Why I stopped chasing metrics and started chasing impact

After 5 years of obsessing over vanity metrics, I had a revelation. The posts that got me the most engagement were rarely the ones that led to real opportunities. Here's what actually moved the needle: 1. Sharing genuine failures (not humble brags) 2. Writing about what I learned THIS week, not 10 years ago 3. Engaging deeply with 10 comments instead of broadly with 100 The result? Fewer likes, but 3x more inbound conversations that mattered. Stop optimizing for the algorithm. Start optimizing for the right people.