Justin Kan on Lessons

A friend who just started a company texted me last night and asked: "What's the best piece of advice you have for me? What do you wish someone told you when you were running these companies?" Here's what I answered

1.6K likes36 repliesPosted Nov 12, 2020

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Viral score

Based on absolute engagement — the platform doesn’t expose follower counts here, so large accounts score higher.

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Opens with a short, self-contained line that is easy to take in at a glance.
Opens a question in the reader’s mind and withholds the answer until later.
Follows a clear Hook → Context → Context → Payoff shape, so the reader always knows where they are.
Ends on a short line that is easy to quote and repeat.
The opening line stands alone, so it reads completely before the post is expanded.
Written from experience rather than as advice, which is harder to argue with.

The mechanics

Hook: Plain observation
Structure: Hook → Context → Context → Payoff
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: personal, punchy
Mechanisms: Curiosity gap
Written for: Founders, marketers and operators

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Lessons

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