You open the fridge.

You reach for a Lime La Croix.

Ksh.

Taste it.

It's sweeter than you remember.

Almost too sweet like there's sugar in there.

Wait this isn't a La Croix.

It's a 7UP.

That's how your customer should feel after buying your product.

If you want to start building a personal brand, start with X.

Why X?

Because it’s a low-risk place to test your thinking in public.

1. A few years ago, a lot of people in tech stepped back from X or moved their attention elsewhere. If you’re worried about being cringe early on, that actually creates room to experiment without feeling like everyone you know is watching.

2. The content cycle is short. People read, react, and move on quickly. Other platforms can feel like posts linger for days. X gives you room to iterate faster.

3. X creates familiarity that carries into other platforms. If you post consistently, people start recognizing your face, name, and ideas. Then when they see you on LinkedIn, you’re no longer a stranger.

4. You can post more often without every post feeling like a major announcement. That repetition matters. It forces you to clarify what you actually think.

5. X gives you more room to test tone, voice, and point of view. It’s less polished by design, which makes it a useful training ground for communicating clearly.

6. The feedback loop is fast. You can put a thought out, see what lands, and then expand the strongest ideas into LinkedIn posts, videos, essays, or blog posts.

Personally, I’ve connected with sharp investors, operators, founders, and writers I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise.

And admittedly, it has sharpened how I think and communicate more than I expected.

Growing up, I didn’t know anyone who golfed.

I’m not even sure my friends knew where the nearest golf course was.

But I had a charity event coming up and needed to learn how to swing fast, so I asked the only guy I knew who played.

He helped me, but his style was brutal.

He’d film my bad swings and send them to his golf buddies. I ignored it. I was just grateful someone was teaching me.

But every now and then, there’d be a flash of actual coaching.

“Focus on one dimple of the ball and don’t take your eyes off it.”

Fwhip.

“See? Much better.”

The one clear cue and the tiny bit of positive reinforcement.

That taught me something bigger than golf:

People learn faster when they feel safe enough to keep trying.

I’m grateful he taught me how not to coach someone.