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

Luxuries most people don’t realise they have:

1. Having your parents still alive
2. A partner who always backs you
3. A full belly
4. Clean water running through your taps
5. Enough in the bank to not worry about rent
6. Your limbs work flawlessly
7. Doing work you like
8. Paid time off

We’re all luckier than we realise.

3 simple rules I’ve set for myself for a good year:

- With a good habit you’re trying to adopt, never miss two days in a row. Once is a mistake, twice is a pattern, thrice is a new habit.

- Do what you say you’re going to do. Forget about other people, this is how you teach YOUR own mind that you’re someone worth talking seriously.

- If anything harms my health, I want no part of it. “You only live once” should never be an excuse for unhealthy coping mechanisms. You get one life, so take care of yourself.

What’s one rule you’ve set for yourself in 2026?

The older I get, the more I realise that my parents were right all along.

A good life to me today is:

- Eating more home-cooked food
- Reading/learning continually
- Playing every evening
- Using my phone less 
- Drinking less soda
- Going to bed early
- Working hard
- Being honest

All the things my parents tried to get me to do as a kid.

Funny how life comes full circle!

The superflu is no joke.

Last Tuesday, I proudly announced to Sam G. Winsbury  “I’m going to try to not take a single sick day in 2026”

Next day, I got the flu and had 104 degree fever for the whole week.

I couldn’t get out of bed for days.
I lost 4 kgs in 6 days.
I didn’t have enough strength to even stand in the shower.
I dissapeared from LinkedIn for the first time ever.

All this isn’t to say “wow pls cry for me”.

The point is that you can have the best of intentions but…

When your health breaks, when life comes for you, every plan goes out the window.

Then, you gotta adapt and readjust.

Life will never follow your script, but hey - isn’t that what makes it worth living?

14: Wrote my first words online (WordPress blog).
15: Quit my pursuit of professional Badminton in Bangalore.
16: Started making money for the first time, working for myself.
17: Did 35 model UNs in one year, won at some.
18: Took a gap year to do internships and get formal work-ex.

19: started writing on Instagram.
20: miserable in undergrad, being taught outdated stuff.
21: started writing on Medium and signed my first ghostwriting client.

22: somehow graduated with first-class distinction.
23: LinkedIn paid me $2500 to write on the platform, wild times.

24: got into King's College for post-grad and moved to London.
24: was disappointed at the calibre, dropped out, and moved back home.
24: ended a long-term relationship I knew was wrong for me.
24: started working my dream role at my dream company.

25: moved back to London for work on a sponsored visa.

29/01/26 - writing this post at 6 am before starting work in one of my all-time most hectic weeks.

Growing up, all I heard was:

"Writers are starving artists"
"Stop posting everything online"
"You'll never amount to anything if you don't study".

I begrudgingly listened for a few years.

Then I realised:
If I don't want their life, why am I taking their advice?

The takeaways from my journey:

1. Try lots of things, something is bound to stick.
2. You can have the best plan, but life will still surprise you.
3. You're capable of building the life you want - if you put in the work.

Tell me in the comments - what's the most interesting part of your story?

Every single positive outcome in my life was born out of a single decision I made.

From the job I work to the city I live in to the people I know, 

It was all shaped by one choice:
Building my personal brand.

Most people think a personal brand is about followers.
It’s not.
A personal brand is leverage.
And leverage touches every goal in your life.

➡️ Career?
Your brand speaks before you enter the room.
Opportunities find you - jobs, clients, partnerships, because people already trust your thinking.

➡️ Money?
When people know what you stand for, they’re willing to pay for your perspective.
They’re more willing to pay not just for your time.
But also your point of view.

➡️ Freedom?
A strong personal brand gives you options.
You choose who you work with, what you say yes to, and where you spend your energy.

➡️ Confidence?
When you articulate your ideas publicly, you stop second-guessing yourself privately.
And clarity creates confidence.

➡️ Impact?
Your experiences don’t just stay experiences.
They become lessons that help other people move faster, avoid mistakes, and believe in themselves.

But here’s the real truth most people miss:
You already have a personal brand.

The only question is - 
are you shaping it intentionally…
or letting others define it for you?

So build your personal brand.

Not for attention.

But for everything else - better career, higher income, more freedom, and deeper relationships, that visibility unlocks.

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As a young person, you have two choices.

Live it up in your 20s.
Travel. Party. Say yes to everything.
Stretch adolescence a little longer.

Or put your head down early.
Work when others are playing.
Build skills, discipline, and direction while you still have the most energy to do so.

Neither path is WRONG.
But they do compound very differently.

One optimises for memories now, and optionality later - often with more pressure, more catching up, more trade-offs in your 30s.

The other delays gratification.
It looks boring from the outside.
But it buys leverage: confidence, competence, and freedom that most people only start chasing a decade later.

What people don’t say enough is this:

You don’t magically “figure it out” with age.
You inherit the consequences of how you spent your time.

The real question isn’t fun vs grind.

It’s: WHEN do you want life to feel lighter?

I’m choosing to build early, so future me doesn’t have to sprint forever.

What are you choosing?

You trust the bartender to not spit in your drink.

You trust the pilot to not crash the plane.

You trust the doctor operating on you to not be a fraud.

You trust your barber to not mess up your hair.

You trust the barista to make your coffee properly.

Then tell me, my friend, why do you refuse to trust that you're capable of more?

Why do you refuse to believe you can achieve your wildest goals?

If you can trust strangers blindly, you can back yourself to build the life you want!

♻️ Share this with a friend to remind them to believe in themselves.

A day in my life as a 25-year-old in London (21/01/26) 👇🏻

- Up at 7 am, usually an early riser but it’s my first winter here and it’s been harder to wake up early lately.

- Coffee, quick meditation, and at my desk by 8.30 am

- Start my day by writing my LinkedIn content before anything else and commenting on the team’s posts

- Leave from home as we’re having a co-working day in Paddington, 35 mins on the tube door to door

- Get to the coffee shop at 10 am and meet a couple of colleagues, we work remotely, but it’s always nice to catch up in person, the vibes are good, plus working in person pushes me to work harder

- I’m nervous to take a client call at 11.30 because it’s a new client and I usually avoid doing meetings when I’m working out of public spaces, thankfully the cafe wasn’t too noisy so the call went well

- Break at 12.30 for lunch with my colleagues, over lunch we talk about workout routines, the company's 2026 strategy, a few problem clients, and where we see the industry heading - we’re all obsessed with what we do

- Back to work at the restaurant we were lunching at, it’s a nice quiet spot and we were the only ones there, so it was the perfect spot to work from

- Around 4.30 pm we wind up for the day to avoid the rush hour on our way back home, on my way back I do a food shop because the nice supermarket I like getting my groceries from is closeby. I also grab a quick pain au chocolat as a pre-workout snack

- Back home an hour later, quick call to catch up with family and then it’s time to get a lift in with my friends, it’s super convenient having a gym in my building so no excuses of “I’m too tired to get out of the house”.

- Dinner at 8 pm, my friend made curry so I shamelessly steal some from her and heat up frozen naans

- 9 pm: I do the dishes, watch a little bit of Netflix (just finished a show called Run Away), and in bed for 10 pm

📷 On days that I feel a little homesick, happening days like these make me glad I took the leap of moving away from my hometown. Still hard being away from my loved ones though.

But that’s a day in my life, what do your days look like?

A perk of my job is I get to pick the brains of the top 1% performers daily.

A surprising pattern I’ve noticed in them is:

They have ridiculously boring habits.

They do the same things over and over again,
Longer than would be considered reasonable by most others.

The top 1% prioritise the simple things like being up early, reading, exercising consistently, and so on.

From the outside, it’s easy to assume your idols live a super happening, exciting life.

And maybe they do - at times.

But most of their days, and how they got where they were in the first place, is by doing the boring things right consistently.

Excitement is overrated in the pursuit of excellence.

I’ve never been told by someone more successful than me to have more work life balance and take it easy.

I’ve never been told by someone fitter than me that I need to let loose and eat out more and drink more with them.

I’ve never been told by someone wealthier than me that I need to buy more designer brands and spend more than I make.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

I can’t believe I’ll log into work on Monday and not see a familiar face.

We’ve never agreed on everything but we’ve never had to.

I’m going to miss us bickering so much!!! 🫣😆

We’re sad to be losing you Megan Bishop but also so happy for you as you head off on your next adventure. You’re doing something equal parts terrifying and exciting. We know some days are sh!t and chaotic but we’re so proud of you - now and always ❤️

This isn’t goodbye but an “until next time” 🥂

The fastest hack for behaviour change is controlling your environment.

If you don’t get liquor home, you’re less likely to drink.

If your friends work out, you’re more likely to go to the gym.

If you hang around smokers, you’re more likely to smoke.

Control who and what you allow around yourself.

Behaviour change is downstream from the right environment.

I’ve been so much better with my habits once I got clear on what my bare minimum looks like.

When I’m sick and can’t get to the gym, I try going on just a short walk after a meal.

When I’m unmotivated and don’t feel like creating content, I fire off a quick tweet and I’m done for the day.

When I’m tired and don’t feel like doing my skincare routine, I just put moisturiser and call it.

When I’m lazy and don’t feel like working, I do the tasks that HAVE to get done that day and finish up.

The goal isn’t perfect consistency.

It’s to have no zero days.

What version of the habit can you manage to do even on your worst days? 

That’s what you’ve to figure out to make a habit stick.

📷 - is it socially acceptable to still use Christmas pics?

Sunday reminder: do hard things to feel good about yourself.

My 2026 motto: say yes more.

Last year was a lot - I moved countries, juggled a demanding job with hobbies like sports and content creation, as well as maintained my existing close relationships.

As a consequence, however, I said no to most other things.

Going to events, meeting new people, travelling more, new interests - everything took a backseat.

And I’m glad I did that and narrowed my focus to prioritise the most essential.

But saying no to everything won’t serve me well in this next phase.

I didn’t move to London to be in a shell.

So I’m saying “yes” more this year.

I’m realistic though, as an introvert, most things still don’t appeal to me.

I like my own little world and simple daily routine.

But every now and then, I’m pushing myself to do new things, meet new people, and have new experiences.

I’m more open to widening my perspective and changing my opinion on things.

Let’s see how it works out.

What are you saying yes to more this year?

Being healthy is actually really simple: 

Sleep enough, drink less and don’t smoke, eat nutritious food, do work that fulfils you, and stay away from toxic people. 

Doing just these basics right will already put you ahead of 99% of the crowd. 

Don’t overcomplicate it.

📷 - having an active Sunday here in London, what are you doing today?

January was the longest 6 months of my life.

I start every week by studying virality on LinkedIn.

Every Monday on our team standup, Bruce Martinus and I break down a high-performing post for the rest of the team.

We do this because:

- It teaches the rest of the team at the agency how to reverse engineer viral content, even if that might not be their core role.

- It keeps us sharp and helps us keep our ears close to the ground.

- Social platforms are constantly evolving, what worked last week might not work this week, so if you're not keeping up with the platforms, you'll get left behind.

I've been in the personal branding space for years and have written thousands of posts, hundreds of viral ones.

Yet I still learn new things about LinkedIn every single day.

Always a student of the game :)

visibility online means everything in today’s world. that’s where i step in. 

i write, i strategise, i design & post, & then i double down on what’s working. 

bringing 6 years of marketing experience to the table, i’ve been able to hone a skillset that’s rooted in an understanding of the market, & displayed online in an authentic manner that helps keep content afloat & relevant, in a sea of AI infiltration. 

i’ve aimed to build a cross functional skillset that lives at the intersection of digital performance & audience psychology, some of these skills being; 

📎personal branding, social content strategy, email marketing, ghostwriting, paid ads, 

and to be honest with you, if it lives on the internet & smells like marketing, chances are i’ve poked at it to understand how it works. 

if you like what you’re seeing, you can dm me or reach me at the following email address for inquiries or collabs. 

📩 sniigdhatrivedi@gmail.com (yes it’s a double ii on purpose, i was feeling funky) 

Snigdha Trivedi

i dare you..

to rely on discipline this january, not excitement.

we all know the drill.

december ends with big goals, shiny vision boards, a sudden love for early mornings (almost impossible w london’s current weather, but still) & promises to finally show up; at the gym, online, everywhere.

january begins louuud.
gyms overflow, feeds fill up, & enthusiasm? it’s at its peak.

buuut very few make it past the excitement phase,

& the ones who do aren’t more motivated, they’re just more disciplined.

when your actions are tied to routine instead of mood, motivation becomes irrelevant. you show up because it’s non negotiable, not because you feel like it.

& honestly? that’s what actually moves the needle.

so this jan, & the rest of the year, build systems. choose discipline over momentary hype.

cos i promise you this; discipline lasts far longer than the excitement of starting, & fetches the results you’re ACTUALLY gunning for.

who’s with me? 💪🏻

top 2% linkedin creator 🏅 ghostwriter + social media manager

what people say behind your back vs what they say once your content compounds. 

positioning doesn’t need approval, it needs time. 

sunday note to self (& to you): stay the course. the data will do the talking 📩

📎aSundayTakeaway 

3 inbound project opportunities in 1.5 months, 

ALL from a secondary instagram account with less than 300 followers that i made purely to yap about marketing & branding.

we love to think follower count equals opportunity, but it doesn’t. identity does.

i was clear on the identity i wanted this account to radiate from day one, & every post reinforced the same value; how i think, what i know, & who i’m for.

the metrics weren’t flashy, (we’re talking 20 likes, 2 comments??) 
nowhere near my main account or my linkedin numbers, 
but what followed were actual projects.

the best time to establish a strong virtual presence was last year. the second best time? it’s now.

whether it’s linkedin, instagram, or your wider web presence, getting your positioning right this january should be HIGH on your priority list.

if you want help tightening yours? DM me so can set it right together 📩

did you know.. 

..that when you build from a place of credibility, your brand doesn’t just speak for you.. it works for you, across rooms & borders you’ve never stepped into?

when people say personal branding is non negotiable in 2026, this is why. your online presence becomes the first filter of trust, LOONG before a conversation ever happens.

your words lay the foundation.
your consistency strengthens it.

& over time, your effort compounds into a reputation you didn’t even realise you were building.

don’t believe me? 

my inbox is open if you want a strategy that makes your profile do the talking, even when you’re not in the room 📩

confidence is borrowed,


just not the places most people look.

it isn’t borrowed from that tiktok creator you admire, or the #4th tip of that podcast you feel inspired by during your morning walk,

it’s borrowed from the version of you that you’re actively becoming.

🎤the routines you’re building,
🎤the actions you’re committing to,
🎤 & the standards you’re holding yourself to daily.

confidence comes from living inside a schedule that doesn’t fully feel like “you” yet, because it belongs to who you’re in the process of defining.

i borrow my confidence from the only person i feel answerable to;
myself, six months from now.

🎤 i think the way she would.
🎤 i act in ways that would make sense for her life.
🎤 i build days that resemble what her ideal normal looks like.

& the moment i do that? i access her confidence, 6 months prior to actually becoming her.

when you borrow confidence from your future self, you feel answerable to becoming them.

& from what i’ve learned? 
in that accountability, identity is built.

close the loop.


half the time i think i’m “stressed,” i realise what i actually need to do is open my checklist & start ticking things off,

the tasks aren’t even as overwhelming as i’ve made them out to be, but my mind has just scheduled them in for a later hour than the one i’m in.

most stress isn’t emotional.
it’s just the cognitive load of unfinished things BEGGING for attention 🤝🏻

& the fastest way to quiet that noise? it isn’t a 10 step plan or a master strategy, it’s sitting down & juuust doing the thing you’ve already decided needs to be done, but haven’t yet started. 

closing the loop sounds simple, but it takes focus to follow through.

but the mental clarity you get on the other side?

always worth the focus it demands.

🚨 let’s be real, there’s no HACK to grow engagement overnight. but after 200+ days of consistent posting, i’ve learned a thing or two that have helped accelerate the process. 

disclaimer: this post isn’t going to tell you to “engage for 30 mins before & after you post.” 

i’m telling you what i’ve actually seen move the needle, no bs, let’s go. 

🧚🏻 find. your. crowd.

turn on post notifs for creators you actually vibe with, then dive into their comment sections, that’s where the other sharp voices hang out. scan, analyse what you like, & hit follow. start feeding YOUR feed with creators whose content you actually enjoy. it’s easy to engage meaningfully when you genuinely resonate with the words you’re reading. 

🧚🏻 match effort with effort.

if someone spends time writing a thoughtful comment on your post, don’t just reply with “Yes, true!” because people notice when you brush them off. 

thoughtful replies = recurring engagement, trust me. 

🧚🏻 add your flavour.

value is everywhere on linkedin, but your voice is what you can leverage. be smart, but let your personality peek through. that’s how you stand out in a sea of comments. 

🧚🏻 quit outsourcing your voice.

you can tell when a comment is ChatGPT’d to death. don’t farm engagement because you feel like you NEED to comment, it kills your credibility. 

slow down, process the post, & then add your perspective. & if you don’t know what to say, just scroll?? 

🧚🏻 take it offline.

engagement ≠ the ONLY end goal. 
in the past month, my comments have turned into phone calls, real life coffee chats, & are in the process of turning into actual work. if you enjoy someone’s work, dm them. you’d be surprised where it leads.

remember, content is the invite, conversation is the party. don’t skip the good part.

if this was helpful, let me know what other parts of my process you’d like me to spill on, 

i’ve got plenty more where this came from 🫡

the best time to post is..


the hour your profile justifies your message.

because when you’re clear on your identity, confident in your messaging, and intentional about the positioning you’re building, WHEN you post matters faaar less.

i’ve posted in the mornings, late afternoons, even evenings, & the impact stayed consistent.

the fixation on timing & content “hacks” exist to distract from the real driver of performance:

how clearly you’re understood when someone lands on your profile.

8:00am vs 9:39am isn’t the game changer,
but what you’re saying & how clearly your profile reinforces it, is.

so if you want positioning that lands regardless of a chosen hour? let’s talk 📩

it’s practically tangible,, 


the confidence you get through building a personal brand doesn’t just stay online, it follows you offline too 🫵🏻

because..

🖇️ when you learn to articulate your thoughts clearly in writing, you start communicating more confidently in conversations offline as well, (i’ve experienced this firsthand),

🖇️ & when you learn to disagree thoughtfully in a comments section? you become more comfortable standing by your opinions in real life.

🖇️ & lastly, when you show up consistently on a public platform, despiiite the possibility of judgement (or inspite of it, you warrior), you prove to yourself that other people’s opinions don’t hold as much power as we generally believe they do. 

that’s why personal branding isn’t just about visibility.

it’s about becoming the kind of person who can hold their own in rooms, conversations, & decisions; both online & offline.

you don’t just build an audience. you build yourself.

curious to see what this shift feels like in practice? my inbox is open 📩

taplio

The Battle

Varun Khadri

Snigdha Trivedi

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taplio

The Battle

Varun Khadri

Snigdha Trivedi

Followers

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