I know how hard it is to fight for attention. I’ve been doing it for over five years now. But I also know that you don’t have to sell your soul in the process. You can do things your own way, even if it takes a little longer.

But you don’t have to blindly follow the algorithms to get ahead. Consider Paul Graham or Morgan Housel. Both have never spent any time engaging in “growth hacks” or “engagement bait,” yet they are some of the most successful writers on the internet.

I would give you the same advice as well—reject the algorithm. Because the algorithm will make you do things that you don’t really want to do. It will make you work a job that you hate or write “Cherry Pie” or consume 10,000 calories on camera. But is that who you really are? Is that who you want to be?

What’s their secret? They focus relentlessly on the quality of their writing and ideas. Because quality never goes out of style. And when you focus on quality, you don’t have to play by the rules of the algorithm at all. You can reject the algorithm altogether and create success in your own way.