Why I Stopped Chasing Algorithms and Started Making What Matters

For years, I optimized my content around what I thought the algorithm wanted. Shorter hooks. Trending sounds. Posting at peak hours. Thumbnails with exaggerated expressions. And it worked — my numbers went up. But something felt hollow.

The turning point came in early 2023. I had a video about the ethics of travel photography that I'd been working on for weeks. It was personal, thoughtful, and completely at odds with what my analytics said would perform. I almost didn't publish it. Instead, I hit upload and walked away.

That video became my most-viewed piece that year. Not because it hit some algorithmic sweet spot, but because it resonated. People shared it because it made them feel something, not because it triggered an engagement pattern.

Since then, I've built a simple framework for every piece of content I create. First, does this story deserve to be told? Second, am I the right person to tell it? Third, will this matter in five years? If I can't answer yes to all three, I don't make it.

The result? My average view duration went up 40%. My comment section became a place of actual conversation instead of emoji spam. And I started sleeping better, because I was proud of the work again.

The algorithm isn't your enemy. But it's not your creative director either. Make the work that matters, and the audience that matters will find it.