Repetition to Reputation

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Today's Cyber Patterns is brought to you by 101

101 helps anyone launch their own web3-powered learning hub, complete with NFT badges, crypto rewards, token-gating, and more. Check out how 101.xyz is helping people build their on-chain reputation.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither are reputations.

In the words of author Robert Greene, your reputation "is your life's artwork, and you must craft it, hone it, and display it with the care of an artist.”

Your reputation is intangible. It's like brand equity. Apple's logo is priceless. When you're a creator, you and your work are the Apple logo.

So how do you build a reputation? Repetition.

"By patiently and consistently publishing original work, you’ll eventually have more opportunity than you know what to do with," writes Butcher. I find this to be the case.

Two years ago, I'd never written about web3. I've consistently posted tweets, threads, and articles. Now, I write for half a dozen venture-backed crypto startups and founders.

Building a reputation online is analogous to building friendships and relationships. You don't become best friends or marry someone immediately. Relationships take time and consistent hard work to build.

Good reputations and relationships are the result of proof-of-work.

"Reputation is a simple construct, built on two ideas — Ability: What you can do. Reliability: What you do consistently," writes designer Jack Butcher.

Your reputation comes from your work quality, consistency, and your personal relationships. Falter in any of the above and your reputation will suffer. If you consistently work hard, you'll prosper.

As Butcher states, your reputation becomes leverage. By me referencing Butcher, this builds his reputation and gets eyes on his work without him doing any extra work.

I've strangely noticed this happening in my own life for the first time recently. This week, I received three DMs from potential clients saying that a prominent crypto creator told them I went freelance. So how does this happen?

Design Your Own Reputation

Reputations, like brands, should not be designed carelessly. To build a solid reputation, you must be as purposeful as if you were building a startup brand.

TechCrunch reported that startups regularly pay $20,000-$80,000 for brand strategy and positioning consulting. This doesn't even include design, logos, or websites. It's just the communication strategy and voice/tone guidelines.

If you're building online and haven't thought about your tone, you're doing yourself a disservice.  Mark Manson deliberately chose to curse in his writing and name his book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. I assure you my cursing isn't on accident either.

My Mom was worried when she saw I wrote that I was a dropout on LinkedIn. I assure you my disclosure was intentional as well. I intend to be known for dropping out and making it on the internet. I've built enough social proof I'll never need a degree. My reputation online is worth 100x more.