As Goethe’s maxim goes, “The greatest respect an author can have for his public is never to produce what is expected but what he himself considers right and useful for whatever stage of intellectual development has been reached by himself and others.”

end up being for no one. Picking a lane isn’t limiting. It’s the first act of empowerment we take as a creator. Recently Charlie Rose asked Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the blockbuster musical Hamilton, what set him apart from some of the smarter, more talented kids he had gone to school with. Miranda answered: “’Cause I picked a lane and I start

For creators, it’s typically easier to reach the smaller, better-defined group. If you reach the smaller group and wow them, there will be many opportunities to spread outward and upward.

the better your product is, the better your marketing will be.

It’s not that hard to make something we want, or something we think is cool or impressive. It’s much harder to create something other people not only want, but need.

If you have a launch date looming and everyone around you is “all systems

Not too long ago, we used to care about who was making something—what studio was releasing a project, what publisher was behind a book, what label was behind an album.

Who seems to have a big following? Who has a reputation as a tastemaker or trendsetter? Who seems to be highly connected or to hold a position of prominence in your industry? Who seems to have a hunger for films, apps, food, or services like yours?

In this way, marketing is an ongoing process. The responsibility of finding and reaching new fans is an endless task. It’s why successful people often collaborate with one another—in order to swap audiences.