🧭 Should your note be specialized, general, or hybrid? Organizing 3 ways to write
📚 "Specialized or General?" — A story to keep on the corner of your desk when you're lost on note
Hello, I'm Roel.
When writing on note, there comes a moment when your pen suddenly stops.
"Is this theme too scattered?"
"Should I focus on just one thing soon?"
"But I really want to write about this..."
Perhaps everyone who writes on note stands at this crossroads at least once.
Should I go with a specialized approach?
Should I go with a general approach?
On flow-based social media like X (formerly Twitter), I think it's almost common knowledge that
"hitting with one sharp theme" is stronger than anything else.
However, note has a slightly different personality.
Articles don't just flow away, and
they can suddenly start being read six months or a year later.
I feel that this "difference in the flow of time"
makes the evaluation of specialized versus general approaches complicated.
Today, I will organize these two not asa matter of superiority, but as a difference in roles.
1 | The specialized approach is a "highway." It's fast, but the scenery doesn't change
The specialized approach is a style where you narrow down to one theme and keep writing.
AI specialist
Marketing specialist
Side hustle specialist
Money specialist
From the reader's perspective,
"Oh, this person is the [blank] person."
They can understand it in an instant.
This is incredibly strong.
The specialized approach is, if I were to compare it, ahighway.
The entrance is easy to understand,
and it's fast.
In the short term, results are easy to see.
However, as you keep driving, you might start to feel a sense of discomfort like this.
The topics start to look similar little by little
You, the writer, start to get bored
You force yourself to mass-produce, and the quality fluctuates
Readers also start to feel like they 'mostly get it'
You can go far quickly, but
the same scenery tends to continue.
The weakness of the specialized type might not be a matter of talent, but of stamina.
2 | The general type is like 'walking around town.' It's slow, but the paths keep increasing
On the other hand, the general type.
Work
AI
Side hustles
Money
Ways of working
Mindset
Daily realizations
Because there are many shelves, it's inevitably hard to understand at first.
'What does this person actually do?'
is something you might be asked.
But the general type is close to walking around town.
You might get lost at first, but
while walking,
'Oh, I like this shop'
'This alley feels comfortable'
the reader finds their own place.
Entering from one article and reading articles in other genres
Being interested in the 'way of thinking' rather than the theme
The person themselves comes across while browsing through articles
I think the general type is a way of writing where, instead of explosive power,
the relationship deepens gradually.
This is my style. Or rather, I stopped chasing numbers and
ended up writing whatever I like.
3 | Since note is a "stock" platform, neither approach goes to waste
This is the most important point.
note is a stock-type platform.
The moment you post isn't the peak.
In fact, it becomes more effective over time.
Therefore,
Specialized articles hit the mark for "people in need"
General articles serve as material for people to get to know "who you are"
It's not a question of which one is correct;
they just have different roles.
Highways and local roads,
both are necessary for a map.
4 | Actually, there is a "third way"—the strategic hybrid
This isn't the path I've taken myself, but
it's an option I think is quite rational as a strategy.
Specialized → General hybrid.
① First, gain recognition with a specialized approach
→ Create a "go-to person for X" reputation
② Once trust has accumulated, open up to a general approach
→ Shift to "people want to know how this person thinks"
Specialized approaches are good at creating entry points,
while general approaches are good at building a fan base.
The idea is to use them in sequence.
Of course, it doesn't suit everyone,
and it requires some dexterity.
But for those who want to "design and grow" their presence,
I think it's one viable route.
5 | So, what do I do? (Just one example)
To be honest,
I've been quite spontaneous about it.
AI
Advisory Consultant
Spot Consulting
Marketing
Work Style
Money
My Rules
Daily Discomforts
As a result of adding shelves according to my mood and the flow of life,
it naturally became a general-purpose type.
If you ask if it's strategic, not at all.
But,
“Being able to continue without stress”
In that one respect,
this current form feels the most comfortable.
In the end, I think it's important how you can keep going while maintaining your motivation.
6 | The format can be changed as many times as you like later
Lastly.
For those who are about to start writing on note,
I want to ask you this question first.
Do you want to see the numbers first?
Or do you want to continue for a long time with ease?
Is it more natural to narrow it down?
Does it suit your personality better to scatter things?
The answer can be anything.
If you feel like it's not right along the way,
you can just change how you write.
note is
not a place where you are bound to the format you chose once.
This article itself is also
a memo of my thought process in progress.
I would be happy if this could serve as a reference material on the corner of your desk
when you are choosing a writing style that suits you.
▼ Click here for various things related to note
📺 I've started a YouTube channel.
It's a video you can listen to casually during your 8-minute morning commute.
I sometimes talk about things before I write them on note, or touch on the content of paid notes.
You might find it a little beneficial.
https://www.youtube.com/@loelloel-z6n
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