12 Comments
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Miguel A. Calles's avatar

Thanks for continuing sharing your story. It serves as inspiration to others.

Claudia Ng's avatar

I loved reading this! I started substack for similar reasons (wrote on medium, wanted to learn to build with AI, and document my learnings along the way), and your post really resonated with me.

Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Claudia! I’m so glad to have you along on this journey. Your work has been my inspiration too! And honestly, it’s made me feel a lot less alone.

James Presbitero's avatar

Awesome read! Glad you're figuring things out in your Substack. I'm one of those people who write a lot about AI concepts but actually haven't built anything with it -- I'm somewhat interested, but am afraid to jump into it because I have no technical background whatsoever 😂 So, I settle for reading the work of far more interesting people!!

Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Aww, you’re so kind to say that! 😊

But I wouldn’t say you “haven’t built anything”. You’re a writing expert and strategist who skillfully uses AI to boost creative productivity. That’s a whole different kind of expertise, and just as valuable.

James Presbitero's avatar

Thank you!! I do hope so :D

Alvin Jing's avatar

Looking forward to your updates on Substack explorer 🥳

Jen Phillips April's avatar

Thanks for sharing! You projects are interesting. I tried the viral notes one a few weeks ago and it didn’t work for me. As I recall, it wasn’t finding my Substack. But I’ll try again. I like the idea.

Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Interesting… there definitely are some newsletters that are harder to surface.

But I tried your newsletter at https://liveyourcreativelife.substack.com and was able to get results—here’s a little sneak peek at what came back :)

Article: What does pineapple on pizza have to do with your business?

Provoking Notes

**Hot take:** If your target audience is "everyone," you’re marketing to no one. 🎯 Pineapple on pizza proves it—some love it, some hate it. Your business thrives when you speak directly to the people who *get* you. Who’s your "pineapple-on-pizza" client? Drop a comment!

**Controversial opinion:** "Ready-to-buy" clients don’t care about your credentials—they care that you *see* their struggle. 🚀 Stop selling features; start solving their pain. Who was your last dream client? Tag them below!

......

A total of 18 notes.

Jen Phillips April's avatar

Thanks! 🙏🏼 I’ll try it again.

Brandon Robinson's avatar

Really enjoyed these ideas!

Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you Brandon!