True fandom

Nearly two decades ago, Kevin Kelly suggested that you just need 1,000 people who will buy anything you produce to make a successful creator. This is known, by shorthand, as 1,000 True Fans. Is it really 1,000, though? Or is it 100? Or does the theory not actually work in practice? All valid questions, but they miss the point. The most useful thing to focus on is cultivating true fandom. Some people will buy some of your products and services, and not others. They are just as true a fan as someone who pays for nothing, but reads your work and shares it with other people. If you run a professional services company, you may only need two or three true fans. They may be clients who can’t imagine their business without you. They may be advocates who refer clients to you. “Think of the way a presidential candidate campaigns. Breakfasts in small-town diners, talks in town halls, and meet and greets in family backyards,” writes Bobby Hundreds. “There is no shortcut to people’s hearts. There…