The Most Dangerous Advice For Creators
Your Niche Sucks Because You Don't Know Who The F*ck You Are
A quick note before we begin: This isn't one of my usual deep dives that requires three coffees to get through. Today, I’m experimenting with a slightly different format. This piece is shorter, more of a distilled personal reflection. Some of you asked for it. Some of you didn't. Either way, let's get straight to it.
You've heard the advice a thousand times: "Pick a niche." And if you're like most thoughtful creators, that advice probably lands somewhere between a dull ache and full-blown paralysis. You feel stuck, convinced your business can't truly take off, can't make the impact you dream of, without that perfectly defined, laser-focused niche.
But what if I told you that your struggle to "niche down" has almost nothing to do with market research, competitive analysis, or finding some magical, untapped corner of the internet? What if the real bottleneck isn't strategic, but deeply psychological?
The Impatient Burnout
Most creators who crash and burn aren't lacking talent or drive. They're often drowning in impatience, fueled by an online culture that glorifies overnight success. They leap from idea to idea, from niche to niche, chasing the dopamine hit of quick wins, a surge in follower counts, or the fleeting validation of an algorithm that briefly smiles upon them. They're constantly optimizing for immediate gratification, a sugar rush of perceived progress, instead of building something sustainable, something that offers deep, lasting fulfillment. It’s a treadmill disguised as a rocket ship.
This isn't a business problem. It's a human problem reflecting our modern anxieties. We’re told to "move fast and break things," but what if the thing we’re breaking is our own sense of purpose and well-being?
The Psychology of Why Niching is Hard
Think about it. Why is choosing a focus, a niche, so emotionally loaded? Why does it feel like you're being asked to pick your one true love at a freshman mixer?
It’s because defining a niche, truly and authentically, isn't just a business decision. It's an act of profound self-confrontation. It forces you to answer uncomfortable questions: Who am I really? What do I genuinely value, beyond the platitudes? What am I willing to say 'no' to, in order to say a powerful 'yes' to something else? What if I pick wrong? What if I commit and then change my mind?
The fear isn't about marrying your niche forever. The real fear is often rooted in a lack of self-trust. It's the fear of not knowing yourself well enough to make an aligned choice, or the fear of discovering an answer about yourself that you don't particularly like. So, we stay broad, keep our options open, and tell ourselves it's about "flexibility" when, deep down, it's often about avoiding the vulnerability of a clear stance.
The Algorithmic Worship
This psychological unease is expertly exploited by the creator economy's relentless drumbeat of "more." More followers. More subscribers. More revenue. More engagement. More, more, more. But ask yourself: does "more" truly equate to happiness? To fulfillment? To impact? For most, the answer is a resounding no. "More" often just means more pressure, more noise, more obligation to feed the insatiable beast of external metrics.
The real problem isn't that you need more. The problem is often our collective psychological blind spots. It’s our obsession with quick results, our addiction to external validation. We look at ancient cultures and sometimes mock their worship of various gods. Yet, here we are, in the 21st century, obsessively refreshing our dashboards, sacrificing our well-being at the altar of AI-driven algorithms, hoping the digital gods will bless us with virality. It's the same human need for certainty and approval, just dressed in new, shiny tech.
The Imposter Syndrome Antidote
If you're struggling to define your niche, if you feel scattered or paralyzed, the first question isn't "What does the market want?" The first question is: "Do I truly know myself? My unshakeable strengths? My deepest purpose? The unique lens through which I see the world?" Or, are you, perhaps, afraid of what you might find? Afraid that your authentic self isn't "marketable" or "enough"?
This is why the standard advice to "just start" or "fake it till you make it" can be so damaging for thoughtful practitioners. If you "fake it," if you adopt a persona or a niche that isn't rooted in your genuine self, you are virtually guaranteed a lifetime subscription to imposter syndrome. How could it be otherwise? You're pretending to be someone you're not.
But here’s the flip side, the powerful truth: You cannot be an imposter when you are fully, radically yourself. When your work is an authentic expression of your core values, your unique experiences, and your genuine passions, there's nothing to fake. Authenticity is the ultimate antidote to imposter syndrome.
A Short Personal Note
I’ve walked away from two seven-figure businesses. One because my passion wasn't there. The work felt hollow despite the numbers. The other, ironically, faltered precisely because I was so passionate about the craft that I neglected the deeper alignment with my overarching purpose and well-being. Passion, I learned the hard way, is a powerful fuel, but it's not enough to steer the ship. You need purpose as your compass and authenticity as your keel. The goal isn't just to build "more". It’s to build a business that allows you to live congruently, to express your true nature, and to find profound fulfillment in the process.
You Define the Niche, It Doesn't Define You
So, let’s reframe this whole "niche" conversation. Your niche doesn’t define you. You define your niche. When you achieve radical self-acceptance, when your work becomes an authentic expression of your core, niching often clarifies itself. The "Niche Wide" exploration phase I've written about previously isn't about finding a pre-existing market slot. It's about discovering yourself in relation to the world's needs. The "Niche Down" phase isn't about limitation; it's about aligned concentration of your unique energy. Eventually, if you build from this foundation of authentic focus, you can "Niche Out" and become your own category, because your story, your experiences, your unique psychological lens on life. That becomes your uncopyable competitive advantage.
Purpose & Psychology
Stop chasing more. Stop worshipping the algorithm. Start chasing purpose. Start by understanding your own psychology. What truly drives you? What are your non-negotiable values? What unique perspective can only you bring?
Build your business around that clarity. When you prioritize internal alignment over external validation, something remarkable happens. Burnout fades. Confusion lifts. The "right" niche, the "right" focus, often emerges not as a clever market tactic, but as the most natural, energizing expression of who you truly are. And that, my friends, is when business stops being a grind and starts becoming the powerful, impactful, and fulfilling endeavor it was always meant to be.
If you read this far, you might find this interesting:
A niche doesn't matter if the creator has a process they love returning to daily.
When you're anchored in craft, chasing outcomes feels like a distraction, not a necessity.