.

Now, you might say that this is so simple 
And honestly it is like that only.

But some like to do fancy stuff and make it complicated

And the people who are crushing it here

They're just doing these three things while everyone else is looking for shortcuts.

That's the difference. 

Just three things, done repeatedly, over months is what it takes.

If I cover your name and profile picture, would anyone know it's you?
Or do you sound like everyone else?

I can bet that a lot of founders will fall in the second category and the reason is

They strip away everything that makes them interesting to sound "professional."

As a founder: 

>> You spend years building a product that disrupts the market.
>> You fight to be different.
>> You obsess over your unique value proposition.

But the moment you open LinkedIn, you start blending in.

And the most common reason is, if it’s working for them it’ll work for me too.

On this platform, YOUR VOICE is the only thing that makes you different.

The way you talk about problems.
The opinions you actually hold.
The quirks that make you, you.

But unfortunately, most founders hide all of that.
They think being professional means being generic.

So they sand down the edges, remove the personality, and post something that’s working for everyone else.

But, trust me if you sound like a template, you get treated like one.

I've read posts from founders that were well-written, structured, and valuable.

But I couldn't tell you who wrote them.
Because they all sound the same in some or the other way.

So, yes, your slang matters. Your strong takes matter. Your weird quirks matter.

That's what makes people remember you.

Stop trying to sound like what you think a founder should sound like.
And start sounding like yourself.

Because the moment you do, your content stops blending in.

It starts standing out.
And people actually start paying attention.

If you're struggling to find that voice or you're not sure how to bring it into your content without losing credibility, that's exactly what I help founders figure out.

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The Battle

Varun Khadri

Harsh Dubey

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taplio

The Battle

Varun Khadri

Harsh Dubey

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Varun Khadri's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreVarun Khadri's LinkedIn Performance