In the process of chasing numbers, you end up deviating from the truth

This piece was written in late 2019. This is a response to people who spend too much time looking at metrics and little time doing what is strategically consistent.

There are many ways to hack LinkedIn algorithms to become successful on vanity metrics. The same thing is possible on Instagram and Facebook. Heck, Miley Cyrus rode a huge dildo to fire up the internet. She literally hacked young brains. But does she have the same impact as Taylor Swift? Miley sold her products but never produced any higher value. Eventually, she was forgotten. Taylor, however, has influenced people in meaningful ways.

What makes you money is a terrible question to ask when contrasted with what you want to do. When you live to make money, you become its slave. You have no more freedom to say what you want or do what you want. Your concern should be to retain the freedom you were born with. Remember the days when you could read comics all day and not worry at all or the days when you could play football without friends. You were given that life. The universe started you out with freedom.

Freedom breeds innovation. Innovation improves your product/service. Little tricks to fuel vanity metrics only waste your time and distract you. Liking your own comment is like helicopter money. It works so long the money is kept under the rug and the market is unaware of more money supply. It is only about time hyperinflation occurs. On LinkedIn, it translates into the same content's inundating everyone's feeds because people rigged the currency.

Metrics lead to short-term success. They distract you in the long term. Long-term success depends on truth and service, both of which are valuable in themselves. Focus only on honestly producing goods of value.